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United States: Top 20 Flea Markets in the US (2024 Update)

Ashley Miller·
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Melrose Trading Post - Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA

The Melrose Trading Post Flea Market is a weekly antique, art, and collectibles market held every Sunday in the parking lot of Fairfax High School. Actually, the Melrose Trading Post Flea Market is a fundraiser for Fairfax High School.

The Melrose Trading Post attracts between 3,000 and 4,000 attendees each week and features nearly 200 eclectic vendors. That’s bigger than your average local high school fundraiser, but not too big to count as a laid-back Sunday activity.

Admission is $3, which is not bad compared to the $8 admission to the famous Rose Bowl Flea Market. In fact, the Melrose Trading Post flea market is regularly cited as a great alternative to the larger and more expensive Rose Bowl market. Plus, the Melrose Trading Post flea market is held every Sunday instead of just one Sunday a month.

The Melrose Trading Post has a well-edited selection of vintage clothing, records, furniture, plants, jewelry, random knickknacks, and quirky antique treasures that can get pricey. But if you dig deep enough, you can find some great stuff and good prices.

Located at Fairfax Middle School, this gem of a market is the perfect size for a relaxed Sunday sightseeing trip. From vintage artwork and clothing to candid vacation photos of random families, the Melrose Trading Post offers just the right amount of everything you might find at larger flea markets like the Rose Bowl. Admission is $2, parking is easy in the school parking lot, and the market is smack dab in the middle of some of the best shopping in town (if you get a chance, check out Wasteland a few blocks down on Melrose and Martel). Okay, go, go, go!

Arrive early, explore, and bring plenty of cash. You don’t want to wait in line at the ATM, because every minute is precious for discovering those hidden gems you came all this way to find. And if you’re still in shopping mode after your vintage treasure hunt, you can continue your shopping spree in the area. It is known as one of the best shopping destinations in LA.

Where: 7850 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046 (show on Fleamapket)
When: Sunday: 09:00 – 17:00 (rain or shine)
Phone: +1 323-655-7679
Read: Melrose Trading Post listing on Fleamapket
Website: http://melrosetradingpost.org/

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Ashley Miller
Editor & Co-Founder

A true dyed-in-the-wool flea market hunter, Ashley has never been afraid to dig her hands into old dusty boxes full of spider webs, to search for lost treasures. At age 6 she was already spending hours in her grand parents' attic digging into old stuff, and when she turned 10, she organized her first garage sale in her neighborhood. She is an avid reader (old books, even better) and loves to write about her finds at the flea market, and her favorite vintage venues. Connect with Ashley on Google+

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49 Responses

  1. Great flea markets!! Also check out Burbank Junk Trunk Flea Market, its new to burbank and is held the 2nd saturday of every month beginning march 8th at John Muir Middle School in Burbank, CA. DONT MISS THIS ONE!!! email [email protected] for more info!!!

    Reply

  2. Roundtop Texas Antique Week is Insane! WARNING – Once you go, you will always go!
    Raleigh Flea Market – Awesome place to find great bargains!
    Cheers,
    Flea Market Junkies on FB

    Reply

  3. The fact that you don’t have English town flea market in nj listed and then in the same listing put up Brooklyn flea amongst all the overrated high priced crap in nyc. Discredits this entire list…

    Reply

    1. To my opinion, the English Town flea market has been on a downward spiral for some time now and this time, it seems it has hit bottom. This is the saddest flea market I’ve ever seen. If you’re going for clothes, tools, CD’s, DVD’s, questionable toothpaste, shampoo or food goods, sock vendors, cheap/knock off sweatshirts, work boots, women’s accessories, etc then you’ve found the spot. There are also multiple booths selling drugstore discards: damaged cosmetics, over the counter meds & personal hygiene items in broken boxes. If you are a seeker of actual antiques, then this is NOT the place for you.

      If this place was better organized and they put a limit on the types/numbers of vendors selling new crap, it might become a 3 star experience. At this point, it looks like someone owns a big piece of land and is letting anyone with money and a folding table throw down. If it is $13 a table, and there are easily a thousand tables at the Englishtown Flea (not to mention the sad stores inside of the many buildings), we are basically looking at someone’s poorly managed cash cow. This place needs management, organization and someone that cares about the experience of the attendee.

      Reply

      1. I agree. I grew up in NJ and went there at least one Saturday a month (mom/daughter thing) and it was losing it’s appeal back in the 80’s.

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      2. I’ve not been there, but it sounds just like a few that I have now stopped going to for that exact reason. Just as you discribed here in Texas, the same thing has happened. I have no complex of nationality, but the flea markets are full of hispanic vendors, they are the ones who are mainly bring in that type of product. And the owners of the Markets are allowing it to happen. Thats not what a Flea Market has ever been about selling. You’d think you were in an outdoor market down in Mexico.

        Reply

    1. Hi sg, thanks for stopping by and asking! As a matter of facts, you’re absolutely right to wonder how we came up with such a listing. To tell the truth, it was quite hard to decide which flea market should make it to this listing, and which not. Top 10 fleas were pretty easy to pick as they naturally make sense (Brimfield, Round Top, Rose Bowl, Springfield…). The following ten where those which required a more thorough investigation, since, as you write it, it’s (almost) “all a matter of opinion”. So we did our own research, and decided to pick flea markets which seem to make a consensus among other flea market enthusiasts.And this is how this listing was born! But as it is the case with any kind of ranking, it is bound to evolve with time :)
      Are there any flea markets you wished would have been featured in this listing?

      Reply

      2. I sell at Englishtown Flea Market and love it. There are antiques to be found there. Good prices on new items. A lady sells brand new Macy’s sweaters with (40.00 tags) for 3.00. Believe me a lot of people love Englishtown. They love my good quality used sweaters etc.

        Reply

  5. No idea how you could possibly miss Roger’s Community Auction & Flea Market. It is the oldest, largest in the tri-state area, and was voted “Best Flea Market in Ohio” by Ohio Magazine. RogersOhio.com They have over 1600 vendor spaces and up to 50,000 visitors on a peak Friday.

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      1. No..sorry…I just know an internet friend I’ve had for over 15 years, and elderly lady who goes in a 5th wheel with her husband every year and they have a wonderful time. I retire in 3 years and my husband and I plan on going on an extended road trip. Kind of like a combined flea market search and “Diners, Driveins, and Dives” tour of the country! Good finds, good food, and good people! :)

        Reply

        1. Tish, this sounds like an AMAZING trip! Well, rest assured that if you’re looking for a place to share your adventure, we’d be more than happy to feature it on fleamarketinsiders.com so our community of flea markets/antiques/vintage enthusiasts could enjoy from your experience :) We wish you good luck with your lovely endeavor!

          Reply

    1. I live in Wickenburg Arizona north of Phoenix now I’ve been going to Peddler’s pass flea market in Prescott Valley in the mountains north of Phoenix it’s a great flea market all year round Friday Saturday Sunday my favorite place to go since 2001 if you can stand the Heat there’s several markets in and around Phoenix some of them on this list

      Reply

  8. Where’s the Elephant’s Trunk? I’ve been there and the Georgetown Flea Market and there’s no comparison. The DC one is nice; but it’s about 1/10th the size of the Elephant’s Trunk. It’s more comparable to the Brooklyn Flea Market.

    Reply

  10. Hello Ashley!

    I’m really excited to see Georgetown Flea Market in DC on the list here, but the address and contact information you’ve listed is for one in KY. The one in DC is at 1819 35th St NW Washington, DC, phone: (202) 775-3532. Great write-up!

    Reply

    1. The Georgetown flea market is a real institution in the US, among flea market enthusiasts! So there’s no way we wouldn’t have featured it among our ranking of the best flea markets in the US :) Sorry for the mistake with the address and telephone number; everything is back in order now.

      Reply

    1. I sell at Englishtown Flea Market and love it. There are antiques to be found there. Good prices on new items. A lady sells brand new Macy’s sweaters with (40.00 tags) for 3.00. Believe me a lot of people love Englishtown. They love my good quality used sweaters etc.

      Reply

  12. Topanga Vintage Market is called one of SoCal’s Top 5 Fleas, which is no easy task in a town with Rose Bowl, Melrose and Long Beach, not to mention the great Pasadena City College show. We are all vintage and antiques, with over 180+ sellers plus select local artisans, music and food trucks. Always the 4th Sunday of the month. We are celebrating our 4th Anniversary this April, 2016. Junk on!

    Reply

  15. I think the Best Flea Market anywhere is the one that you know about and isn’t on this list. That’s what I have close to my house. I live in a somewhat rural area, and the stuff I see at that flea market has amazed me for over 25 years. And the pricing? OMG The place I go to is known as a buyers market, not a sellers market at all. But, the regular sellers are there to sell and man, do they sell cheap! These sellers go to ALL of the local auctions and then drag that stuff, weekly, to the flea market. Half the time they don’t even know what they have, they don’t do the research, they just want to make SOME MONEY on what they’ve bought. I know of one fellow who’s been doing nothing else but buying at this flea market and selling on e-bay. NOTHING. He makes enough to live on…comfortably. He knows ALL of the regular vendors very well, and they know him. The vendors will set aside specific items for him, because they know if they have something of value, this man will pay what they’re asking, if he thinks that he can make a substantial profit on that item.

    I live within driving distance to several very good flea markets, each and every one has enough vendors that a good antiques dealer can make a large enough profit on the keep their store FULL, with very good quality items.

    So, I reiterate – the best flea market is the one that you know about, and isn’t on this list.

    Reply

  16. How could you NOT have the Elephants Trunk Country Flea Market(New Milford, CT) on your TOP List?!?!?!?! Why do you think “Flea-Market Flip” films their ‘Picking/Re-purposing’ section there? High % of Antique & Vintage Dealers 500+ every Sunday weather permitting outside!!!

    Reply

  18. I saw Austin Country Flea, Austin, TX on the list, but didn’t see Trader’s Village, Grand Prairie, TX on the list. It’s one of the largest and oldest to shop in TX. They’re still there. I left TX in 2005, and checked them out, and they say people still sell everything. I’m moving back to TX, and can’t wait to visit them both. Although YELP! responses are not good for Austin Country Flea.

    Reply

    1. Hi Eric,

      That’s a very good point. Our rankings of the 20 Best Flea Markets in the US is actually dynamic. This means it tends to evolve over time based on different factors such as the renown of each venue, the rarity of the event (once a year vs weekly), the quality of merchandises sold (majority of antiques), the number of merchants/size of the event.

      Since we couldn’t change every time the pagination of our article to reflect this change, we decided recently to reflect these changes in the list below – flea markets are ranked by order of importance & quality.

      #1. Texas Antique Weekend – Fayetteville to Carmine, TX (twice a year, > 2,000 vendors)
      #2. Brimfield Antique Show – Brimfield, MA (thrice a year, 5,000 vendors)
      #3. Springfield Antique Show & Flea Market – Springfield, OH (monthly, 2,500 vendors)
      #4. 127 Corridor Sale – Cumberland Plateau, TN (once a year, > 30,000 vendors)
      #5. First Monday Trade Days – Canton, TX (monthly, 6,000 vendors)
      #6. Rose Bowl Flea Market – Pasadena, CA (monthly, 2,500 vendors)
      #7. Shipshewana Auction & Flea Market – Shipshewana, IN (weekly, 900 vendors)
      #8. Nashville Fairgrounds Flea Market – Nashville, TN (monthly, 1,200 vendors)
      #9. Raleigh Flea Market – Raleigh, NC (weekly, 1,000 vendors)
      #10. Alameda Points Antique Faire – Alameda, CA (monthly, 800 vendors)
      #11. Kane County Flea Market – St Charles, IL (monthly, 1,000 vendors)
      #12. Scott Antique Market – Atlanta, GA (monthly, 3,300 vendors)
      #13. Hartville Marketplace & Flea Market – Hartville, OH (daily, 800 vendors)
      #14. Rogers Flea Market – Rogers, OH (weekly, 1,600 vendors)
      #15. Long Beach Outdoor Antique & Collectible Market – Long Beach, CA (monthly, 800 vendors)
      #16. Lakewood Antiques Market – Cumming, GA (monthly, 500 vendors)
      #17. Lincoln Road Antique & Collectible Market – Miami, FL (monthly, 125 vendors)
      #18. Golden Nugget Antique Market – Lambertville, NJ (weekly, 140 vendors)
      #19. Renninger’s – Mount Dora, FL (weekly, 1,000 vendors)
      #20. Hells Kitchen Flea Market – New York City, NY (weekly, 150 vendors)

      Reply

    1. Hi Miriam, thanks for your input! Are you certain this is Hell’s Kitchen flea market on 9th Avenue with W 39th? We checked on Annex Market’s website and FB page, and Hell’s Kitchen seem very alive :) They even posted new pictures two days ago. The famous Chelsea Garage unfortunately closed a few years ago :(

      Reply

  21. I live in Michigan and the Flatrock Speedway Flea Market is huge! The entire speedway section is packed with antique dealers and then there is the enormous overflow section with rows and rows of dealers. I found antiques that I never thought I would find at this ginormous flea market. The prices are very fair and the sellers are always willing to negotiate a fair price. There is food and indoor clean restrooms free parking and free admission. This flea is every May and October. Next is Greenmead Flea Market in Livonia Michigan it’s held twice a year June and September- it’s huge! Sellers as far as the eye can see – beautiful antiques at reasonable prices. This flea market is a true treasure chest!!! The parking is free – it’s $2.00 to get in and there are food vendors – and many port-a potties. This is a fantastic flea market – the size of the crowds can attest to it’s a quality flea market. So please put Michigan on your list!!!

    Reply

  22. Hello from The Willows Flea Market & Cafe! We are located at 345 South Main Street / Mechanic Falls, Maine 04256 (route #11) Open Thursday thru Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm (year round) We are the Largest Indoor Flea Market in the State of Maine! Here is our Story…
    In the Fall of 2014 we found out that The Willows Flea Market in Mechanic Falls was for sale. So, we went to look at the place and talked with the owners regarding purchasing the property. We discussed the endless possibilities that we could do with the buildings and the property. Since we had been in the construction business for over 35 years we knew that the work would be extensive to bring The Willows back to life again. Were we up for this kind of huge project and would it work? It would be a big commitment for us as we would have to give up a lot of time and focus on a large remodeling job. We sat down as a family and made the decision to go ahead with our ideas etc. In February of 2015 we closed on the property and instantly began renovating. On June 4, 2015, we opened with just the first floor with approx… 20 vendors. With a lot of advertising to get more vendors in, we finally filled the first floor with Awesome Artisans and Vendors that were from Maine and other states. At that time, more artisans and vendors were coming in asking to rent a space. Therefore, we started renovating the 2nd floor. The 2nd floor opened in November of 2015. Business for these artisans and vendors were great! We still had more people coming in asking to rent space so we started the 3rd floor renovations. The 3rd floor opened January of 2016. So, from February 2015 to January 2016 we were nonstop with limited help and did all the renovations while bringing in new artisans and vendors at the same time. The word was getting out about what we had done to The Willows and customers that came in couldn’t believe what they saw compared to what it looked like before. It was awesome to see customers faces when they walked through the door as their mouths would drop and couldn’t believe what they were seeing! All customers were very pleased with what we had done to the building and would tell us that they would be back and would tell all their friends and family to come check out The Willows. Artisans and Vendors were still coming in looking to rent spaces. To accommodate them, we decided to start renovating the other one floor building while building The Willows Café. The other building opened August 3, 2017! 19 Booths and there are also middle aisle spaces. The Willows Café is now open! As of August of 2017 our customers now have 2 buildings to shop and a Café to rest and eat. Both Buildings Combined…we now have 36,560 sq. ft. of Artisans & Vendors. With this new business venture that we started, we have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful Artisans, Vendors and Customers and are truly Thankful for all who have had their confidence and support in us that has made us what we are today, the Largest Indoor Flea Market in the State! New Building opened August 3, 2017 and is Full of Amazing Vendors, Artisans and Items! We still have a lot of work to be done on the property, so stay tuned and watch the transformation as it’s happening…. In closing, we want to Thank-You for “Shopping By” and Supporting a Local Business for Maine’s Finest Artisans and Vendors in our State!

    Reply

  23. First of all, how can you call something like Brimfield a flea market? Second, if places such as the Nashville Flea Market and Lakewood are among the best in terms of antiques/vintage items, then the market is in even worse shape than I thought.
    Forrest D. Poston

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  25. Hello, Many years ago my family and I visited an out-door Flea Market. I can’t remember exactly where it was but I am guessing Penna. The name of the market was Schupp’s Market.

    I’d so much appreciate your input with regard this market. Thank you in advance,

    Reply

    1. Hi Marsha,
      The Flea Market Shupp’s Market is actually called Shupp’s Grove and is near Adamstown, PA. I have not been there in years myself, but I remember it being a great flea market. There is also Renninger’s in Adamstown and in Kutztown. You can Google the names and find out the details. Hope this helps.

      Reply

  26. We retired from fleas fairs 10 years back but miss it .. we have replaced it with selling online.. http://www.Zippychicboutique.com.. I am planning on doing fleas now also and as You can see we mainly sell costume rings over 2000 and women’s designer swimsuits(2-300). I have family in College Park and want to try to get a permanent space in your flea market on weekends.. Do you have space
    available.

    Reply

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