It’s held on Saturdays from March through September, and yes, you’re allowed to haggle for a better deal. But this is not your traditional flea market.
The Silicon Valley Electronics Flea Market , which occurs on the second Saturday of each month at De Anza College in Cupertino, features items that only engineers and hobbyists dream about.
Sellers present used electronics in trunks, on tables, on blankets, or just on the asphalt at the college, and most market-goers consider the prices of the items for sale very reasonable. In fact, by the end of the day, many items have been reduced to “free” for anyone who is interested in taking them home. But insiders know that the best and most unique items can be found at the crack of dawn; anyone who arrives after 7 a.m. stands little chance of coming across a true “find.”
The electronics flea market is organized by ASVARO (Association of Silicon Valley Amateur Radio Organizations), a non-profit public benefit educational corporation (501(c)(3) dedicated to supporting amateur radio for education and public service.
So, what exactly can one purchase at an electronics-only flea market? We’ve listed the top 8 electronics treasures you might find, but there are hundreds more!
1) Amateur radio antennas . Well this is a given, seeing as how the entire event is organized by amateur radio enthusiasts.
2) Chinese ham radios . Fun fact: “ham radio” was first a derogatory term that mocked amateur radio operators with a 19th-century term for being bad at something.
3) Russian batteries . We all know that batteries convert chemical energy to electrical energy, and they have been doing so since Benjamin Franklin coined the term back in 1748. But somehow, batteries from Russia just seem infinitely cooler than most others.
4) Mac monitors . Back in 1984, Steve Jobs introduced the world to the original Macintosh computer. Yes, before the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro, many Macs were comprised of CPUs and large monitors. And you might even find some of those at the Electronics Flea Market.
5) First-generation laptops . Another fun fact: Known as the very first laptop, the GRiD Compass 1101 was released in 1982 and sold for approximately $8,150. The GRiD Compass had a 6-inch screen with 320 x 240 resolution, and it didn’t support color at all.
6) Capacitors . This makes sense, since the invention of radio created a demand for standard capacitors, and the move to higher frequencies required capacitors with lower inductance.
7) Keyboards . Back in the day, keyboards did not have the Windows and Menu keys, and there are still some of those “antiques” in circulation. Look closely amongst the electronics at the flea market and you may even come across the keyboard’s older cousin, a typewriter.
8) Test and measurement equipment such as old oscilloscopes . Again, many amateur radio enthusiasts use oscilloscopes in their designs, so there is usually an abundance of these to be found at the flea market.
If you find yourself in the area and have some spare time on the second Saturday of the month (March through September), check it out for yourself, and send us some pictures!
You can find a link to the schedule here.
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