Community Corner
View Finder: Santa Cruz Flea Market in Soquel
Every weekend, Soquel's Sky View Drive-In theater fills with vendors selling everything from mangoes and antique jewelry to eerie plaques from the years of segregation.
Even if you don't need a 16-pack of batteries for six dollars or some vintage clothing for less than you'll find at any thrift store in town, the is an amusing weekend destination. For $2.50, you can shuffle through rows and rows of goods sprawled across a lot the size of two football fields, and rub elbows with some very interesting history buffs in the form of antique collectors.
To be honest, a lot of what is being sold could classify as "trash," but then one person's trash is another's treasure, as the adage goes. I would call an unscratched Minnie Riperton record priced at 50 cents "treasure", while other people find gold in old speaker magnets. There are also many practical and useful items at the flea market, like tools and cell phone chargers for much less than you would pay for them new. The high-end cosmetics priced at a tenth of their usual prices are puzzling though, and I'm not sure how exactly they can be the real deal.
Regardless, you don't have to buy anything to do some serious people watching or get a dose of nostalgia sifting through old trinkets you never knew existed. The flea market can be overwhelming if you go without a game plan, though. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your experience:
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1. To navigate the flea market without becoming disoriented and retracing your steps through the same aisles again and again, walk around the perimeter first, then plunge into the madness strategically, one aisle at a time.
2. Haggle. Vendors expect it. Some say you should never pay the asking price. Many vendors won't budge, but it's worth a try. Bring lots of one and five dollar bills.
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3. Get there early. Not just because the parking lot fills up fast, but because the real treasure hunters get there early, so if you go at the end of the day, you might miss that Art Deco sconce you never knew you needed.
Weather permitting, the Santa Cruz Flea Market is Friday 7 a.m. - 12 p.m., Saturday 6 a.m. - 3 p.m., and Sunday 5:30 a.m - 3 p.m., at 2260 Soquel Drive, Soquel. 831-462-4442, during market hours.
