Brian B.
Yelp
I go to this swapmeet often. I have gone to other swapmeets in So Cal and Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Sacramento, Fresno, Utah. This is my favorite swapmeet of them all. Some vendors are selling everything they have for $1 per item whether it be a flashlight or old circular saw or old tennis shoes or garden hose or book full of CD's its $1. there are always some great deals to be found when you "Dig" into the boxes full of used items for sale. I regularly buy hand tools-wrenches, coax cable, or a power supply for a old laptop or a phone charger or new tires for an old bicycle, or a new /used bike seat,or some Boganvia or rose plants to plant in my yard. I have bought bungie cords to strap things down in my truck, I have bought makita cordless tools, and Craftsman and Cresent hand tools-wrenches, ratchets, impact gun, drywall screws, and other building supplies, and Batteries for cordless tools like Milwakee, Makita, Dewalt, Dremel, Dell. I have even bought a half a bottle of Mequires car wax for .50 cents, and a polishing/buffing tool $4 and buffing pads 2 for $1 . Which is Sooo much cheaper than having to buy the materials brand new from Autozone or Amazon. Of course the items are previously owned and not in new condition but I see the value that is left in these type of things and I can put them to use. This swapmeet IS like a large garage sale, that sells $1 churros, $1 sodas, roasted peanuts & roasted corn, and lots of tools, and dog toys, and new and used clothing, bikes, jewelry, cell phone cases, plants, rolls of fabric, rugs, furniture, painting supplies, books, cds, dvds, and cd/dvd players, speakers for your car or home, bluetooth speakers, mexican food carts, $1 and $2 snow cones/flavored ice, a flat of strawberry's for a few dollars, apples, oranges, guava, cilantro, garlic, fresh fruits and veggies real cheap, a wheel chair, crutches, inflatable floaties for the pool or the river, old tennis rackets, .50 cents for a can of spray paint, oh yah fishing supplies, poles, line, weights, lures, tackle boxes, baby's clothes, stroller, boogie boards, skate boards-grip tape, bearings, and skateboard wheels and accessories and clothing, skimboard, sprinklers and hose attachments for your garden hose, plant stands and pots and plants in pots, beach chairs, garden tools, rake, shovel, painters tarp, paint supplies- brushes, paint trays, paint , paint thinner, etc,, makeup and manicure tools and DIY artists supplies-wire cutters, beads, and art supplies, outdoor furniture=concrete tables and seating, BBQ. These are all items that can regularly be found at the Golden West swapmeet. I still go to this swapmeet, I was there last weekend, I am not a vendor and I am not related to any of the vendors, I am merely a shopper who has found great deals being sold at the GOLDENWEST COLLEGE SWAPMEET , I have always found a parking space in one of the 3 large parking lots on campus, Be prepared to walk, but that is to be expected if you want to go shopping at a swapmeet, you will have to walk thru the rows of merchandise and then walk back to your car.
Safety is handled by Security personel that are clearly available in the center of the swapmeet area and who can be found throughout the rows of merchants if you have a health concern or there is some kind of conflict and the H.B.Police Department often times has 2 or more officers in uniform that can be found walking through the rows of vendors to assist merchants and shoppers if there is a dispute. In the 20+ years I have been going to this swapmeet I have seen one argument get physical when a angry shopper started arguing and fighting with a female vendor. This argument only lasted 20 seconds and had been carried over from an argument that began at a bar the night before.
Arguments like that are going to happen, whether it be at the swapmeet or at the grocery store. I still go to the grocery store and I will not be concerned about safety at the GoldenWest College Swapmeet. it is a safe place.
There are other swapmeets in orange county , but this one is my fav. There are 2 other well known Swapmeets near by, both are in Costa Mesa, CA.
1) Orange Coast College parking lot is the locaton of a similar style swapmeet with mostly used items for sale, and food vendors.
#2) The Orange County Fair Grounds is the location of another swapmeet (*This one is the one that sells BEER, if I am not mistaken) .This swapmeet, i consider to be, the "RETAIL PRICE" swapmeet, where there are mostly New products being sold at "NEW Product" prices by the retail store in the parking lot of the Orange County Fair Grounds parking lot This swapmeet at the Fair grounds is hardly a swapmeet as far as I am concerned, because it is merely the same products sold at retail clothing and department stores being sold at the same retail prices in a tent in a parking lot. I dont see much value in that. But they do sell BEERS and churros which I can appriciate.
