Let's tell you the story ... about a princess who changed everything about herself, and how it…read morebackfired in so many ways. Somewhere in the land of Illinois, in a little yonder place called "Granite City", there used to be a storage location that was simply known as "THE flea market'. 100's of vendors every weekend, it was THE place to go just for fun flea market shopping, along with the fun aesthetics of the history of route 66. It didn't matter if it was Rain, sleet, or snow, she was the belle of the Flea Market ball and everyone came to see her.... but it wasn't enough. The offer came in to buy her out and she took it. The problem was that not everyone that served under the princess wanted to move over and that those that didn't want to move were being thrown to the royal outlands! The princess set a bad tone for everyone taking the money and running... So, when she opened up her new kingdom, just being down the road, she thought everyone would welcome come running back to her. Her most loyal guards making an effort of staying with the princess, but the subjects had felt the agony of being tossed aside and vowed never again! That unfortunately is what happened to Rte 66 Flea Market. This was the place you shopped if you wanted something fun, whimsy, or just if you just wanted to make the day of perusing (and it could take a full day to peruse everyone) and all in one location. However, after wheeling and dealing they sold off the 'locker-complex' (yes think storage wars), and started rebuilding a new complex, no more than 100 feet away. This way they were able to keep their key building for their restaurant and bar (used to be known as Tina's Diner, then Rte 66 Diner, and now I don't' remember what it's called). The problem was this move was done so quickly that the vendors barely had time to even ask "what about us", as they were shown the door, with only a promise of something new. That new thing was the new Rte 66 Flea Market, same basic principle, but now with fewer vendors, and most of those were the, for the lack of a better term, long-timers, loyal guards, the ones who were set in what they sold, so finding something special or new just seemed to disappear in the wind, finding new accommodations as quickly as possible. Basically, the magic, that made Rte 66 Flea Market special, has slowly been withering away. Oh, you'll find some good shops along the way, Gary's Vintage Vinyl, The Leather Emporium (Harley jackets as far as you can see), Used appliances, even a Crystal shop, and a few others. And the Diner and Kickstart are still there (pub and diner) and they're worth stopping by just for those alone, but the "Flea Market Magic' just isn't there like it used to be. The owners do try to bring customers back, they even had a small mini-auto car show with a decent vintage classic vehicles showing off (see the Photos), and the vendors are friendly enough, but a lot of feelings were hurt of the vendors when they got told to "shut down and move", so they did. Sometimes changing things is the worst thing you can do, and Rte 66 has kind of learned this the hard way. Rumour had it that the owners were looking to buy back the original storage center, and have twice the flea market in size. It'd definitely make for one of the LARGEST flea markets in the area, but it's still hope against hope that they can bring the magic back. But we'll have to see. I'd really hope that one day Rte 66 gets back that flea market magic, but until they do, it's a very low 2*'s., but maybe someone can tell me the magic is back? But I'd still recommend a quick run by and you never know the vendors might have already made a quick change/improvement as the summer months approach

The prices were reasonable, and many sellers were willing to negotiate, making it a great place to…read morefind hidden treasures at a bargain.

Loved going there things were very cheap more so than the junk stores and people are very friendly…read moreand the food was excellent

Would you believe me if I told you that I once had a guy take me on a first date here? No? Seems…read moretoo ridiculous? Ok, it's true, and I dated him for two years....so obviously, I think this is a pretty amazing thing to go to. The Gypsy Caravan comes every Memorial day and they always change the location from UMSL to SLU...just stay on top of things or watch Channel 5 and you'll know where it is...seriously, that's how I always find it. Basically, this is nothing more than a gigantic garage sale/flea market and it's all for the benefit of the St. Louis Symphony's Educational Programs. Guilt free shopping is my favorite kind of shopping. This is the kind of place that you can spend all day digging through old junk to maybe or maybe not come up with a great treasure. There's everything from jewelry to paintings to just plain garbage that you have no idea what it might be at this place. The stuff is pretty cheap, though some of it is overpriced for what it is. This is no different than any other flea market but seriously, it only comes once a year and therefore, is a pretty amazing stop in if you are looking for something to do other than heading to a pool on Memorial Day. I may be a little late (or early) in the year to be talking about this, but I have such cherished memories of heading to this thing every year that I can't say enough good things about it. Seriously, what a place...and what people that go.

A little place tucked in between the dollar store and Honey baked ham. I've been coming here for…read moreyears. I never find a lot of stuff, but every once in a while I will stumble upon a treasure. This place has the little booths; one for each seller. The lady behind the counter is always friendly and makes you feel welcome. To me, it's mostly garage sell stuff, but it's a fun place to just look around if you have some time. You never know what you may find. The hours are Monday-Saturday 10:00 to 8:00 and Sunday 10 to 5. Over 50 vendors.

Such a cute little place tucked away by the dollar store. They rent separate booths to each vendor,…read moreso everything is different no matter where you are looking! Every time you stop by, you're always going to find something new and exciting! If you love vintage and antiques, I highly suggesting sipping in here for a look!

We stopped here a few times to look around and have bought a few things from here. We like how…read moreclean it is inside with a great selection of many things. The ladies at the cashier are very friendly always service with a smile. About once a week new things are being brought in from different venders. Plenty of parking with many booths to look through

I love this Goodwill Outlet! However it's important that you know what you are getting into and set…read moreyour expectation right or you will have a 1 star experience here. They open for two 3 hour chunks during the day. They are closed in the middle of the day. During the closed time they are restocking the bins and making sure there is inventory on the floor. If you arrive right at opening time it's literally like a Black Friday stampede and mad dash for a cart. SCARY! To prevent this you can arrive early and stand in line hoping to get a cart OR come an hour after opening time and walk right in and get a cart. This is an outlet of your standard Goodwill store, which means super low prices and leftover stuff. IE: lots of resellers, online sellers and thrift store buyers are here trying to get the best deal they can to resell this stuff to you somewhere else. You will notice this right away with people that have 3 carts filled to the brim of good stuff. I'm not that serious about it. I'm shopping for personal use looking for items I can wear or use, sometimes gift. I don't mind being there super early. I find it kind of stressful actually. I like to come an hour or so in when people are already leaving and there are empty carts and I can shop slowly without others rushing me. The downfall here is "the good stuff" might already be gone. Maybe... but I've found really good deals here like" lululemon leggings, athleta leggings, entire dish sets, containers for cookie baking season, so many name brand clothes - some new with tags on, books and shoes. Almost everything I buy is still new with tags or in like new condition. AND WORTH every cent I spend on it. The bins with the items can be very scary. There can be sharp things sticking out, glass, etc. in them. They are stacked high and awkwardly. Items are literally thrown into the bin and just pushed to the floor. Prepare yourself mentally for this (it can be a lot). I recommend you bring and wear gloves. Be careful as you move stuff around in the bins because the whole thing shifts. After digging in once or twice it gets less scary. Be aware that there are no returns and you will be RUSHED through checking out. Step to the side when you have your items and make sure they are what you and in the condition you want. I check every page of books to make sure no pages are missing/ no one colored in it, etc and all my clothing for holes, stains, rips, tears. Overall this is a 5 star experience for me. I buy goods worth hundreds of dollars for 10% of that price. I usually keep a list on hand of wants/needs and don't rush on finding it. So I'm a casual shopper here.

One of the worst bins. Customers who show guns when you get too close to bins. I would go to the…read moreother outlet or just another store tbh

I love a good thrifting moment, especially when I find unique pieces! This place is a hidden gem…read morelocated on St. Charles Rock Rd. From clothes, shoes, vintage toys, comic books, vinyl records, household decor and more. You are bound to find something that matches your style. Each booth/space is owned by a different vendor and they each carry something different. Prices on items were fair and reasonable. Staff greeted me as i came through the doors, and let you have free range to browse. They were available to answer any questions you may have. Definitely worth looking into if you are a thrifter!!

The service is always friendly, the selection is a huge range of stuff varying across anybody's…read morepersonality. Anyone and everyone could absolutely find something they like here. There are so many booths with different styles of movies, games, clothes, shoes, antiques, toys, collectibles, glass, etc. The pricing varies booth to booth, but I find really reasonable prices across the building. Come here at least once a month or more! They also have super cheap snacks/drinks close to the front counter which is handy if you have a low blood sugar problem or forgot to grab a bite and you're there longer than you thought you would be. One of my favorite places to go!