Cypress Swap Meet

This place is so hood. Just kidding, I actually prefer this swap meet over the Goldenwest Swap Meet. My friends and I used to come here every other weekend during high school. They used to serve the best tacos. The tacos were delicious and the spicy sauces were amazing. However, the owners decided to call it quits so now we have to settle for mediocre tacos/​tortas. Besides from the tacos, there is this one stand (look for the yellow flag) that sells the best strawberry lemonade. $ 3 dollars for a medium and $ 4 dollars for a large. The large size is big enough for two people.
I used to work here every weekend selling shampoos and other household items. As a result, I spent a lot of time here. Be careful when buying shoes. I bought two pairs of Converse here and it was a horrible mistake. Had to throw them away just after a single use since the pain was unbearable. Also, I remembered spending all of my allowance on Yu-​Gi-​Oh cards. There is this papa and son stand where you can find great deals on Yu-​Gi-​Oh card. 3 packs for 10 bucks, steal. The Churros used to be a dollar each and now, they jacked up the price to 2 something. Almost as bad as Disneyland. Pro tip: remember to bargain.

Okay so this place holds a lot of good memories for me and most being childhood memories. Every now and then I go back because I remember getting some pretty good things here. Good thing about this swampmeet is that you don’t have to pay for entry like santa fe’s and also even the layout seems a bit more nicer than Goldenwest’s. Lastly, its not indoors like the stanton one so you get some nice fresh air, yeah I know my swampmeets I show the hood love.
Again, this might be bias because its the one I grew up going to alot, I believe santa fe lets you in free, but thats before a certain time, plus their weekday sales are not worth your time.
So I came here many times as a child because I was into playing cards before (Yu-​Gi-​Oh) and for video games. I swear I’m talking far back like 2000s till now, he probably resides at the same spot. Oh ummmm 3 for ten lol, his regulars will get it… thats 10 dollars for 3 packs son, get your game up and get you some holos. Retired, but show me the prints baby ultra and secret I knows it. Also, theres a video game stand that has been there for awhile there too, but damn the games take a big hit from that sunlight, you’ll see alot of decayed covers. Shopping for new games ain’t really a deal as much it used to be so thats kinda out.
You could get some pretty nice phone cases, but mostly for alot of old galaxy phones and those iphones. The latest and newest cool thing that I got there was some clothes which was some jogger pants. I got some pretty good looking and comfortable joggers for 15 $.
You might bit be lucky to still find a gamecube for like 20 bucks that is if you know how to hustle.
PRO TIP: Haggle
Advisory: If you got problems with hustlin, bring some shades so that they do not look into your soul, because some vendors do not budge and they can tell when you aint about that life.
Okay, so other things about this place. Steer away from laptops and expect cheap results from electronics for example: headphones, chargers, cables, etc. Just don’t do it, you should know better baby, you at the hood.
Shoes uhh my friend got some flashy low end converses and they lasted less than a week. Lol they didnt even have my size so I lucked out… LITERALLY. He said never again, his feet were dying. Again, at the hood baby so don’t expect premium quality. I’ve had my fair share of failed purchases… like a penny board. Those wheels wouldn’t get me anywhere and I was failing like every 2 minutes, so it was suicide.
The food here is a bit overpriced sometimes, so I only try a select locations there. From the looks of it though a lot of people eat there though. The day of 1 dollar churros are over!!! I believe they are 1.50 if not 2 dollars, not worth it. Get yourself a rasapado, thats where the money at.
So winding down to the last of it, honestly its been dragging because this place really was there growing up for me lol #noshame #cheapstake. Nowadays it doesn’t do the trick for me as much. I find myself telling myself why in the world did l want to come here again and leave empty handed. All good things come to an end right, BUT for some reason I do still get a kick out of just walking around here, looking at random junk, and enjoying the sun when it’s out. Another man’s trash is another man’s treasure… and if not then you’ll see it at the swapmeet next week cuz they need to make a sell baby!!!
Lastly…PASALE PASALE, (spanish for come by come by)
BARATO BARATO (spanish for cheap cheap), UN DOLLAR UN DOLLAR… don’t even have to translate that one… that’s right if you’re hearing these words, you made it to the swampmeet my friend.

The swap meet is open during the weekends at Cypress College and draws large and diverse crowds. Where else can you buy toothpaste, deodorant, household needs, toilet paper, detergent, and many other essentials for only a dollar or two? Swap meet also has a wide variety of goods including: Barbies, used CDs, used DVDs, new and used pots and pans, tires, foods and snacks, and complete meals all in one place. You can also find a nice selection of plants and children’s toys all throughout the area. Come by and have yourself an afternoon of fun you will not be disappointed.

Second come I come here. It’s like what Evers they have a lot of use stuff that’s shouldn’t even be selling but that’s not of my business I wouldn’t come back again. Hopefully when I do they have cheaper stuff they are seeking expensive stuff like if they were in the mall. Anyways that’s all

Oh, Cypress swap meet, how you make traffic on Valley View a b**** on weekends… it’s okay ‘cuz you’re still worth going through the madness.
I think most of the people that come here go for the food, cheap produce, supplies, shoes, or 5 for $ 10 underwear, but in my opinion, the back part is where the real treasure lies. Have found some real, quality, and vintage gems here, but it takes work and time digging for it.
It’s good to get to know some of the vendors. They may look tough shouting «PASALE!» and «BARATO!», but most are nice.
STORY TIME: My husband sometimes sports an impressive handlebar mustache. Well, he shaved it off and started growing it again recently. While we were interested in buying a vintage item, the vendor came up to him, gave him a typical price for it, asked him if he used to have that handlebar mustache, and started making conversation. My man haggled for a waaaay lower price, and the vendor agreed instantly. Lesson of the story, mustaches can get you sweet deals!
There is a peanut dude that looks intimidating. Don’t worry, he is just really passionate about his roasted peanuts. Never tried them, but the peanut shells all over the concrete suggest that it is very popular.
If you don’t mind digging through boxes and getting your hands dirty (and maybe even sticky), then this is your place. Think of it as a huge yard sale. It’s not for everyone. Sometimes, this swap meet smells like manure. Maybe it’s coming from the college fields or apartments nearby. Who knows? Like I said, not for everyone.
Wear a hat, use sunscreen, bring wipes for your hands, and hopefully find good stuff. Forest Gump says it best…“you never know what you’re gonna get.”

10% of the vendors are selling quality stuff and/​or custom items (tools, military surplus items, stickers, brand name shoes, etc.)
50% of the vendors are selling old used junk aka tons of hygiene items you can find at big lots or the .99 store or clothes you can find at swap malls {shudder}
And the rest are peddling junk they bought from overseas.
Not worth the free parking or time in the sun.

Ehhh, same as all the others

One of the better swap meets in OC. Free parking, delicious vendors, cheap and unique finds, clean bathrooms, ATM nearby. Great place to walk around and spend the first half of your day.

Let me start off with this… ghetto. Simply ghetto. They do have cheap things if you really want to spend a lot of time rummaging through tons of boxes. The grounds are super dirty, trash cans over filling, just yuck.

Free parking, with plenty of food and snacks to keep your stomach full throughout your browse of the many aisles. There is a good variety of selection ranging from women and men’s clothes to tools, household goods and gardening. Pricing seems fair with the quality of some products as in there are lots of non name brand products for cheap. I would recommend as a nice Sunday afternoon browsing around.

I like swap meets and will usually go to them if they’re free (or super cheap admissions) or if I just happen to see one around me. My friends and I had just eaten lunch and the Cypress Swap Meet was happening across the street so we decided to check it out and burn some of our lunch off in the process. Honestly, the only real good thing about this particular Swap Meet is that it is huge and it is completely free. There is plenty of parking too so you don’t even have to worry about that. Location is something that they have for sure.
But the actual items up for sale? Eh it’s definitely closer to trash and junk than actual hidden gems and treasures. I’m all for browsing and finding bargains but there just isn’t much here. Everything just seems broken and old (and not in the good way, the vintage way) and nothing is organized or even clean. I didn’t even think the bargains were all that great except for maybe the fruit and vegetables vendors. But if I wanted to shop for groceries, I would have just gone to my local Farmer’s Market. I think this is one Swap Meet that I’ll pass up on next time, but if you want to browse through trash then be my guest. ²⁄₅

Great Swap Meet, more like a flea market which is nice because you can haggle more… used to go to the OC Swap Meet at the fair grounds and this place blows them out of the water! And it’s free parking/admission…the only real negative is that it opens at 6, we got there at about 7:30, but even then half the vendors aren’t set up yet and it’s PACKED and slightly unbearable by 9:30…but really not that bad if you get there early… parking is also horrible unless you arrive early too

This is one of my favorite swap meets in Orange County. You can always find a lot of really great things here at affordable prices (this is where you have to tap into your haggling skills). To better prepare yourself for this swap meet, you have to know the rules of the game:
–Open every Saturday & Sunday from 6 am– 4 pm (except holidays)
–Admission is free.
–Cash is king (doubt there are many vendors that accept credit card)
–Parking (also free) can be crazy so come early! (Early bird catches the worm is a cliché but true on many levels) Make sure you do not back in or you may get a parking ticket. Save your precious money for the swap meet.
–Wear good walking shoes (and bringing snacks and maybe even wearing a hat couldn’t hurt either, especially if you come here on a sunny day)
–Walk around the whole place (or at least a portion of it) so you can get a general idea of the price for the items sold here, so you know if you are getting ripped off by one vendor over the other.
–Lastly, know that you don’t have to buy something and shouldn’t feel bad if you didn’t find anything you liked. By getting rid of that mentality that you have to get something, you are least likely to spend money on useless stuff that may clutter your home.
Over the years that I have gone to this swap meet, I have purchased a lot of random things here. I have purchased clothing accessories like belts and jewelry. I have also purchased cell phone accessories back in the early 2000’s. And one time when I brought my aunt and uncle with me, I purchased a box of band aids because my aunt accidentally cut her foot on something (she was wearing sandals).
This swap meet is pretty large, as there are two really large lots/​areas to venture through. Some vendors sell unique items. But there are also vendors that sell the same items as other vendors.
Just a few other notes to mention is that there is an ATM here on site but make sure you bring cash to avoid paying a fee. There are restrooms here (surprisingly clean and adequately stocked with your essentials). Food is also sold here but still would be cheaper to bring your own.

I used to be a vendor here many years back when lot 6 was around. Now it’s a library I believe? While I was a vendor (2004), I always wanted to walk around and browse a little but I couldn’t neglect my space.
So, I decided recently I wanted to come shopping here, the weather was predicted to be nice and my family and I planned a fun day.
My review is based on The Swap meet itself, not the vendors because if I could, I would give them each 10 stars cause I know the hassle involved in setting up your space. Waking up at 4 am to get ready for the day, setting up by 530 am and dealing with haggling non stop on items that are already priced to sell. I believe someone tried haggling a dollar item from me for 50 cents, sitting in the heat for hours at a time and having to wait till 2 pm to use the bathroom (if youre working alone) and finally having to watch for sticky fingers.
If I still had a van and a sellers permit, I would still be out here making extra cash.
So anyhow, kudos to all the vendors here.
Now to the swap meet:
Parking is insane, it always has been.
Admission is free
Swap meet seems to be well maintained and the office is located inside the swap meet.
There are great vendors selling new and old stuff that is priced pretty good.
For girls, lots of nice jewelry, makeup and clothes, some at a dollar and it’s new items.
Lots of books, dvs and household items.
Lots of car cell phone chargers and electronics.
I smelled fresh fruit and had to follow the scent. I found fresh guavas that were pretty delicious.
Great food trucks that serve breakfast, I saw chilaquiles on the menu… yum
It gets pretty busy but there’s something for everyone.
One thing that helped earn 5 stars is that there is no loud music blaring, I have gone to other swap meets and the music is so loud you feel like you’re at a club so I appreciate that.
I ended up buying makeup and jewelry, fruit and household items at a bargain price! Will be back again, thanks!

I always enjoy coming to the Cypress swap meet. My favorite things to buy here are nailpolish and jackets. A lot of vendors have Revlon nailpolish on sale here for $ 1 or $ 2 which is almost $ 5 less than at the stores. Love it!
There is one vendor that is generally located in the back by the security, and they always have the cutest dresses. I’ve bought a few dresses that have retailed at places like wet seal and forever 21 for a lot less than they would have cost in stores. I have also found really cute peacoats from various vendors for the winter.
For the metalheads that frequent the swap meet, there’s a vendor that sells a whole lot of metal shirts like Bathory and Venom. They also have a whole lot of patches for your jacket and pins too. It’s always fun to go see what they have.
Lastly, there’s a booth with leatherworkers, who made me an amazing quality bondage belt which they custom made to my specifications. They also have high quality dog collars and other leather things.
The Mustache Mike’s truck is usually here, other food trucks have phở, raspados, bacon wrapped hot dogs, and lots of ice cream. My favorite things to eat here are definitely the churros!

What a great swap meet to come and check out. Its easy to park, its free to get in and its massive. You have a range of all kind of vendors here and can find some things for great deals if you don’t mind looking. Its a great place to come and spend a few hours and walk around and browse. Seriously my first time here I was blown away at how big this place was. *Tiger Woods voice, Huge!

oh god, just got home from the cypress swap meet and it so much like the flea market on chico ave, El Monte. Only that this one is free admission while the chico one charge $ 0.75 per person.
Half of the vendors here sell things that you can find in 99 cents only store, lots of toothpaste, dish soup and detergent. The other half of vendor sell Mexican food, fruit cup, knock off purse and shoes, used/​new clothes, socks, watch, cell phone accessories, games, cd, furniture and household electronic item, tools, plant…
I wouldn’t recommend buying games here; crazy vendor wants $ 45.99 for a refurbished super mario bros WII game.
OK, here comes the unique stuff: used wheel chair and portable medical potty, damaged bathroom vanity, VHS and some weird religious statues.
Those vendor needs to know there is a different between vintage gem and broken junk.
DO NOT BUY those fruit cup! I saw the lady who prepared the fruit just pop a piece into her mouth, LICKED her finger and then put those fruit into the cup, yikes!!!
Pro: free parking and admission.
walked a couple hours and burn some fat
it’s a great chance to see if your sunblock/​sunscreen really doing its job. The one I just bought seems to be very effective, I was there from 11am-​2pm and got no sunburn!
this place can be a treatment option for shopaholic! works for me! I didn’t buy anything because nothing is worth to buy.
Con: while I exit the parking lot, a wrong way driver almost hit my car. Just think this parking lot as the LAX parking lot, you circle around to enter and exit and it is ONE WAY ONLY!

One of the best in the area, this swap meet is huge. Segregated to half new goods sold by owners and importers and the other half is all the used stuff. I tend to check out the used area far more than the new stuff. When I come here, I think of it as a treasure hunt with exercise. First to admit, most of the time I go I find nothing, but the rare instances that I can pick up 16 Dr. Seuss and Disney books for $ 0.50 each or Toy Story 2 for $ 2 is when I get excited. Food here is nothing to write about, but if you are in the mood for some freshly roasted peanuts this place is chock full of vendors.
They sell their normal swap meet stuff like luggage, clothes, cheap electronics stuff and other random goods so if you are interested, this is a great option.
Parking sucks, it is all over the place and people walking in the lots are ignorant. Mostly on cell phones or walking so slow in the middle of the road that you get the impulse to see them on the front of your hood.
CAUTION — ALWAYS, ALWAYS park HEAD IN! This is a huge money maker for the college. You never see an officer, but if you back in you are sure to get a $ 38 ticket. Speaking from experience, if you call after the fact they have a completely silly reason about accidents that occur from people backing in. Even if you pulled in and just pulled forward, somehow in their mind this is a valid reason.

I came here with my friend Quynh P., I was super excited to find a mannequin head to display hats and scarfs for my etsy shop.
Sadly, there were only three kinds of sellers here. 1) sell overpriced junk that looks like yard sale rejects 2) socks and shoes from china 3) food
I found a semi cute towel and foil dispenser that was rusted. The seller wanted $ 7! No way!!!
My friend and I were thinking that this is where the people who buy storage spaces come to sell their buys. Sorry, I’m not buying.
I was super excited for the kettle corn man. He’s super nice and handed us samples of his wears. The kettle corn is aaaaaamazing. He gets 10 stars.
If you want a cool swap meet, try the Long Beach one.

In case your wondering about this place, here’s the breakdown:
Pros:
— Parking is free and plentiful
— Produce is cheap and good quality (this is where I discovered Reeds avocados, good stuff)
— lots of stuff, some junk, some new, depends on what you’re looking for, so wear comfortable shoes
— it’s like eBay, outdoors and you can meet the buyer, in person
— ATM machines are located near the bathrooms and on campus
— found some Levi jeans for $ 5 (BF was excited!)
— got some windshield wipers for $ 7! (deal)
— get some exercise without the gym membership
Cons:
— the maps are confusing
— Bathrooms are located, inside the swap meet, at the opposite end of the entrance
— crowds are people sticking together, people who walk too slow or stop in the middle (oy vey!)
As you can see, more pros than cons listed… if this doesn’t convince, go in and give it yourself!