East Bay"s Best Flea-Markets for Treasure Hunting
I have fond memories of going to the Berkeley Flea Market in the Ashby BART parking lot as a child. Of course, my perspective was different then, but I’m pretty sure they had a lot of cool stuff.
Unfortunately, things have changed a lot since then. Most of the flea markets in the East Bay don’t cater to treasure hunters, but rather to those who want bootleg DVDs, assorted household goods, cheap makeup, and other such items.
While most of these flea markets fall into that category, one – the Alameda Point Antiques Faire – is a welcome exception.
If you have driven on the Nimitz through Oakland during the day, there’s a good chance you’ve already seen this flea market from the freeway. The good news about this swap meet/flea market is that it’s open daily (except Monday), so you don’t need to plan your schedule around a flea market that is only open certain days. The bad news is that it’s the kind of flea market where you are likely to find knock-off designer purses and clothes, toys made in China, and bottom-of-the-line makeup instead of fun, quirky, vintage or antique pieces. Some visitors report stolen or burgled cars while shopping at this flea market, so be careful. The entrance fee varies by day – it’s higher on weekends – but is always under $2.
Hours:
6 AM to 4 PM Tuesday through Friday.
6 AM to 5 PM Saturday and Sunday.
Closed Mondays.
5401 Coliseum Way
Oakland, CA 94601
510-534-0325More »
Hours:
7:30 AM to 4 PM Sunday.
Closed Monday through Saturday.
7th St. at Fallon St.
Oakland, CA 94607
If you’re an antiques-hunter or vintage-lover, this monthly event in Alameda is the place to go. Most sellers know their stuff, so it’s not common to have an Antiques Roadshow-style experience, but the prices tend to be fair and reasonable. All of the items sold here must be at least 20 years old. As you walk around, you’ll see a few items that violate the letter of this rule, but everything tends to adhere to its spirit. In other words, the new items you see tend to be the hand-crafted type rather than mass-produced junk. There are up to 800 vendors here, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to walk around and explore. Parking is free, but admission varies by time: $15 from 6 AM to 7:30 AM, $10 from 7:30 AM to 9 AM, $5 from 9 AM to 2 PM, and free from 2 PM to 3 PM.
Hours:
6 AM to 3 PM the first Sunday of each month.
Open only the first Sunday; closed the other 27-30 days of the month.
2900 Navy Way
Alameda, CA 94501
510-522-7500More »
As I mentioned in the introduction, I used to be a big fan of this flea market. These days, though, it’s more about incense and cheap jewelry than cool, quirky treasures. If you haven’t been there in a while, you may be glad to know that the drum circle – a tradition for as long as I can remember – still takes place. One of the best features of this market is its location in the Ashby BART parking lot. Instead of circling around in search of parking, you can just hop off BART and immediately be at the flea market.
Hours:
7 AM to 7 PM Saturday and Sunday.
Closed Monday through Friday.
1937 Ashby Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94703
510-644-0744
Hours:
9 AM to 4 PM every Saturday.
Closed Sunday through Friday.
College of Alameda Parking Lot C
555 Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway
Alameda, CA94501
510-999-1431More »
Unfortunately, things have changed a lot since then. Most of the flea markets in the East Bay don’t cater to treasure hunters, but rather to those who want bootleg DVDs, assorted household goods, cheap makeup, and other such items.
While most of these flea markets fall into that category, one – the Alameda Point Antiques Faire – is a welcome exception.
1. WestWind Coliseum Swap Meet
If you have driven on the Nimitz through Oakland during the day, there’s a good chance you’ve already seen this flea market from the freeway. The good news about this swap meet/flea market is that it’s open daily (except Monday), so you don’t need to plan your schedule around a flea market that is only open certain days. The bad news is that it’s the kind of flea market where you are likely to find knock-off designer purses and clothes, toys made in China, and bottom-of-the-line makeup instead of fun, quirky, vintage or antique pieces. Some visitors report stolen or burgled cars while shopping at this flea market, so be careful. The entrance fee varies by day – it’s higher on weekends – but is always under $2.
Hours:
6 AM to 4 PM Tuesday through Friday.
6 AM to 5 PM Saturday and Sunday.
Closed Mondays.
5401 Coliseum Way
Oakland, CA 94601
510-534-0325More »
2. Laney College Flea Market
Laney College Flea Market has the dubious honor of being the go-to place to search for your stolen bike. If you have had one stolen recently, it’s worth getting here fairly early in the day for the next couple weeks to see if you can find it. Other than that, it’s a lot like the WestWind Coliseum Swap Meet and the Berkeley Flea Market in terms of the selection of items for sale. Of course, you could always get lucky, so there’s no reason not to stop by if you’re free and close during the times it’s open. While part of the flea market is free, another part charges admission of $1 as of January 2013.Hours:
7:30 AM to 4 PM Sunday.
Closed Monday through Saturday.
7th St. at Fallon St.
Oakland, CA 94607
3. Alameda Point Antiques Faire
If you’re an antiques-hunter or vintage-lover, this monthly event in Alameda is the place to go. Most sellers know their stuff, so it’s not common to have an Antiques Roadshow-style experience, but the prices tend to be fair and reasonable. All of the items sold here must be at least 20 years old. As you walk around, you’ll see a few items that violate the letter of this rule, but everything tends to adhere to its spirit. In other words, the new items you see tend to be the hand-crafted type rather than mass-produced junk. There are up to 800 vendors here, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to walk around and explore. Parking is free, but admission varies by time: $15 from 6 AM to 7:30 AM, $10 from 7:30 AM to 9 AM, $5 from 9 AM to 2 PM, and free from 2 PM to 3 PM.
Hours:
6 AM to 3 PM the first Sunday of each month.
Open only the first Sunday; closed the other 27-30 days of the month.
2900 Navy Way
Alameda, CA 94501
510-522-7500More »
4. Berkeley Flea Market
As I mentioned in the introduction, I used to be a big fan of this flea market. These days, though, it’s more about incense and cheap jewelry than cool, quirky treasures. If you haven’t been there in a while, you may be glad to know that the drum circle – a tradition for as long as I can remember – still takes place. One of the best features of this market is its location in the Ashby BART parking lot. Instead of circling around in search of parking, you can just hop off BART and immediately be at the flea market.
Hours:
7 AM to 7 PM Saturday and Sunday.
Closed Monday through Friday.
1937 Ashby Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94703
510-644-0744
5. West End Flea Market
Other than the Alameda Point Antiques Faire, this is the most diverse of the East Bay flea markets. You won’t find booth after booth of the same mass-produced products. While there is some of that, you’ll also see some fun vintage stuff, art, and even antiques. This is the youngest of the East Bay flea markets, having just opened in 2012. Because it is so new, it’s still relatively small – you can walk the whole thing in under half an hour.Hours:
9 AM to 4 PM every Saturday.
Closed Sunday through Friday.
College of Alameda Parking Lot C
555 Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway
Alameda, CA94501
510-999-1431More »
6. Clarification Only: San Pablo Flea Market
This place is not actually a flea market – it’s a thrift store. I’ve included it on the list only to help avoid confusion, since its name is misleading. That isn’t to say that it’s not an interesting store. It’s certainly fun to browse around, and you can find some great deals here. However, don’t come expecting a real flea market with various dealers.
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