Why should shopping for great antique and collectible bargains, chatting with dealers and munching on local snacks be limited to summer and fall months? Here are 6 favorite indoor flea markets that are worth a trip. Each is renowned for its scale, variety of items, negotiable prices and popularity among both locals and tourists. Best of all, they are opportunities to have fun, learn something new and knock some items off the holiday gift list.

1. “Shipshewana Across the Road” Indoor Market

Farmstead Expo Barn, 368 S. Van Buren St., Shipshewana, Indiana

Fridays and Saturdays until December 16, plus Tuesday, November 28, for Wana Night Out

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Shipshewana Flea Market is heading “across the road” and opening a new indoor market for the fall / winter season. Shop 50 to 60 vendors who carry unique gifts, local crafts and a variety of other goods. Stock up on Christmas and holiday gifts. The outdoor pavilion will also be open for vendors to set up in, weather permitting. Admission and parking are free.

 

2. The Factory Antique Mall

50 Lodge Lane, Verona, Virginia

Monday through Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Sunday: 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Nestled in the Shenandoah Valley, with 121,000 square feet of antiques, furniture and collectibles (and still growing), the Factory Antique Mall claims to be the largest mall in the country. The flea market is not only famous for its size, but also, thanks to its wide and well-respected collection of rare pieces, it has also been used for set dressing in period films and TV series, including “Lincoln” and “Turn.” Items are sourced from all over the world, so shoppers who are looking for a rare antique or a particular piece for a collection, will find plenty to keep them browsing all day.

 

3. City-Wide Garage Sale, Keeping Austin Vintage Since 1977

November 11 and 12, 2017, Bell County Expo Center, Belton, Texas

Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; $5 (12 and under free).

November 25 and 26, 2017, Palmer Events Center, Austin, Texas

Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; $7 (12 and under free). Early shopper Saturday only: 8:30 a.m.; $12.

Austin’s famous City-Wide Garage Sale was born in 1977 of the gas shortages, when vendors were eager for a climate-controlled venue to have their garage and rummage sales, advertising included, rain or shine. Antiques and collectibles dealers soon saw opportunity. Over the years, City-Wide Garage Sale has tried to maintain its identity as the place to shop for all things vintage and collectible, no imports, crafts, novelties or assorted new items allowed. Each sale attracts an eclectic mix of shoppers — collectors, college students, interior decorators, set designers, wardrobe consultants, families, and the just plain curious. They are rewarded with an amazing, ever-changing array of vintage and used treasures.

 

4. Lakewood 400 Antiques Market

1321 Atlanta Highway, Cumming, Georgia

November Market – November 17, 18 and 19, 2017

December Antiques & Gift Market – December 1, 2 and 3, 2017

Hours: Friday – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission: $3 Friday, Saturday & Sunday, ticket good all weekend, children under 12 free

The Lakewood 400 Antiques Market features 500 spaces in a 75,000 foot climate-controlled building. This upscale market is perfect for shoppers hunting for antiques, vintage furniture and accessories, home and garden decor, and services like furniture restoration and appraisal, jewelry repair, and on-site framing. There are also outside veranda and courtyard dealers, plenty of parking and a restaurant. It is heralded by USA Today as one of America’s best.

 

5. Randolph Street Holiday Market

1340 W. Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois

Saturdays and Sundays, November 18 and 19 and December 16 and 17, 2017; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Downtown Chicago’s Randolph Street Market, located west of the Loop, features vintage, antique, and global goods that provide a mix of merchandise for all price ranges, from thrifty to extravagant. Open one weekend during most months throughout the year, professional pickers and deal seekers descend on the three-level market for its storied variety of vintage fashion and apparel, ceramics, glass, jewelry, and paintings. Booths are separated into categories within the market: Chicago Antique Market, Indie Designer Market and Modern Vintage. For those looking for just about anything retro or vintage, this is a great place to go. From embroidered hankies and estate jewelry to vintage and indie fashion, household and kitchen items, memorabilia, and art it’s one-stop shopping for memorable holiday gifts. $10 admission, $8 pre-paid, family package available with drinks and snacks.

 

6. Scott’s Antique Market

Atlanta Expo Center, Atlanta, Georgia

Thursday, November 9 to Sunday, November 12, 2017

Thursday, December 7 to Sunday, December 10, 2017

Thursday, January 11 to Sunday, January 14, 2018

Scott’s advertises itself “America’s favorite treasure hunt.” It’s one of America’s largest antiques shows, with over 2,000 booths both outdoors and in two buildings with a shuttle that runs back and forth. Browse through furniture, rugs, architectural elements, silver, copper, jewelry, pottery, glass, paper, and housewares for hard-to-find antiques and plenty of bargains.

 

7. Rose Bowl Flea Market

Pasadena, California

Second Sunday of every month: November 12, December 10, 2017, January 14 and February 11, 2018

This gathering on the second Sunday of every month — outdoors at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena — is considered to be one of the best on the West Coast. It attracts as many as 2,500 vendors and 20,000 shoppers. Find clothes, shoes, jewelry, sunglasses, ceramics, glass, furniture, pictures, crafts, keepsakes, art, fabric, bikes, costumes, music — every imaginable type of merchandise. It’s open rain or shine. There’s no admission after 3 p.m., plenty of free parking, lots of food from cheeseburgers to sushi, and even celebrity sightings.

 

 

Image courtesy of City-Wide Garage Sale, Austin, Texas.