Swap-O-Rama? More like Thrift-O-Rama!! Just $2 gets you all day access. You'll find pretty much everything: fresh produce, clothing & replica jerseys, gardening supplies, lots of pottery and everything in between. Did I mention Mexican staples like micheladas, churros and Horchata!? And yes that means tacos and similar eats are nearby. In fact, if you decide to walk-in hungry, makes sure to get a hand stamp (or maybe 2) to allow re-entry. You can find all the Mexican eats your stomach may desire inside, however the best eats are actually around the perimeter before you enter. More specifically nearby 43rd & Wood Street. Park on 43rd and take the hike to S-O-R. Trust me, you have to try the food along the way. And this way, after you've spent the day at the place you can even find lunch on your walk back to your car. From my experience, stalls start to close down around 1pm, target arriving early, perhaps between 10am and 1pm. Pro Tip: Bring a minimum of $50 in cash so you are prepared to shop & negotiate. Smaller bills recommended. read more

Swap-O-Rama - My Squad at the Swap-O-Rama - Flea Markets Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Awesome market so huge , they have everything and prices are great, indoor and outdoor

There's not really much to say but it's a flea market and u never know what you'll find. U can find just about everything like furniture, records, food, toiletries, home improvement items....it is worth the visit. They have several Swap-O-Rama locations. I was near this 1 and it was my 1st time in over a year. I enjoyed just walking up and down the rows of vendors. Be careful u will be tempted to buy a lot. Though I did not find what I was looking for I found a few items I liked. Only $1 entrance fee. Make sure u get stamped if u need to take items to your car or need to step away. I brought a large reusable bag with me. U can also bring a cart. Happy shopping!! read more

Swap-O-Rama - The main indoor entrance. - Flea Markets Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

This place is horrible Employees are rude they never have change for bill bigger then 20 plus they tow your cars for the stupidest reason don't go there ever read more

I say it's a 4 star it could of been a 5 star because some workers are rude but mostly are nice I did buy a lot of stuff there you should go to see for your self they have good prices read more

It's a great flea market! Many many great stands and a lot of things to see, gets crowded and have to pay $2 for entrance but not a problem!

I have been very curious about this flea market. They open on the weekend and one (1) of the weekdays (check their official website for the detail). All I have to say is: do your research on the best buying prices (online, books, word of the mouth); learn how to negotiate (in both English and Spanish...super helpful if your conversational Spanish is pretty good); prepare yourself physically and mentally (lots of walking, browsing, and comparing involved). I could see many vendors were avid thrifters. They sold items with decent conditions found in thrift stores. A good many number of vendors sold brand-new, refurbished, or repackaged items, such as shoes, clothing, electronics, home appliance, and gadgets that had to do with home improvement. Of course for the jewelry lovers, real (perhaps not-so-real) gem stones were available. Food, beverage, and spice booths also occupied throughout the venue. Bring your green bucks! I don't think any of the sellers here want to deal with good or bad credit history. Hubby and I really didn't buy anything because we just wanted to check out what "Swap-O-Rama" was about. The admission on the weekends is $2/adult, with re-entry privilege. Make sure a stamp on the hand is visible. It was a scorching day to be out and about. When we dodged ourselves to the indoor market, it didn't make much of a difference with temperature. Public washrooms were available, but I didn't know how sanitary they were since I didn't need them. Parking was INSANE! People who used the public transportations (CTA bus #9) actually got to the line way more quickly than those who drove. CTA Ashland Orange Line station is approximately ten (10) major-street blocks north of the market ground, if you enjoy walking and poking around the neighborhood. read more

$2 go in, loads of tacos and eats in the lot over, questionable merchandise but I can see the attraction. Anyone with $40 can set up shop on a lot and sell ANYTHING. From used tools, toys, spanks, socks, car speakers, phone repair man, haircuts, toiletries, to knock off brand shoes. I came here to look for my stolen bike. (Didn't find it) but did find lots to look at. read more

Showed up early to hopefully grab some good deals before everyone else. I witnessed this management staff yelling at this vendor to move her store or he will "remove her forcefully". You don't really even get a good deal. I also swear to everything that I love, 2 bums who were supposedly vendors took a box of crap and threw it on the floor to hopefully sell. The box consisted of: Barbies with the head ripped off a rusty hammer Some bolts A Christmas book and a purse with the handle broken (probably snatched) Seriously? Are these guys seriously letting these fools sell things like that? The only reason why I would want to go back is to find my stolen bike. So if you want to buy a pair of spandex that have the look like they are jeans then by all means, come on down to this flea market. (notice sarcasm here) read more

I am giving 4 stars because I had some positive experiences at the swapa-rama. A few months ago, I had an opportunity to buy a humongous Remote Control Helicoptor along with a midget one for a price of only $150.00. Awesome deal. Now the vendor who had been selling this item had a store going out of business in the city. He wasnt able to sell all of his inventory at his location but he had to quickly pay the rent of his store. So he came to the flea market, the vendor sold all of his items. In spite of the fact, people dont carry huge sums of money with them at a flea market due to possible theft. Buyers would get contact information from the vendor and make a time frame for a future transaction. This RC Helicoptor has an easy value of $400 to $500. I saved $300 to $400. Today, I had ventured to swapa-rama on a mission to find effective bug spray, paint, and some hardware tools. Now I am going to be 100% honest. 98% of the people in this swapa-rama are mexicans. Basically, you save alot of money in airfare to a foriegn country even though it may be cheap. Yes. You landed yourself in Mexico as you set foot into this location. Who cares if you can speak spanish or not because green money is everyones language in this little market place. They are not using pesos. I can tell you I ran across three to five non-mexican vendors at this swapa-rama, so diversity prevails here as well. Why do you think I had written 98% and not the other 2 %? Today I had an Italian-American guy sell me some roach gel chemical that has 11 ingrediants to kill those bugs for a year. And I bought a T-Shirt from some Indian Hindu guy on the front of the swapa-rama building. I spent a total of $40.00. An arabic guy runs the computer-security-fix it shop in the back. Not far from mexican cheesemakers, you will see African american vendors. The vendor who sold me the RC Helicoptor was a Uzbeki. Those are the 2% ers. There is an American guy by the spanish magazine section next to the jewlry items who sells collectible coins and stamps. He has some bargains if you are a coin/stamp collector . Anyways, vendors come and go. I had also looked for appliances. Since I manage properties , I had been looking for a bargain air condition. Having some mexican tenants, tenants sometimes would sell their stove for a cheaper one so they could pay difference in rent. Why do you think I now go to swapa rama for the appliances? I buy the same item for a cheap price and not lose a dime from them ripping me off from buying a newer item from a place like ABT appliances/electronics. Anyhow, I didnt need to buy a stove. I found out you could get a stove here for $125.00 instead of $450.00. Swapa-rama can be LIKE A GIANT CRAIGLIST UNDER THE FREE SECTION OR SELL MY JUNK SECTION. Instead of driving to a location from craiglist, you have all of the inventory layed out for you. Today, I saw some people selling those large power generators used to power a home in case of an energy loss. The vendor requested a price of $2100.00 for one large generator. Who would want to pay for this amount of money if you dont have manufactures warranty? Lol. Haha. If you can fix it; you can haggle him the price for a lower amount. I also saw refrigerators, lawn mowers, air conditions, stoves, snow blowers, jack hammers, and cement cutters. They had alot of expensive used hardware tools. And of course, you will discover mexican fashion and cuisine. I feel the biggest con would be keeping the produce in a not controlled environment because you have so many flies around the sweet fruit items. They need large freezers. Sometimes I think the produce can attract a rodent population if not in control. I also saw the famous bicycle yard. And I didnt see any expensive bikes but older 10 speed models from 15 years ago . There was alot of kids bikes.... A few years ago, I heard some people were busted at this swapa rama for pirated software. Now we dont have to worry about pirated software because of open source code software availabilty for free on the net. Lol. Haha. In the back, I saw something of interest. They had cute ponies in the back parking lot area. The little horses were cute and precious. It made my day at this swapa-rama seeing them. The mexican people were charging parents for their children to get a ride on the little ponies.... I wish I was a kid .....I am not going to fit riding those little ponies. Lol. Ha. Anyways, I didnt get a chance to try some of the cuisine in this market but next time. Oh if you are worried about someone robbing your car as you leave to the market place, put alot of unappealing junk around your dashboard. The theives will mistakenly think you are one of the vendors or some hoarder to buy more junk at swapa-rama. They will leave your car alone. read more

See all

Interesting place - yes our Mayor visits from time to time. I was impressed with the fruits, flowers and herbs they sell, interesting array of medicinal herbs available. This is like Craigslist come to life. If you know the value of goods and services and you know what you want, it may be worth your while. Gets crowded after 10 am, so plan to visit early. read more

I love the SWAP & I am so glad they are open! It's a one stop shop for food, home goods, clothes, etc. Lately because of COVID, produce and hygiene products has been very limited. It's all at the SWAP! This location can get very packed. Parking is difficult. Be patient! It's worth it. My only frustration with the facility is, the SWAP runs out of food they make often. You wait in line for over 10 minutes to fine half the menu is sold out. It can be irritating. read more

LISTEN. Before you even think about visiting this flea market, you need to be prepared: -bring some patience and eyeglasses to find a parking space -bring small bills to make haggling easier -wear cheap dumpy clothing, again to make haggling easier (& to blend in) -bring gloves and sanitizer to keep yourself clean -bring some basic spanish skills to talk to vendors (& possibly get a cross-cultural effort discount? happened to me...) -bring a sturdy shopping bag, because they *will* give you a ripped up Osco bag (and when was the last time you saw an Osco?) Now that you're prepared, you can visit this aight flea market. This is capitalism's cold rock bottom. Anything can be found here, but the key is to dig. This flea market definitely reflects the Mexican community within which it is embedded, so here is where you can easily pick up fresh veggies, cheese, dry foods and candy, religious icons, cheap glittery clothes, baby things galore and cowboy stuff, all for reasonable prices. Check the outdoor vendors first, they have the best deals and are more motivated to sell (read: haggle). Here is one of the few blessed places in Chicago where you're almost expected to haggle. Also, vendors will often leave behind whatever they don't sell, and it is up for grabs. I've found beautiful vintage glasses in great condition and antique suitcases (with working key!) abandoned in this fashion. Don't be scurred, we're all scroungers here. It gets three stars because it's scuzzy, but it's serviceable. And also because it costs $2 for the privilege to explore the esteemed establishment. Enjoy! (& get you an elote afterwards from the food vendor just outside the exit, she's great :oD ) read more

It is what it is. I have been here many times more for the experience than the shopping. There is plenty of vendors from socks to tools. Some of them sell good stuff but others well, not so much. First few times I was here I was expecting to see Rick Bayless on a food stand preparing food for Calvin Klein and Armani who happen to have clothing stands close by. Hahahaha no people do not expect more than what it is. It is a cool place if you are not easily intimidated (not that you will get attacked or anything) Mostly Latino and a few Polish walking around trying to score a deal on clothing, or small appliances, or whatever. ASOR go for the experience, skip the food read more

I just went to the one in Alsip and this one is way better. Um, did I mention I saw Mayor Rahm Emmanuel there last week! I've been coming here for years and I've found some really awesome things, particularly gallons of paint for $5. Sorry if this place is not for YOU, stick to regular stores, but this flea market is why I love Chicago and I hope it never goes away. read more

Was your bike stolen? Yes? Then there's a good chance it's down at the Swap-O-Rama. Open Thursday till 4pm, Sat & Sun until 5pm. All the bikes are outside, no need to go inside. Dont forget that there are bike vendors on the side as well as the back of the building. I see the previous reviewer Daniel E said "do not come here of your not gonna buy if you looking for your stolen bike that should tell you your stupid for loosing it in the first place" Daniel E, go fuck yourself. There are lots of honest vendors here as well as some good deals to be found. Sadly the amount of stolen cyclist stuff eclipses any positive aspects of this flea market. *DO NOT confront the vendor with your stolen property, call the police* read more

I have been wanting to visit this market for a long time and I finally went last weekend. My problem was that I had to pee and knew that the quality of the bathrooms inside would be sub-par, to say the least. The market itself reminded me of markets I have visited in Mexico, but more dirty, expensive and crowded. I was actually saddened to see all the "hot" items-- mostly tools. Against my best judgement, we ordered cheesy fries, which turned out to be okay. I believe this place will have a better selection in the summertime, even though I know it will probably be even more crowded. read more

I love this place I've been going for years and every single time I come I always get something the prices are good and I love buying LPS and they have a wide variety of them and my dad always gets hot wheels we both are big collectors and this is the place to find cool things. I recommend going on not so hot days because If you stay for along time you will get very hot read more

Find the lady with the mole, fresh cheese, and fresh chorizo. This is where you find hope. Your chorizo con papas will never taste the same. And every time afterwards that you get grocery, pre-wrapped chorizo you'll know you are just settling. Trust. read more

This place brings this quote to mind (Ashland Swap-O-Rama). "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious." Although plenty of legit sellers are here - you will most likely find more stolen bikes than you have ever seen in your life, along with rows of stolen work equipment. The only reason I would go here is if you are looking for a stolen bike, or something you can refurb, maybe some old electronics too. read more

Great place to get anything you can't find at department store. This place gets packed after 10am. Some of the sellers are real sellers who are selling very very good products, while others are just selling garbage. Need to have smaller bills and need to bargain alot to get the prices lowered down. Bathroom needs alot of cleanup and they need to add a larger food court read more

Come here for a good time! I work nearby now and this is a nice spot to stop by if you can catch the hours before they close and before the season ends. It's totally worth the $2 admission fee (they stamp ur hand for re-entry) if you're willing to spend a morning or afternoon browsing. My favorites are the cheese cart stands with free samples as well as the bakery stands selling loaf cakes with corn, coconut, pineapple, etc. you can come here and get some grocery necessities as well as shampoo, socks, household supplies, gardening tools, jewelries, washers, dryers, lawn mowers, car parts, you name it, they have it... it's just a nice and fun date if you're looking for a cute and unique way to spend an afternoon and you normally gravitate towards activities like thrifting. There is an indoor food court with good horchata as well. read more

Bad service with parking. We parked legally and they claimed that we were blocking path way. No signs of tow zone or nothing. $220.00 to get our car, considently the tow place is a few blocks away. 3611 S Iron st. read more

A lot of great deals here. It gets very crowded & there are a lot of Hispanic ladies if that's your thing.

i have been a vendor for 20 plus years i have paid for a reserve for over 10 years . today i arrive at the market and they tell me that my space was sold . to pour salt on my wounds a manager tells me that i was never paying for my space snd that im a liar i told him ive been paying for over 10 years same spot actually i was the first in that area . i built my customer base up for all those years to be pushed out because of their so call new policy. well this guy whom i thought was a stand up guy turned out to be a total ass hole to me it seems i was erased from the computer as being the vendor of that particular spot . i was able to come up with an old receipt to prove that i was the owner of that space he stated it was old i told him regardless of the date you told me i was never paying for this space. i figured out that maybe someone was taking my cash for this space all the time for over 10 plus years and pocketing the cash . I have had receipts for every transation but failed to keep them but its funny that im wiped from the conputer when they sell my space after i didn't return til this week i assured them that my nov and dec was paid and was ready to pay march and April cause Jan and feb is free. they sold it crushed my business in one day .its probably a lot of funny budiness going on im sure i wasnt the only person erased from computer imagine how much money someone has collected from turning valid vendors into vacant spaces . Something to think about if i was treated and talk to fairly i woulda took the excuse of missing a month but to be told that i was never the owner of the space that i paid for for all those years makes me think yes its big money being stolen at ashland swaporama. I plan on getting a lawyer involved if need be . read more

To all you people who are complaining about the food you got at the swap meet: Its a f*cking swap meet, not a restaurant! You are stupid if you go there for polish sausage or cheese fries. This swap meet rules if you want to find cheap tools, toys, or knockoff clothes. They sell all sorts of junk that you may or may not need. Sure, most of it is probably stolen but who cares? If that bothered you, you would be at Target. Go there, have fun, negotiate with them and get soome cool stuff. If you speak spanish, you will get better deals because they wont think you are so stupid. read more

What can I say. This is an outside mall. You can find everything you need for anything. They are open on Saturday and Sunday. The parking lot is always packed. read more

As far as flea markets go. This one screams Ghetto. Once in a while you find a great deal but unless your looking for used tools, bootlegged music/movies or expired food. Your not gonna find much else. read more

this place is a haven.you can find anything here from kitchen sink to mccintosh amps.huge variety of sellers,some shady most are legit,you be the judge.parking is a nightmare on sundays and you better lock your doors and park in the yellow lines before you get robbed or towed.get here early as the best things sell early and fast. read more

I thought this place was friggin awesome!! I'm pretty surprised by the negative reviews. It was a totally positive experience for me! Cute, ethnic beaded sandals for $15 (which I passed on but am now regretting). A 2-pack of camouflage tank tops for $2 (I bought a bunch of them as gifts for members of our morning YMCA boot camp class). Very cool Lady Gaga-esque Virgin Mary-meets-Death statue for $25 which I really, really wanted but found out that Santa Muerte or "St. Death" is used in satanic rituals and that scared me a little bit! Plus, the 8 year old kid trying to encourage me to buy it was way to excited about the satanic connection. His dad was a little creepy too. Siiiigh, so I passed. It would have made a really cool decorative piece in my living room, though. However, I didn't want to encourage demons to enter my house a la Paranormal Activity! So, I stuck with the fun stuff: a kitchy Jesus bracelet (to reverse some of that Santa Muerte vibe), cheap sunglasses, and a cute little parasol ($4) to protect myself from the sun since it was so friggin hot that day. The cute little Asian lady in the middle of the market has the cool parasols and cheap tank tops. She has a whole bunch of cheap mass produced stuff. Socks, underwear, undershirts...you name it, she has it. It feels like being in a foreign country. It's a totally unique experience -kinda like an outdoor thrift shop of sorts. I totally want to go back and get me those sandals. I want that statue too but I need someone to come with me to bless it or something!! We need to adopt that little kid, too! LOL read more

So much crap, so little time. Nun-chucks, throwing stars, ninja swords, Confederate flag emblazoned Bowie knives, BB guns, and a whole bunch of other stuff that really might not be good to sell to a minor. But that didn't stop anyone. This one is not as big as the one located in Alsip, but it is full of vendors selling everything from video games, to housewares to battle axes. They actually have a lot of vendors who have some good Louis Vutton and Gucci knockoffs. But a word to the wise and for the sake of the health of you and your loved ones, stay away from the food vendors. Polish sausage is not meant to be green! read more

hipsters need to know only 1 thing: if your uber pricey Bianchi Pista was recently stolen, come here to find it. or at least come here for the POSSIBILITY of finding it. vendors fence stolen goods at the swapmeet. buyers with morals beware. furthermore, daily household products are often sold beyond expiration dates. caveat emptor big time. read more

Come here to find your stolen bike - this is the largest of the Swap-O- Ramas, and there's a good chance your bike will be here. Vendors move their goods among all three, so check this place out first. Once you identify your bike, make sure you call 911 and have an officer with you before approaching the vendor. Also have your police report and receipt with the serial number on it to prove that it's yours. These sleazebags need to be stopped, and this dump needs to be shutdown. read more

This place is a DUMP. In addition to being a dump, it is also the place where dreams go to die. If, by dreams, we mean the possessions of hardworking people who actually PAY for the things they "own." I say, with little exaggeration, that most everything here, especially in the outdoor area, is stolen. I went at the recommendation of friends who said I might have luck finding my stolen bike here. Well, I didn't find MY bike, but I did find plenty of, what I can only assume to be, other peoples' stolen bikes. Are you "missing" a Cervelo tri bike with clips and Shimano gears? It's probably the one I saw there, with the owner's water bottle still in the holder, being sold by some lowlife who didn't even know the difference between a road bike and a hybrid bike. The kicker is that that bike was being sold for $35, and a few minutes later, a teenager rode off with it. I am all for a good swap. I adore flea markets and garage sales. But knowing that everything here is pretty much stolen or has "fallen off the back of a truck," (check out the electronics clearly stolen from Best Buy and the appliances yanked from model homes) makes me wonder how the hell this place hasn't been shut down. If there's a Chicago Police Officer looking to score big on recovering likely hundreds of thousands of stolen merch, they should scout this place and bust the douchebags who "work" here. Other items of note: Shamefully stolen strollers and wheelchairs, pretty much anything you could ever hope to find in someone's well-appointed garage (missing your Toro mower? Guarantee it's here), bootlegged porn, videos of women getting in to catfights (aptly titled, "Catfights." Good times), washers and dryers, and a depressing assortment of bike tires, locks, frames, and other pieces, courtesy of the thugs who likely stole your bike last week/summer/month. This place made me lose a ton of faith in humanity. Don't go here, and if you do, for the love of God, don't buy anything and perpetuate this ridiculous cycle. And seriously, the police should shut this grease pit down. read more

Don't ever go to this place, unless you are looking to get your belongings stolen from your car. I have been to this place a couple of times before never had I have a problem until today. I went there with my kids and family I spent about 25 minutes inside looking around. When I come out to my car the passenger side dorr knob had been broken. They stole my speaker box,two amplifiers and several other miscelaneus things. I mean this people dont know how hard you have to work to get your things. Chicago police had me on hold along time before they told me that no police car was coming out to meet me and make a report. They took my report over the phone and told me that I'm not the only one that had the same issue of getting their car broken into at this place. Security on site or anybody else didn't see anything of course. And this happen in broad day light at noon. Plenty of people walking around but they didn't See anything. What. A joke. Anyway the stuf that get stolen is being sold inside that place again. So don't go here. And for those thieves. You know who you are. Don't Forget that god is watching and what goes around comes around guranteed. Sooner or later you'll Pay. read more

The best dealsn the city,just get there early for parking. but you can always fine stuff u need and don't.

Yes there are two Swap-O-Ramas apparently. And this one isn't that great. I stoped here because I needed a quick present for my cousin, while I was driving out to her house. So I figured "Flea Market sounds good." And I was very dissapointed. I've been to the Swap-O-Rama in Alsip a few times, and this one wasn't as good by far. I was able to find a talking The Tick 12 inch action figure (high five!!). I'll probobly won't go back to this flea market again. Maybe the one is Alsip instead, but not this Swap-O-Rama location. It just didn't have a good selection of stuff there. read more

As with all swap n shops just depends what day your there as different vendors are there are days so you never know what's going to be there however there's always something good to know come check out. read more

I think this place is very interesting. I prefer to walk around the outside vendors though, because the inside gets tooo crowded and I start feeling claustrophobic! I do think that they should look at what some of these vendors are selling before allowing them to set up shop, because some of them are selling pure JUNK! However, I have found some great deals on purses and wallets and stuff like that. They do have a lot of tools too which my husband likes...I think it's 2.00 now per person to get in. read more

STOLEN goods haven. We recovered a bike here. Look for your stolen bike on a weekday, being evidence it's yours, call the cops at 911 and take it back. read more