13 Best Flea Markets in Iowa

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Iowa is a rural state and has a lot of flea markets out in rural areas.

The larger cities like Des Moines and Cedar Rapids have their share, but there are a lot of these markets out in the countryside as well.

Small towns like Hamburg or Centerville become centers of big activity a few times each year.

There are a lot of farm-related antiques available since this is a farming country.

Some flea markets are relatively small, but there is a good mix of indoor and outdoor facilities.

County fairgrounds are often used for these types of markets in the smaller towns around the state.

Iowa is a great place to find things your grandparents may have used on their farms.

The 13 Best Flea Markets in Iowa

1. What Cheer Flea Market

The small rural town of What Cheer has around 600 full-time residents.

Three weekends each year it has several thousand when the What Cheer Flea Market is open.  

It is a collector’s paradise open Thursday through Sunday one weekend in May, August, and September.

The Keokuk County fairgrounds will have more than 500 vendors selling antiques and collectibles of all kinds.

There will also be a lot of good food to enjoy.

There are five buildings and a large outdoor area where vendors are set up.

Old tools, primitives, postcards, glassware, sports cards, coins, and stamps are just some of the things you can find here.

The town is in the south-central part of the state.

https://whatcheerfleamarket.com/

2. Wapello Flea Market

Wapello is a small town of 2,000 on the eastern side of the state, very close to the Illinois border.

Even though it is a small town, it is home to one of the biggest popup flea markets in the state.

There are more than 50 vendors, and what makes this one big is the amount of stuff for sale.

There are a lot of baby clothes, and clothing seems to be the main focus.

There are, however, a lot of people selling locally grown produce and homemade crafts.

It is open Friday to Sunday the third weekend of every month throughout the warmer months of the year. 

Another unique thing about this market is musicians from the area perform in an open mic setting.

They can promote their music and sell their CDs there.

3. Thrifty Flea Market

The Thrifty Flea Market in Des Moines may not be the best place to find bargains, but it is the best place to find unusual and rare items.

They have several vendors who sell rare antiques and collectibles.

For instance, they have some of the oldest nickel jukeboxes made, and things like the Spide Skillet that is well over 100 years old.

At one time they had a vintage Chevy truck.

You will find rare advertisements, posters, and promotional materials that were common 100 years ago or more. 

There are home decorations available, as well as antique housewares, glassware, equipment, antiques, and furniture. 

There are several dealers with booths, and some things are sold on consignment.

Thrifty Flea Market is open Tuesdays through Saturdays. 

4. Shaggy’s Indoor Flea Market

Shaggy’s Indoor Flea Market is in downtown Dubuque, and they make it easy as possible to shop there.

They have a website where you can see and buy anything available in the store. 

They also have shipping and pickup options.

You can still show up and shop inside the store. 

They are open Tuesdays through Sundays each week.

They have antiques, vintage items, collectibles, art, coins, toys, jewelry, glassware, and more.

It is a relatively small store as flea markets go, but it had a lot of variety.

There is a large section of vintage games, toys, as well as some modern games. 

5. Awesome Possum

The Awesome Possum Flea Market is in the small town of Hamburg in the extreme southwest corner of the state, close to Nebraska and Missouri. 

It is a friendly place where people like to visit, and even strangers are warmly welcomed.

The building is bright blue with cool directions on the exterior.

It is the kind of place that makes you want to go inside.

There are several vendors and the displays constantly change.

There’s glassware, clothes, purses, hats, games, toys, and furniture.

Most of what is there is old, but there are some newer items mixed in.

There are also collectibles and odd novelties that are always fun to look for and find.

It is open daily throughout the year.

It has two floors of merchandise for you to explore.

6. Dubuque Flea Market

The Dubuque Flea Market is held at the Dubuque County Fairgrounds three times each year and has as many as 150 dealers.

There are the usual antiques, collectibles, crafts, and clothing both old and new.

Some handmade items are also for sale by the makers.

This market has been around since the 1960s and is very popular in the Dubuque area.

There are vendors inside and outside, and the show goes on as scheduled no matter what the weather is doing. 

It is a great place to look for unique items, and to find that missing item for your collection, no matter what that collection is.

On the three weekends, it is held, it is open Friday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

7. The Barn

The Barn, in Wellman, offers a nice flea market in a small-town setting.

There are the usual vintage and antiques.

There is a lot of what is called junk that may be your treasure.

It combines the efforts of several thrift stores in this part of the state.

It happens just a few times each year.

The owners gather anything they can find, and when they have a sale, they have a tremendous amount of things to sell. 

The market also has locally made food.

There is also live music with local musicians, who may be selling their CDs as well.

In some ways, it is a standard flea market, but in some other ways, it is a country fun festival. 

Wellman is a small rural town about 50 miles south of Cedar Rapids.

8. Ladora Junque-Tion Market

The Ladora Junque-Tion market is in another small town not far from Cedar Rapids, about 40 miles to the west. 

It is more a farmer’s market perhaps, with area farmers bringing what they have produced in season.

There are also things like homemade bread and jellies, canned items, and so forth.

There are also several dealers of “junk” that offer their wares.

These may be antiques, collectibles, or just interesting old things. 

This is a very informal market.

Organizers plan it whenever they feel there is a need, a few times each year.

When it happens it usually is open for a few days.

During the summer months, it will be run several times.

9. Geneva Market

The Geneva Market in Geneva is unique.

Geneva is a very small town of fewer than 200 people in the northern part of the state. 

This market is held twice each year, for a few days in May and the third week of September. 

This started several years ago to raise money for a local school auditorium, and it has had so much success they have taken on other projects to improve the town.

You never know what you will find here.

Local vendors bring things like vintage, antique, and handcrafted items.

There are farm-related items and tools, both old and new.

It has more of a festival feel at times, with food, live music, and entertainment.

10. Southern Iowa Junk Jaunt

The Southern Iowa Junk Jaunt is more of an adventurous road trip than a standard flea market.

A junk store in Centerville has organized this event that covers 10 towns in southern Iowa, and each one displays antiques, collectibles, and stuff that might be junk or might be a treasure depending on your tastes. 

Each town has several vendors and you can set your own pace.

Maps are available to show where all the locations are.

It is a great way to look for treasures and see the Iowa countryside at the same time.

This event is held for a weekend each in June and October.

11. Memory Lane

Memory Lane Flea Market in Sioux City is an indoor flea market with more than 150 vendors displaying goods for sale.

You could spend hours wandering through all the things for sale.

While most of it is indoors, there is a small outdoor area open in the summer months.

There are things like antiques, collectibles, office supplies, movies, books, music, and more.

You may find classic vinyl albums or the latest CDs.

Vendors update their booths regularly, so there is always something new to find. 

One unique thing even among flea markets is their collection of vintage brass frames and old pictures.

They also have paintings, holiday decorations, and many handmade items.

12. B&B Flea Market

The B&B Flea Market is in the small town of Le Mars, about 40 miles north of Sioux City.

It has a large indoor area where 150 or more dealers sell old and interesting items.

There are collectibles, antiques, figurines, coins, shells, sports cards, and vinyl albums.

They have new things like baby formula and other food items.

They have a large selection of very old soda bottles with the soda still in the bottle.

There are one-of-a-kind dishware sets made of things that may surprise you. 

The B&B Flea Market is open Monday through Saturday the entire year.

13. Vintage & Made Fair

The Vintage & Made Fair is a unique flea market specializing in crafts, handmade items, antiques, and vintage items in the small town of Wellman. 

It has been going on only a few years but has grown even faster than expected.

It is held twice each year, for a few days each, and those days change year to year but are in the warmer months.

It has food trucks and a vintage camper turned into a mobile bar.

Live bands are entertaining throughout the festival. It is a flea market in every sense of the word, but it is also a relaxed festival where you can have a good time.

The 13 Best Flea Markets in Iowa – Summary Table

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• OVERALL RISK: LOW
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