Park ‘n Swap

Ok so this is not like the swap meet in east Mesa. It has similarities like your typical swap meet merch, and seeing the same products at several booths for different prices.
That’s where it changes up a bit. This place has the Mexican flare to it. The food, the music. THEY EVEN HAVE A CAR LOT SECTION! Pretty decent prices for these cars too, but you have to ask the right questions. They are used cars after all.
And the main reason i come to this park and swap is because they have a resident locksmith here. I get all my keys made here.
This place is a guy’s shopping dream palace lol. I buy my Converse here. You can get a tattoo, work boots, work t-​shirts AND TOOLS here.
A great way to spend a Saturday!

I like coming here to find great deals. Bought my sound system for my ride here as well as other items on the low cost of things. Love how they have stands for food and beer. A great place to shop, eat and drink a Michelada while on a hangover.

I have a fetish for swap meets and enjoy looking for goodies. It’s all about the thrill of the hunt and unknown right?
Well, to be honest, this place is a bit on the predictable side, but I guess that’s a good thing to an extent right?
I know that I can find anything from cheap jeans, tennis shoes, knock off perfume, toys, & electronics. And let’s not forget the ghetto fabulous blankets with pictures of Jesus, Tupac with a weed plant behind him, and of course a picture of the last supper. I mean you don’t want the family thinking that you’re some kind of ‘atheist’ who is doomed to the fires of hell correct?
My favorite thing is to spend a dollar to feed the goats and to give them a good petting. I can’t help it I dig animals t_​t

Why go all the to Nogales when everything is right here… save for the free tequila that seemed so prevalent from the vendors in Mexico in the day?! Not wholly certain why there is a charge for admissions, but that’s only $ 2 so have at it. Odds and ends and the nicknacks one might expect to find at a swap meet. The place was relatively clean and the vendors we interacted with were friendly, so 3 stars!

Here’s the best tip for all to heed! Go on Friday morning 6 – 12 am! Why? Because entry is free and you avoid the massive crowds and cheap Chinese dollar store type goods that flood the weekend market. On Friday you’ll find the good used stuff and new discount tools. I got a brand new cutting torch with tanks for only $ 120 last week! Make sure you bring water because it’s expensive and only one lady w the food cart sells it. If you want to sell your crap there it’s easy… just load up your truck and drive to the south entrance, pay $ 10 per spot (you’ll need more than one if you have a lot of junk) and fill out a simple form! Better than having a yard sale because you get flooded with buyers. Good luck treasure hunting and have fun!

Shades of its former glory. I used to go here when I was a kid and the place was full of cool stuff, anything you could want. Over the years I have watched it fade and decline, Now… it’s just cheap knock offs commercial vendors, and people reselling thrift store reject electronics. It’s only half the size it used to be.

$ 2 will get you in. Once your in there is rides, games, goats, horses, and pretty much the biggest rummage sale you could ever want featuring toys, bags, clothes, giant cute puppy statues, tires, food, and pretty much anything else you can think of. I personally didn’t get anything but there was definitely a lot to choose from. It felt a lot like going to the fair honestly… will I be back… most likely.

It was a nice day here, it was busy and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Lots of tools at this one this trip. Clothing was everywhere and reasonable price. Lots of shopping options.

This can be a fun way to spend a morning. Lots of little nicknacks for sale. However, it has changed somewhat over the years. Basically it’s evolved into an outdoor low end department store.

Shameless People Watching Mecca! That’s exactly what this place is. You can find a little bit of everything here. Some stuff can be nice and other stuff is just plain trash. For example, who needs a 3 foot tall ceramic dog with a missing foot? Not sure who, but they can buy it for $ 10 here. I saw cell phone cases, knock off purses, plants, fruit, parakeets, cheap club clothing, and «Barbies» all within one row. I highly recommend going on a day where the temperature is nice out considering this is all outdoors. They do have a sketchy food court and several food vendors around the lot if you happen to get hungry. All in all, this place is interesting. I would recommend coming here if you’ve tried all other places for something obscure to no avail, I’m willing to bet this place would have what you need. Oh yeah, you can also get a tattoo or buy a car here.

It’s a swap meet. The 5stars is «for a swap meet, it’s 5 star» I feel comfortable bringing my family here. Decent stuff. Good prices.
If you can’t find it in stores, you’ll find it here! Where else can you grab a corn dog, get a tattoo and a parakeet within walking distance?
The entry is a mere $ 2, and it’s worth every one of those 200 pennies. The people watching is great, the food is not horribly overpriced, and the number of unique «white elephant» gifts is staggering.
You can find used tools, new work clothes and even steel toe boots. Actually the boots there are quite good, I’ll get some in a couple weeks.
There are rides for the kiddos and a petting zoo. Fast food, cold drinks; a good sized 8pc chicken tenders with fries and 32oz drink is $ 9.50. A good enough deal for being food court fare.
Canned beer for sale at every aisle means you can satiate your thirst and work yourself up to getting an open-​air tattoo!
Oh yeah, the tattoo shop next to the salon, also open air gives this place the certain je né se quai that make this park-​n-​swap a true gem for me. I can indulge my «super creepy Rob Lowe» any Wed night I want.

It seems almost sacrilegious to rate the Park ‘n’ Swap. The Park ‘n’ Swap simply is, and it waits for you to grok it in its fullness.
If you wish you were in Tijuana eating barbecued iguana, the Park ‘n’ Swap is just a train ride away and requires no passport, just a $ 2 admission fee. (I have never actually parked, as such.) While I cannot vouch for the presence of actual iguana-​on-​a-​stick, there are assorted snack foods, kettle corn, several varieties of ice cream, agua frescas, and Budweiser-​with-​clamato. The restrooms are also well-​kept — not up to Nordstrom’s level, but better than a Walmart on a busy weekend.
Probably 90% of the merchandise was made in factories in China for the purpose of being sold at swap meets, so actual bargains on anything new are a matter of perception. Just speaking from the one thing I know how to shop for, you’ll do fine if you know your stuff really well — most items are not necessarily bargains for the quality, but it’s possible to score a good price on something interesting that you can’t get elsewhere.
The handful of used-​item dealers are where the bargains are (and where I’ve bought). Their prices are likely to be higher than Goodwill, but they’re scouring all the Goodwills faster than you are and getting there ahead of you, so they’ve earned their premium. Also, Goodwill does not serve tamarindo agua fresca or provide goats for you to baah at, so there’s that.
There are also a couple stalls of Mexican-​import-​type pottery that carry items not found at the Mexican Import Store in Old Town Scottsdale.
Bring cash. Most everything is on a cash basis. Basically, you get exercise, people-​watching, goat-​watching, some possible stuff, and Mexican junk food for less than the price of a movie with drink-​and-​popcorn. There are worse ways to spend an afternoon.

This is a wonderful alternative to going on vacation at a fancy resort. The options are limitless and the attractions are many. There truly is something for everyone here.
They have a kids area with rides from your elementary school carnival. You know the slide that takes off a layer of skin and shocks your ass all the way down? Also, the tilt-​a-​whirl, no doubt filled with sun-​baked vomit. There is a petting zoo, and you can even feed and ride miniature livestock!
You can buy a bird here, and even get a brazillian wax for $ 45 from a toothless woman. Dining options include pork rinds, funnel cakes, and snow cones.
In all seriousness, it’s only $ 2, the people watching is decent, they have beer, and you might find something cool. I didn’t think the prices were spectacular, but maybe I have unrealistic expectations.

Large selections of almost everything. Many choices for food. Fun to just walk around and look at different things. Large selection of used cars being sold by owners. Easy to get to and lots of parking. Prices are very good.

Only good on Fridays. The other days it’s just venders. Friday actually has real people selling their own stuff.

Ok not the best goods you’ll find for a bargain but me and my family just love walking around and seeing all the cool stuff people don’t want anymore! Plus they have a hot wing stand that sells pretty good wings! 6 wings and fries for $ 6! Not too bad! Get the spicy because the hot taste like mild!
There are rides for kids tickets are $ 1 for one ride and It didn’t look worth it for me. The rides looked old and unstable, but if you wanna walk around and see cool stuff I’d stop by here! Admission is $ 2 and kids 11 yrs old and younger are free! :-)

I feel so bad for those live Midget horses. It was so hot out there, and one was limping. My wife was so bummed, and it ruined our whole shopping experience.
Other than that, it’s the same ol parkn swap, just getting smaller, and smaller every year.

They have good kettle corn

I mean if you’re looking for useless crap. or just something to do. this is the place to go.
I seriously feel like I’m in Mexico again when I come.
I decorate cell phone cases. so I’m definitely here a bit too often, this is where I can get em at $ 5 a piece.
There’s a lot of random crap, but really noone should knock it because this is all pretty much expected out of some swap mart.
This place isn’t amazing. but like I said it’s something to do.
Don’t hate.

There are some things that must be experienced in life to truly appreciate: your first kiss, your first fine dining experience, your first swap meet.
Park ‘n Swap didn’t pop my swap meet cherry, but it did impress me enough to forget about my real first time in Tucson. PnS, situated near the greyhound park, is a sprawling mecca of bargains galore, tchotchkes, crazy crap and some pretty useless garbage. My BFF and I have a method: We case each aisle after we get a beer or two or 5, working our way to the back of the lot. About half way through, we usually stop for wings and fries from Long Wong’s, get another beer, then finish off cruising the merchants.
On a side note, I’m hoping to return very soon to scout out a DVD copy of «Teen Witch» so I can have a Top That event.
More than the good-​to-​great deals, the highlight of your visit to the PnS is people watching. Yes, Indoor Swap Meet used to have the Phony Pony Sisters (bah, where have they gone?), but PnS has such a plethora of Jerry Springer wannabes that it’s worth twice – no, thrice! – the cost of admission.
With the light rail station right in front of PnS, it’s going to be hard for me to find excuses as to why I cannot get my entertainment and morning drink on in one place. It’s my Saturday and Sunday morning therapy.