The Alameda Point Antiques Fair, more commonly known as the Alameda Flea Market, finally reopened on May 2 after remaining shut for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The market, which usually occurs the first Sunday of every month, is located at the edge of the island of Alameda at 3900 Main Street.
The open-air antique fair offers sprawling views of the San Francisco city skyline from across the bay. Shoppers can walk through rows of tents of over 800 different vendors, overwhelmed by the wide array of options. Some vendors have piles of clothes thrown on the ground for people to sift through, while others offer carefully organized merchandise on display. The flea market boasts a plethora of one-of-a-kind clothing, furniture, accessories and fine art. There are 26 rows labeled from “A-Z,” each with dozens of vendors who have their racks of vintage clothing and furniture sprawled across the concrete.
According to the official rules of the market, stalls may only sell items that are at least 20 years old and qualify as “vintage,” although many vendors take this regulation as more of a suggestion — there are plenty of recently crocheted blankets, freshly painted print posters and modern clothing brands (Urban Outfitters and Brandy Melville are not rare finds) throughout the antiques fair.
Photo by Anna Hochman
As you wander through the stalls, you may even feel overwhelmed by the options you have — in one direction you will find a table covered in vintage jeans from Levis and Guess, and in the other direction, an old record collection will be selling, one by one. One vendor offers only Beanie Babies, while another has four racks dedicated to leather belts.
Bustling with antique-shopping older couples, millennials in search of the perfect thrift find and gaggles of teens rifling through clothing racks (prepare to run into fellow classmates at each turn), Sunday mornings at the flea market are a pleasure for those of all ages. Even as wind from the waterfront comes in, the persistent sun will warm your back as you peruse the myriad stalls. Getting through all of the vendors could take hours, but to be the most efficient — and get the cheapest bargains — start in the very back of the market and work your way to the front.
Arrive at the market with cash on hand, but be prepared not to spend it all. Some of the best shopping experiences come from heated bargaining deals with vendors where you can sometimes get items down to nearly half of their initial price.
Photo by Anna Hochman
Parking at the flea market is free, but there is a fare to get in. When the flea market opens at 7:30 a.m., the ticket price is $15. At 9:00 a.m., the price drops down to $10, and at 3:00 p.m. the price is at its lowest — $5. Many people choose to go on the earlier side, even with the added cost, as many items are already sold by the afternoon.
After browsing, bargaining and buying, enjoy a brunch at one of the food trucks parked alongside the market. If you haven’t already shopped ‘til you dropped, the afternoon is wide open to move on to yet another Bay Area adventure.
