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The Electronics Flea Market returns on March 9, 2025.
The hours are from 6:00AM until 12:00 Noon. Please observe a quiet time before 8:00AM.
[Check this page for updates before attending these events in case of scheduling changes.]
This page contains answers to common questions, along with some tips and tricks that we have found useful and presented here as questions.
The flea market is located in parking lot 3 at West Valley College in Saratoga, CA (directions).
Sign up on our email announcements list. We will email you a couple of announcements each month in advance of the upcoming market.
Most restrictions imposed for COVID-19 have been lifted. However, we remind everyone that the virus is still around and you may want to take precautions:
Quiet Time is the period of time before 8:00AM in the morning. The flea market location is not far from residential areas, so we ask all our participants to keep down noises. This means in particular, no honking of car horns, no shouting, no generators, no loud music, etc. Also avoid driving down Allendale Avenue during this time.
There is no fee for buyers to attend the flea market, but parking on campus requires a permit. Daily permits may be purchased ($3 / day) at yellow dispensers (WVC parking page) in all lots, that accept cash, coins, and credit cards. They generally provide change, but we recommend bringing ones and quarters in case they run out of change.
Be sure to only park in properly marked parking spaces, observing “no parking” zones, handicapped parking spaces, and keep clear of walkways and traffic lanes. Use of handicapped spaces require the proper permit. Watch out for pedestrians. Improperly parked vehicles are subject to parking citations.
The fee for sellers depends on the size of the space you need. The smallest space is a 2-space spot for $40. You may request a 3-space spot (limited supply) for $60. You may also request multiple 2-space, or 3-space spots. Those who are selling in the seller area do not need a campus parking permit.
We use chalk to mark the seller spaces. The chalk marks extend out the parking lines a couple of feet. The 2-space spots are 2 parking spaces between chalk marks and 3-space spots are 3 parking spaces between chalk marks. Note the the 3-space spots are located at the ends of parking rows and are marked with the number “3”. There are typically 2 3-space spots on each end. The 2-space spots are also marked with chalk and are in the middle of each parking row, between the 3-space spots.
For Emergency service:
For Non-Emergency service:
6 AM to 12 PM. Sellers have one hour to clear the property after the market closes. We are opening the market later than previous years to avoid noise issues with residences in the area. Please don't arrive before 5:00AM as overnight parking is not allowed.
With the large space at West Valley College we don't expect to run out of seller spots, so there is no reason to arrive before 5:00AM.
California State law requires all flea markets to register their sellers. The motivation for registering sellers is to improve compliance with collection and payment of sales & use taxes. Regular sellers must provide their name and Sales & Use Tax permit number. Occasional sellers must provide their name, address, and state identity card number (eg. California Driver's License number). See the related question on How do sellers Register.
All sellers must be registered before entering the Electronics Flea Market. See the question on Why must sellers Register?
Please bring a completed CDTFA-410-D form with you to speed your entry. A link to this form is on the seller information page.
An occasional seller is one who sells no more than twice in a 12-month period, and sells only personal items. We count the 12 month period as the month of the upcoming market and the previous 11 months. If the coming market is September, then the 12 month period starts with October of the previous year and ends in September of the current year.
An example of items would be things from your garage or home that you no longer need. Occasional sellers are not required to hold Sales & Use Tax permits. See Seller information page for more details.
For example, say you sold at the April and July markets last year. You would be disallowed from selling at the market until the April market of this year. Then you would have to wait until the July market of this year to sell again. A simple way to figure it out is if you sold in two months last year, then you may sell in the same two months (or later) in the current year.
You can avoid the limitation of an Occasional Seller by registering for a seller’s permit.
Seller's spaces are sold on a first-come, first-served basis to seller's arriving on site. We offer the following seller spots:
You may lease multiples of regular (2-space) ($40) seller spots if you need more room.
Generally, if you show up by 9:00 AM you should be able to get a seller's space. However, many of the best spaces are taken by 8:00 AM. Plan accordingly. Speaking of rain, there is no rain-check or refund. See the question on rain.
There are a few hardy individuals that come from some distance, arrive the night before, and stay overnight in nearby areas. The rest start arriving around 5:30am with the best spots taken by about 8:00am.
We have plenty of room at this location, so we should not need to turn anyone away who wants a seller spot.
Restrooms on available on campus at the far side of the “Fang Pei Che family” building southeast of the EFM (lot 3) and east of lot 4. Please be respectful of these facilities.
Overall, the flea markets are a function of the Association of Silicon Valley Amateur Radio Organizations (ASVARO). They work with a different sponsoring amateur radio organization who provide volunteers to run the market and benefit from the proceeds of that event. See the schedule for a list of sponsoring organizations who benefit from the proceeds of the flea markets. If you have any problems that need immediate resolution, go to the concession stand and ask for the person in charge. You may also ask for assistance at the seller gate. In an emergency see “Contact the Police/Get Help.”
We currently run the flea markets on the second Sunday of each month, March through September, rain or shine. Note that there are some exceptions to the second Sunday rule. Click on the schedule link for specific dates.
The 2020 flea market was canceled because of an order [1] by the Public Health Department of Santa Clara County that all people in the county shelter in place. The 2021 flea market was never scheduled due to ongoing restrictions and the lack of a location. The 2022 season was limited by a lack of a suitable location. For 2023, most COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, but safety precautions, such as masks, social distancing, and vaccinations, are still useful. We are resuming flea markets in 2023 starting April 16, 2022 (Full Schedule). Check What’s New for additional information.
E-Waste is a term that refers to electronic waste. Electronics Waste is prohibited from normal trash by California law because it contains toxic metals such as lead. Some items that contain E-Waste include:
E-Waste should be processed by a state certified recycler such as those listed on our recycle page.
The new location at West Valley College should be large enough to accommodate all the seller's who come to the event.
COVID-19 caused the cancellation of the 2020 flea market season. Fry’s Electronics went out of business at the end of 2020. The lack of a location and the levels of COVID-19 prevented us from having the markets in 2021.
We made arrangements to hold the flea market in Sunnyvale in 2022, but the small size of that location caused problems that led to the cancellations of events. We were not able to find a replacement location for the rest of 2022.
Previously the market was held at the Sunnyvale Public Library (2022). Previous to that we were at Fry’s Electronics in Sunnyvale (2018-2019), Previous to that we were at De Anza College in Cupertino (2006-2018).
You can find official information about the flea market at www.electronicsfleamarket.com. If you have an issue or question during the flea market, contact the people operating the food concession or the seller gate entrance. You may email us at: info AT asvaro.org.
The concession stand is located at the south end of parking lot 3.
At the radio club sponsored concession we offer chilled water, soft drinks, fresh brewed hot coffee, and donuts. The price for a single item is $3.00. The price for two items is $5.00.
Our flea markets are held rain or shine. Our flea markets are scheduled from March through September, so we avoid the coldest and rainiest months. If we do get rain, it's usually over in an hour and only temporarily dampens the market.
For the past few years Pacificon in October has been a conflict with the Electronics Flea Market on the same weekend. In 2014, the Red Cross decided to no longer participate in the Electronics Flea Market. This reduces the number of markets to seven (7) and shortening the season to March through September. This works out well, since it avoids the conflict with Pacificon.
However, in years where there is no conflict with Pacificon, we may choose to hold a flea market in October.
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