antiques by the bay

This is one of the biggest outdoor markets I've found. If you want to see it all come early and plan to stay well into the early afternoon. Don't worry there's food stands and trucks to keep you going!Firstly, the actual event is called "Alameda Point Antiques Faire" but the management company is called " Michaan's Auctions" (Also in Alameda, California). You may call them Auctions By The Bay.Secondly, this is not a flea market, every item for sale has to be at least twenty-five years young.Don't expect to see Asian knock off batteries, Mexican snacks, or last year's stuffed animals.Thirdly, you'll pay a lot more to get in early, and being early puts your parking closer to the gate. Late comers may find parking without the long walk, but chances are the bargain hunters have swept the stalls and left you a space. They're usually gone by, say, eight or nine in the morning.Now, the best way to do this is by each row and walking back and forth, starting at the furthest point from the pay station. Why? Because there's so much to see! You'll get distracted and also stuck in the crowd.For lunch you have the usual choices, but you'd be missing out if you didn't hit the LOCKFORD Meat Company for one of their award winning "Smoked Dakota Street Fair" sausages!

Well, I can say I've been to a lot of flea markets. This one beats them all hands down. This is a flea market specializing in antiques and collectibles not car rims and tools made in China. There are hundreds of vendors, and what surprises me is how each vendor manages to set up appealing displays of their merchandise. It really makes it a pleasure to browse. This is a HUGE market, not as big as the Rosebowl but big enough to be exhausting. You really have to pace yourself. The food at this market is also diverse and good. Excellent crepes, tacos, German food, Greek food ... a lot of great food trucks. This flea market is really an event. I highly recommend it.

The Alameda Flea Market is not for the casual browser. First off, the market itself is really big. Even if you go through it fairly quickly, it can take you at least three hours to see all of the vendors' offerings. Second, it is primarily a collectibles market. There aren't too many people there who have just cleaned out their garages and are selling stuff. Most of the vendors are antiques dealers and know what the prices of collectibles should be. So there aren't necessarily any great bargains. That said, there is so much stuff there in one spot that you're bound to find something. On the days when I've gone looking for something specific, I've almost always been successful. The cheapest goods seem to be at the opposite end of the entrance, so if you're looking for great bargains, you may want to start there. Even if you don't find anything, it's a great place to spend some time with friends. There is a variety of food available, and the selection has been moving from hot dogs and burritos to more of the hipster food truck scene. The market will let you borrow shopping carts for your purchases, which I find is an annoyance that really slows down the traffic patterns at the market. You can get to the market from Oakland or San Francisco via the ferry. Check the ferry schedule since it changes a couple of times a year. From the ferry terminal is a 15-20 walk to the market. Once you reach the parking lot, there is a shuttle that you can catch that will drop you off at the market entrance. You can sometimes get the shuttle driver to drop you off at the ferry terminal for your return trip (ask him nicely and give him a good tip).

1000 + vendors of antiques and collectibles. You can always find a great deal and unique items. One of the best outdoor markets to visit... Good food, on the bay and more booths than you can get through on a day

The Antiques by the Bay show put on at Alameda Point the first Sunday of every month does not disappoint in the view department and it does offer a wide variety of interesting antiques and collectables. Despite their claims, there are a lot of reproductions and stuff made to look old like reworked furniture and old linens made into purses. A lot of things are laid out on the ground and in the backs of cars both of which are not supposed to happen at this show. I would say it is not as elite as their website would have you believe especially for the steep entrance fee.It is really more a collectable show than and antique show. The breakdown is about 65 percent collectables some really nice, some the same old collectables you see everywhere, and some just common old junk just like a flea market, nothing is vetted. There is also new stuff mixed in with the old and whole booths of just new stuff like purse booth and the African wood stuff booth, and there were several more of the same ilk so that was very flea market like too. The Karmel and kettle corn were really great much better than most shows and people really seemed to enjoy the food. The show offers about 15-20 percent true antiques (100 years old or more) and you will pay pretty much what they are worth it isn’t a true treasure hunt; the treasures have already been discovered. I don’t think the early bird extra admission charge is really necessary as we arrived early, paid extra and a lot of the vendors were not even unpacked yet and standing around while dealers unpack their stuff is not exactly something you want to pay extra for. All and all if you are up for a day out and want to go for lunch afterward or something it makes for a good day. Alameda is a beautiful area with sweeping views of the bay and nice little restaurants, pretty old neighborhoods with lovely old homes so in any case it is a worthwhile adventure.