Santee Drive-In Swap Meet

Be sure to show up 6:30AM SHARPISH
Because by 9:00am more than half sellers are gone
The only useful stuffs I find are before 7:30 from personal seller (like a garage sell)
Coupon is a 2 for 1 so bring someone if you want

They pack up early so don’t bother coming much later than 9 am. It’s like the wild west. No rules,. Careful there are often trucks that plow thru trying to get out and they do not care about you or those small children. They need a change in management or rules. Dealers leave piles of junk. Management begs them not to do this thru announcements. Kobeys would refuse to allow them back if they left early or left trash. Yes, you can enforce this. If the word gets out you are even trying to enforce rules some of these guys will change. These dealers do not have anywhere else to go because most places enforce their rules.

Came here at 8:30 and half of the vendors were gone! Got turned around a couple of times trying to find the place, but found up finding the massive swap meet sign. Everyone is super nice, there’s an assortment of random, cheap junk and nice, new items. Ended up buying a large wicker trunk, two ornaments and two plants for $ 11! You definitely need to pick through the junk, but there are great finds hiding in there. You can probably find more stuff early in the morning, but things start to get cheaper later in the day.

i have never been to the swap meet here (i’m not much of a swap meet person)
but i am definitely a summer regular of the drive inn’s
We have been here numerous time this summer (more than our usual summers).
Going to the drive-inn’s is not ideal by any means… but it is a super fun night out…
it is super comfortable being in your own car.
i have a pretty decent sound system… so sound of movie is nice (just remember to start you car hourly to make sure you battery doesn’t die)
if you battery does die… they will jump start you… yay!
i am thinking of bringing a battery operated radio (aka boombox) one day to avoid the car battery issue.
the people at the drive inn’s are mostly respectful and nice.
bathrooms are small, very few stalls… so try to time you potty breaks before the movie and hustle over as the end of movie credit’s are rolling to avoid a long line.
i always park in the back (tall vehicles have to anyways)…which is closest to the bathroom. can’t say if the view is better since i’ve never been up front… but it is still a great view. Bathroom proximity is a definite #1 factor for me.
snackbar is reasonably priced… the popcorn smells delish! we have never purchased anything here though… maybe one day.
i have got the drive inn packing list down.
i pop the popcorn at home… pack each kids their own gallon ziplock of it.
each also have a lunchbox of other assorted snacks
32 oz water bottle for each of us (also filled at home)
our splurge is stopping at the Sonic up the street and grabbing each kid a kids meal for their dinner.
for comfort…
back of mini van has the kids fold out «beds» (those little couches that flip out to a mini bed… kids have had it since they were born)
blankets, pillows, PJ’s on, jackets, folding chairs (for the grownups), and a bottle of wine.
follow my packing list and you will be set.
once the kiddos are asleep… put everything in the van and turn the van around so mom and dad can watch the movie from the comfort of the front seat (i do this when it’s cold outside)
gotta hit the drive inn’s once more before the kids return to school

You have to come here with the attitude ready to dig for something awesome, and cheap. They have tons and tons of vendors with loads of stuff ! If you’re not in the mood you may be turned off, but if you have a good attitude you are sure to find something that will put a huge smile on your face .
If anything you’re sure to go home with some fresh flowers for only 5 bucks. There’s a vendor here every weekend with a great variety of flowers for unbelievably cheap !

All I saw was a bunch of junk. I prefer other swap meets. I dont think I will be returning

This is an awesome place to sell stuff you start early and finish super early too. I love this cuz it gives me a chance to do more in the afternoon without being completely drained. The employees there are very helpful and so is the manager. He is a nice dude and they are willing to help you out with any questions you have. I’ve had very good buying and selling experiences here. It’s a good place to buy video games new and retro. The only negative experience I ever had was as a buyer when I bought my entrance ticket the cashier women was a little rude but overall I’ve had good experiences.

I am a bargain hunter! This place called my name and I answered. After spending $ 1.50 and having a nice conversation with the car full of friends that the drive in brought back memories of younger days, we were in!
Parking was simple enough. Once out of the car, there was a pile of stuff to be found! It is like one huge community yard sale at this swap meet. You can find tons of stuff that others would probably be selling at a yard sale. You just have to take the time to look around and believe me there is an eyeful to see! (when they say you can find everything and the kitchen sink they are not yanking your chain — I literally did see a kitchen sink! hahahahahaha)
My friends and I each each came home with a bag full of goodies. We each approached the swap meet with a reusable shopping bag and all left with the bag having some sort of treasure in the bags.
Items that we found on this adventure: video games, gaming accessories, plants, a ceramic piggy bank, brand new in the box shower head. For my treasures: a herb garden in a pot for $ 5, a flower plant for $ 1, a brand new in the box Waterpik Shower Head. I did manage to control myself and not come home with a ton of other stuff… like the wicker baskets and iron plant stands. (.. . next time…)

Me and my boyfriend sell our antiques here almost every weekend. The morning comers suck and are so rude they bum rush your car digging through your stuff asking how much stuff is as soon as you pull up without even setting up yet. They like yo steal your things as well. But once you get the hang out it its not so bad

Great place to find everything from household items and tools to hidden treasures. Lots of friendly sellers who are there every weekend and many newcomers who are looking to sell their old stuff for cheap! Awesome way to start the weekend.

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed the Santee Swap Meet yet. We basically lived here last year. I was looking for a very specific kind of vase for our wedding reception and could usually count on finding at least one or two every weekend at the Santee Swap Meet. And they were usually $ 1 or less each.
You need to arrive early to this swap to get the good stuff. When my husband was looking for a particular type of tool, he’d show up at 6:30AM to be first to see the goods and he usually comes out with some quality tools whenever we visit.
I still say this is the best swap meet in the county for «garage sale» goods at a fair price, but it’s not as flashy as Kobey’s or as big as Spring Valley so it kind of gets forgotten. Parking is a little easier than Kobey’s, but again that depends on what time you arrive.

come here often, w a mental list of things that yer lookin for, and you WILL find *everything* yer lookin for — eventually — and at reasonable prices — you never know what’s going to appear day to day — I have found some real treasures here!

The first reviewer said you need $ 50 to get in — so wrong! It’s a $ 1 on Saturday, $ 1.50 on Sunday. My mother-​in-​law and I frequently venture out, because we are able to find useful garden and decorating supplies for super cheap that we can spruce up. Don’t come here if you are expecting to be amazed by quality; if you need to fill your cupboards for cheap or if you are looking for odds/​end, tools, interesting knick knacks, then it’s worth a go.

lots of tools and good junk here!

Imagine a place if you will. Where you can a pay a buck 50 and see hundreds of garage/​yard sales in one place. This is what you get with the Santee Swap Meet. A pretty good place to go whether you’re looking for something specific or just looking for a diamond in the ruff or maybe your just feeling lazy (like me lol) and not wanting to drive all the way down to the Sports Arena to go to Kobeys.

This used to be a great alternative (especially for those the in east county) to Kobey’s swap meet — but all the county swap meets seem to have lost their former appeal. If you’re in Santee on a Saturday or Sunday morning, this still might be a place to look for a deal, but the chances of finding something you’d want are probably less than they used to be in the past. If you have stuff to sell, this is probably a cheaper place to do it than others, but I’d suggest trying a garage sale first.