Search for the Elusive Bargain

Juan Ramirez, 23, a busboy at a local casino, has seen a steady decline in his tips in recent months.

His take-home pay is the lowest it has ever been in his working life.

But he still has plenty of money to indulge his twice-monthly shopping habit buying Nikes, Ecko shirts, jewelry, jeans and other items.

As irresponsible as that may seem, Ramirez isn't paying top dollar for his duds. He's shopping at flea markets.

"You can go to the mall, but you'll pay $25 more for a pair of Nikes or any other brand stuff," says Ramirez, who shopped at Q'Mall Indoor Swapmeet on a recent Thursday. He bought four muscle T-shirts for $20.

Local swap meet owners and managers say that, despite the poor economy, their business has remained steady and, in some cases, increased because people are looking for bargains and believe they can find them at swap meets and other discount stores.

"Shoppers are going to what they consider value-oriented retailers," says Doug Kays, co-owner of Fantastic Indoor Swapmeet. Their attendance has increased about 10 percent in recent months, he notes.

Swap meets can be cheaper compared to stores such as Wal-Mart or Target, but it all depends on what you buy, shoppers say.

"You can get better deals," says Gina Clement, a tourist from San Diego. She and her mother, Linda Pool, are avid swap meet shoppers back home and continued the practice during their Las Vegas vacation. Before they started their recent trip, they looked up the addresses of every local swap meet, entered them into their new GPS device and drove around town checking them out.

On a recent Thursday, they walked the aisles at Q'Mall, not entirely impressed with what they saw. That's the risk you take at swap meets; they may not have what you want, they say. It's important not to go in with a list, though. You have to search for the good deals.

"It's like a treasure hunt," Pool says.

That's part of the fun, Clement says. Recently, they bought palm trees and an antique dresser at a swap meet for a savings of about $200 over the retail price.

"You never know what you're going to find," Clement says.

Shoppers can find socks, $2 sunglasses, underwear, diapers, art and a lot more at Broadacres Swap Meet.

"As far as prices, there probably is a difference (from retail) because the vendors don't have the overhead of a retail store," says Greg Danz, owner of Broadacres. "But it depends on what shoppers are looking for."

People come to swap meets for a few reasons, Kays says. They aren't necessarily looking for those things they might buy at a value store, such as deodorant, toothpaste and toilet paper.

Instead, people come because they find things at a swap meet they can't find elsewhere. Retailers such as Costco often bundle up discontinued items and sell them to swap meet vendors, Kays says. It's not unusual to see plasma and LCD televisions at Fantastic.

"People come looking for bargains, but they also come looking for treasures," Danz says. "Comic books, baseball cards, things that collectors would find some value in. Then there are the things that are hard to find, miscellaneous stuff that isn't manufactured anymore."

Of course, the entertainment value is another draw. It's not uncommon for a family to spend several hours walking around and just taking in the sights at Fantastic, Kays says.

If you're paying the sticker price for an item at a swap meet, you're missing out on one of the most entertaining aspects of shopping there: haggling.

"I will negotiate," says Jeanne Bullock, owner of the Avon booth at Q'Mall. She sells men's and women's fragrances and lotions as well as Avon products. "If someone buys two things from me, I'll give them a discount. A few weeks ago, I was giving away $91 worth of stuff for $10. I think I'm doing people really good."

If negotiating a price is the first rule of swap meet shopping, buyer beware is the second.

Some, such as Fantastic, sell only new merchandise while others, such as Broadacres, feature vendors with new and used stuff.

A casual walk through the Rancho Swapmeet turned up Vicks 44 cough syrup, Advil and other products with 2008 expiration dates.

Ramirez says he has taken items back after purchasing them; all he needed was to show his receipt.

But it's always a good idea to ask about return policies, he says.

Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at spadgett@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4564.