A Wealth of Old and New at Eclectic Southland Markets

The region is rich with flea markets and swap meets from big to small, some spilling out of fairgrounds, others barely filling corner parking lots. Here’s a rundown on some of the more eclectic.

Orange County Marketplace, Costa Mesa

If you walked this entire weekend swap meet, you would cover about four miles and see 1,100 vendors. Shoppers are likely to find classic car shows and community blood drives keeping company with the leather goods, clothing, bicycles, barbecues and golf equipment. An Artisans’ and Crafters’ Corner was added in May for artisans from California and Nevada. On display there are handmade dolls, travel photography, ceramics and the like, along with vendors selling temporary tattoos and musicians performing live.

There’s a popular produce section, with fresh flowers, baked goods, dried fruits and meat. Nearly every holiday the swap meet has an on-site celebration, with Halloween featuring costume contests, pumpkin displays and candy giveaways. To encourage repeat visitors, Marketplace started selling VIP passes ($10 for 10 admissions, and no waiting in line).

* Orange County Marketplace, 88 Fair Drive, on the Orange County Fairgrounds, Costa Mesa. Saturdays and Sundays, 7 a.m.-4 p.m., except during the Orange County Fair in July; $2 for adults, children under 12 free; free parking.

Valley Indoor Swap Meet, Woodland Hills

There’s an extensive selection of trendy clothes, athletic shoes, jewelry and watches, dolls and toys, candles, figurines and other gifty items; almost everything is new. There’s an incongruous mix of booths like True Edge Security, which sells pepper spray, alarms, MAC-10 replica BB guns and some wicked-looking knives, a fortuneteller, a hair salon and a chiropractor, all sandwiched between the socks and purses.

This is not a first-come, first-served kind of place. It’s open Fridays through the weekend, and the goods just keep rolling out. In other words, if you aren’t there at dawn, it doesn’t matter. Prices rival those in the downtown L.A. garment and jewelry districts, and services are cheap too.

* Valley Indoor Swap Meet, 6701 Variel Ave., Woodland Hills. Fridays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; free parking, free admission.

Saugus Swap Meet, Saugus Speedway

If you aren’t there at dawn, it definitely does matter, if you have any interest in collectibles or choice old stuff. Many items of value are quickly snapped up because prices are reasonable. Saugus, like many other small markets in the area, is a mix of old and new, more heavily weighted to the new. The hottest toys--lately, those are action figures and motorized scooters--always proliferate. There’s a tiny Tuesday version of this market that draws about 100 vendors and has a country fair feeling. Admission is free, and bargaining is rampant. The Sunday market has some 550 vendors--the new items are in the front section, and the used goods are nearest the race track and inside it.

With fresh-cooked snacks and live music, this market, too, is trying to be a weekend family destination.

* Saugus Swap Meet, 22500 Soledad Canyon Road, Santa Clarita. Every Tuesday and Sunday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Free parking; free admission Tuesdays, $1.50 Sundays.

Melrose Trading Post, Fairfax High School

This is the market for the dog-walking, cell-phone-talking, sexy, hip and groovy crowd, whose teeny tiny bodies slip easily into the vintage duds and previously worn, newly customized clothes that populate many of the stalls.

If it’s antique furniture or Bakelite radios you’re looking for, you won’t find them here. You will see much that’s modern kitsch, from the late 1950s to the ‘70s, as befits a Hollywood swinger pad.

“It has to be funky and little and low-slung,” said dealer Joyce Acosta, whose booth called funque- junque sells “fine junk” and vintage clothes. “The things these shoppers perceive as necessary are different than other flea market shoppers,” said Acosta. Like the pretty young thing who couldn’t wrap her head around spending $30 on a mahogany table at the market recently, but went directly to another booth and plunked down $25 for a rhinestone tiara. Priorities, priorities.

* Melrose Trading Post, Fairfax High School, corner of Fairfax and Melrose avenues in Hollywood. Every Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free parking; $2 admission.

Glendale Community College

Loyalists and dealers describe this as an overgrown yard sale, and that’s what makes it so appealing. It’s traditionally been somewhat of an undermined market, if such a thing exists in L.A. But with the hipster influx into areas like Echo Park and Chinatown, the East Valley is likely to become a regular foraging place for furnishings, clothes and accessories.

It’s a steep hike to the community college hilltop campus, but there’s a nice Valley view and sweet deals awaiting. As with any other market in town, competition from dealers can be fierce for true antiques and collectibles. Sorting through much junk is required here, but early arrivals are duly rewarded.

* Glendale Community College, Mountain Street and Verdugo Road. Third Sunday of every month. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Free parking, free admission.

Santa Fe Springs

At the site of the former 1,000-car-capacity Santa Fe Springs Drive-In, this swap meet is more than just a place to buy skateboard parts, baby bunnies, Al Pacino-as-Scarface posters, condoms and colored contact lenses.

It’s a full plate of Friday night entertainment, when there’s live music, a talent contest, clowns making balloon animals and giveaways.

Weekends are good for serious shopping, and the kiddie rides are always running, but Fridays are special. There’s a community atmosphere and lots of families at the L.A. area’s only nighttime swap meet.

The carne asada vendor is one of the busiest in the place, with good reason.

At Santa Fe Springs, you can eat, drink beer, shop and get your eyebrows waxed, all in one place.

* Santa Fe Springs, 13963 Alondra Blvd., Santa Fe Springs. Wednesdays, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.; Thursdays, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.; Fridays, 5-10 p.m.; Saturdays, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sundays, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Free parking, admission 50 cents to $1.

Also Worth Considering:

For the adventurous shopper: East L.A. Valley College, 1301 Avenida Caesar Chavez, Monterey Park; every Sunday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

Vineland Swap Meet, 443 N. Vineland Ave., City of Industry. Open daily, 6 a.m.-3 p.m.

Alpine Village Swap Meet, 833 W. Torrance Blvd. Every Tuesday through Sunday, 6 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Golden West College Swap Meet, Golden West Avenue between Edinger Avenue and McFadden Street in Huntington Beach. Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

For the middling adventurous: Venice High School Flea Market, 13000 Venice Blvd., L.A. Second Saturday of every month, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Ventura Flea Market, Ventura County Fairgrounds. Held eight times a year, with the next market set for Sept. 22, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

For those who’d rather shoot fish in a barrel (and when money isn’t a consideration): Westwood Village Street Fair on Broxton Avenue between Kinross and LeConte avenues, first Sunday of the month, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Culver City, Veteran’s Memorial Building, 4117 Overland Ave., third Sunday of the month, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Both markets will close in October, then reopen in November.