Beyond eBay and Etsy: 12 Online Flea Markets You’ve Never Heard Of
Where can you find antique Pez dispensers, hot vintage heels and (finally!) the perfect lamp to match your weirdly patterned bedspread — all for sale for just a few bucks? Or better yet, where can you sell them to make some extra cash?
We’ll give you a hint: It’s not Walmart. At least, not our Walmart. (And if yours fits the bill… would you let us know where you live?)
No, it’s your favorite online flea market.
A New Way to Browse: Online Flea Markets
Not only are regular flea markets wacky and wonderful, but their goods are usually pre-owned, pre-loved and dirt cheap. (Who wants to pay the full retail price?!) In short, they’re a Penny Hoarder’s dream.
But everything is virtual these days. You turn to your laptop (or, let’s be real, your smartphone) for everything from takeout to ride shares to a date for Friday night.
So it’s no surprise there’s a whole world of online flea market shopping out there. And it’s just as quirky and addictive as the real thing — especially since you can see it all with just a few clicks.
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The Obvious Online Flea Markets
Of course, a few online flea markets are industry giants you almost certainly already know about.
- Amazon: A once humble bookselling website, Amazon has become an online marketplace so powerful that its astronomic growth sent its founder, Jeff Bezos, into space. Vendors big and small can sell new and used products on the site and they can appear on your doorstep in as little as one day.
- Craigslist: Known for sending shivers down the spines of journalists due to upending newspaper revenues, the online classifieds site is an easy way to pawn off your tchotchkes to neighbors, find some hidden treasures yourself — and so much more. It’s all anonymous, though. So give out your personal deets sparingly, and always meet in a safe, public space!
- eBay: This classic buy-and-sell site has been around for more than a quarter century. Although it bills itself primarily as an online auction site, it operates like most online flea market sites. Many of its listings are available for immediate sale — and it seems you can find, or sell, just about anything you might desire.
- Etsy: Sort of like eBay’s quiet, artsy little sister, Etsy specializes in handmade goodies, but it’s also a treasure trove for lovers of all things vintage. In fact, it has a whole category devoted to vintage items, and it’s well-organized enough that you can dive into niches as specific as bolo ties, fedoras and marbles.
- OfferUp: In 2011, new fathers Arean van Veelen and Nick Huzar ended up with a bunch of extra stuff they didn’t need. They saw an opportunity and co-founded the company (with accompanying smartphone app). OfferUp claims to be the easiest and most dependable mobile marketplace in the U.S.
- Facebook Marketplace: Compared to the other geezer sites so far, Facebook Marketplace is relatively new. Launched in 2016, the online marketplace feature is built into regular ol’ Facebook, and you can buy or sell all kinds of stuff on Marketplace, including cars and campers. You can even find rental properties. Marketplace is locally focused, but it also supports shipping.
12 Online Flea Markets You Might Not Have Heard of Yet
OK, we covered our basic-online-flea-market bases, so now it’s time to move on to the weird and wonderful ones. Half the fun of a traditional flea market is stumbling upon offbeat items and great deals you never would have found elsewhere.
To replicate real flea market experience virtually, we checked out a variety of smaller online flea markets and compared inventory, prices and user experience to help you find the best deals at the digital folding table.
Here’s what we found out.
1. Flea Market Bay
Fleamarketbay.com at a Glance
Pros
- Easy to use and navigate
- Has smartphone apps
- Haggle-friendly
Cons
- Lots of empty categories
- Very little information on sellers
- Listings may not include descriptions
In a battle of the Fleabays (Fleabay.net is a less reputable site), the dot com version comes out on top. Flea Market Bay is a solid online flea market that features a pared-down and slightly dated interface. But that doesn’t make it at all difficult to use.
The site has more than 30 categories to browse, and includes the usuals like electronics, clothes or accessories. Of note are the antiques, arts & crafts and collectibles sections. Like many small online flea markets, it lacks the thousands — or even millions — of listings like some of the better-known online marketplaces
Still, it’s fun to browse when you’re trying to get a quick flea-market fix online.
Similar to Craigslist, Flea Market Bay simply connects you with sellers. No transactions take place on the site, so haggle away!
2. Bonanza
Bonanza at a Glance
Pros
- Sleek interface
- Fun and quirky inventory
- Active community forum and blog
- Vets sellers to some extent
Cons
- Can be tough to verify vendor reviews
- No bidding
Although Bonanza seeks to be the best eBay alternative, it doesn’t offer bidding or bartering options.
It does, however, list categories for everything from home goods to collectibles, including coins and paper money.
And there’s also a wonderful category called “Everything Else,” with subsections like “Metaphysical” (which features “haunted” items) and “Weird Stuff” (We found house fly earrings).
There’s even a “Vintage” section under fashion so you can easily shop for those precious duds from another era.
3. Nextdoor
Nextdoor at a Glance
Pros
- Verified locals only
- Popular option
- Lots of easy-to-use filters to help you find the best bargains
- Frequent listings for free stuff
- Haggle friendly
Cons
- Lengthy signup process
- Smaller towns may not have any users
- All purchases made offline
Technically, Nextdoor is a social media site for your community. And it takes that seriously. You actually need to input a valid address, which you will have to verify, to join your community group.
Once you’re in, you can do all sorts of stuff. Gossip. Post community PSAs. Discover local events. (Our former photo director used Nextdoor to save money by polling neighbors for recommendations and hunting for deals from local businesses!)
Another great feature? “Finds,” Nextdoor’s very own local buy-and-sell section. You can browse listings to find deals across all kinds of categories. Toys, games, furniture, vehicles, free stuff, and much more! Its nifty filters make finding exactly what you want a breeze.
4. Mercari
Mercari at a Glance
Pros
- Pick-up and shipping options
- Easy to review sellers
- Tons of listings and categories
- Haggling accepted
- Very polished site and app
Cons
- No niche — inventory fairly bland
Mercari touts a user-friendly experience whether you’re browsing on its websites or scrolling through listings with the smartphone app.
There are tons of freshly listed items across a host of different categories. And if you live nearby the seller, you can opt for pickup. Otherwise shipping allows you to tap into a massive selection of goods.
What’s great about Mercari is how easy it makes reviewing the seller. Click the seller’s name and, boom, you can see more details about them and quickly check out any reviews. Mercari also handles payments. So no worrying about forking over cash to strangers in person!
5. The Internet Antique Shop (TIAS)
Internet Antique Shop at a Glance
Pros
- Inventory chock full of antique goodies
- Simple browsing
- Replicates the wonder of sifting through a quiet antique market
- Still active after 25 years
- Verified vendors
Cons
- Some listings contain little information
- Dated site
Founded in 1995, The Internet Antique Shop (TIAS) is a bit of an antique itself. While it never took off quite like its buy-and-sell siblings eBay or Craigslist, TIAS has carved out a remarkable niche for all things antique.
The site looks a bit dated. But, hey, it sells antiques. Maybe that’s an intentional part of its charm? It still functions just fine. The category’s sidebar makes browsing simple. And, before you click, it shows how many listings are in any given category — a feature other virtual online flea markets could learn from.
This site is truly a gem. It’s one online flea market you don’t want to overlook. With subcategories like vintage sewing tools and breweriana (read: old signage, steins and more from classic breweries), TIAS really makes it feel like you’re about to stumble upon unique treasures with each click.
6. Swappa
Swappa at a Glance
Pros
- Listings are reviewed for quality assurance
- Low seller fees
Cons
- Listings only active for 10 days
When Swappa was founded in 2010 by techie Ben Edwards, it was a trusted place to sell and purchase mobile devices. More than a decade later, that trust lives on. With excellent reviews on Trust Pilot and over 100 million in 2021 seller proceeds, Swappa is not only a place for mobile devices, but has also expanded to include sneakers, drones, cameras and more.
Want a computer for your trail bike? Check Swappa. Need a home camera system? Swappa has you covered. We even found a two-way radio for sale. We’re not saying that Swappa mimics the joy of browsing through random tech at Best Buy, but we’re not not saying it either.
7. Everything But the House
Everything But the House at a Glance
Pros
- Easy site to navigate
- Mobile app
- Customer service number listed
Cons
- High shipping prices
- Watch for fakes claiming to be authentic
If you seek the rare and wonderful, Everything But the House might have just what you’re looking for. It’s not the most robust site on the list, but maybe that’s on purpose. Launched by estate sale and antique enthusiasts in 2008, the original focus was on virtual estate sales. Now, the site has grown to include consignment items as well as estate sales.
Most of the uncommon pieces are legit, but beware the suspicious seller with fake goods. Also, if what you want to buy is near you and you can pick it up, you’ll avoid the steep shipping fees.
8. 5 Miles
5 Miles at a Glance
Pros
- Offers bidding
- Every item is vetted
Cons
- Clunky website
- Only available in larger cities
Founded in 2014, 5 Miles is similar to OfferUp because the focus is on local buying and selling. A unique feature of 5 Miles is comparatively robust options for pro sellers, which means you might find more high quality and vintage items.
The site and app promote safety and security in transactions. Created by Lucas Lu, who earned a Ph.D. in physics and has a professional background in e-commerce at Alibaba and Light in the Box, the look and feel of the site is more similar to Etsy than Craigslist.
Despite the 5 Mile title, you can search up to 50 miles from your location. There are shipping options if you don’t want to drive that far or meet up in person.
9. Poshmark
Poshmark at a Glance
Pros
- Established and trusted
- App integrates social media elements
Cons
- Known for pricey items
- Slow shipping
Poshmark isn’t just for buying and selling used clothes. The platform hosts sellers of kids toys, home goods, electronics and even pet accessories.
If you’re looking for an online shopping destination that includes brand names for less, sustainable buying, and a social media experience in one, Poshmark could become your go-to.
With Posh Stories, sellers can craft videos to describe and promote their listing, which gives you a better idea of what you’re purchasing.
We talked to one user who had success selling high ticket clothing items. The user said, “If you have some gently used, brand name items sitting around, you can get more for them on Poshmark than on other sites.”
10. Ruby Lane
Ruby Lane at a Glance
Pros
- Unique vintage selections
- Long history
- Quality control
Cons
- Maintenance fee under 15 items
With daily and weekly arrivals, a newsletter, and seemingly endless scrolling for one-of-a-kind items, we could easily get addicted to Ruby Lane.
Buyers and sellers can feel secure with the site’s long history in e-commerce. Founded in 1998, the shop pre-screens items and has a Secret Shopper program with which buying experiences are checked for quality.
Oh, the weird and wonderful things you’ll find — and sell — for less.
11. Goodwill
Goodwill at a Glance
Pros
- Established company
- Community impact
Cons
- Expensive shipping
Goodwill Industries offers two ways to shop online — shopgoodwill.com and goodwillfinds.com. The auction-based site, shopgoodwill.com, has been around since 1999, but the new option, goodwillfinds.com, launched in late 2022. With about 100,000 items listed on the site at the time of the launch, you’ll be sure to discover both the unusual and everyday items you need and want.
As the first online flea market to be started and run by a non-profit, buying from Goodwill means you’re doing good things with your online shopping habit. Your online purchase helps keep stuff out of landfills.
12. VarageSale
VarageSale at a Glance
Pros
- Location based communities
- Unique items
Cons
- Lower satisfaction rating
Created by a mom who worked with her programmer husband to make a better way to buy and sell online, this site is one of the closest we’ve seen to replicating the garage sale experience. And what is a garage sale, really, but a mini, personalized flea market?
One of the things we love most about VarageSale is the “Handmade/Refurbished Item” category. Sure, there are too many custom t-shirt listings, but the bespoke furniture and unique art pieces make up for them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Online Flea Markets
Here’s everything else you should know about online flea markets.
Generally speaking, yes, online flea markets are safe. As with any online purchase, guard your personal information. If you need to make a transaction, be sure the website is encrypted. Encryption sounds fancy, but it’s actually pretty easy to confirm. You can check by looking at the address bar of your browser. You should see “https” before the website’s name. The letter “s” in https means the website is secure. Many small or old websites ignore this crucial security feature.
Exercise good judgment, just as if you’re at a real flea market. Verifying sellers and vendors is a tough nut to crack for almost all online shops — even for major corporations like Amazon. As best as possible, try to check who’s selling the item on any given listing before you make your purchase. Some flea market sites make it easier to see the reputation of sellers than others. For sites that are locally-focused, the sellers are likely neighbors. But, still, stay vigilant.
Almost every flea market website mentioned in this article allows everyday sellers and established vendors to sign up and start selling. Depending on the online store, it could be as easy as creating a listing and publishing it for the world to see. Other sites are more selective, and the sign-up process might require you to provide lots of personal information to verify your identity. Shipping is something you should definitely factor in when you get started.
You may notice that Srchie and Vflea are included in just about every “top online flea market” article. (They were even included in older versions of this article.) However, the beloved websites and their social media accounts have been abandoned since 2016/2017. RIP Srchie and Vflea. We’ll never forget all your great deals.
Adam Hardy and Veronica Matthews are Penny Hoarder contributors. Deputy editor Tiffany Wendeln-Connors and freelance writer Jamie Cattanach contributed to this post.
