Std Flea Market

This is where I take people who are new to Springfield. Appropriately named, there are many items here that have no business being in a market, unless you’re interested in buying rusted out bicycles and the family photos of strangers. There are some treasures in here though. Go for the experience, not for the merchandise.

Best flea market in Springfield!
Alas, the name stays with you, and you have to explain what it DOESN’T mean sometimes. There are booths which are a little pricey, but, then there are those $ 1.00 booth’s where you may find a real treasure.
You just need to know what to look for.

Used to be a really awesome place. A lot of the great vendors have left and I find it depressing to visit without them there. And STD actually stands for Springfield Tool and Die, which is what the building used to be before that business ended and was repurposed as a flea market.

Drove down to shop there last week. 90 degrees out. One little door open in front and all the fans on the woman at the register. Needless to say it was empty when we got there and about 3 minutes later it was empty again. Nobody even wipes the dirt and mold off the yard sale stuff they drag in. Spiders run amok too. Still, it can be a fun place.

I lived in Springfield for a year and never ran across this flea market in the downtown area. Now I’m kicking myself a bit, because I really enjoyed stopping here. They have a large mix of booths (perfect ratio of high to low pieces, though mostly affordable items) and seemingly fair prices on almost everything. At checkout I was especially impressed by the gentleman wearing his hair in a braid who very helpfully led me to more items for my collection (after taking a look at the items I purchased). This kind of special attention is rare in stores of this type. I’ll be back.

Even if it is an acronym, STD is a terrible name.
Then again, you can’t be pretentious with a name like STD, so you really can find some bargains if you’re willing to sort through it all.
There are nice booths, junky booths, booths way overpriced, booths with a lot of VHS tapes… But overall, most things are priced to sell. There is some furniture along the back wall. Most of it looks junky, but I’m sure there is a gem every so often that’s priced right or could be fixed up.
It’s your average Springfield flea market — not bad if you’re willing to dig a little.

I’ve found some sweet little bargains in this place.
My best find here was a giant framed painting of some roses. It was about $ 48. My mother loved it one day when we were visiting. I went back, bought it, and surprised her with it on Christmas. That was about 5 years ago. It’s still hanging in her living room.

I, too, always visit STD when I’m in Springfield and almost always find deals that I can’t find in Seattle or El Paso. I plan on going back this summer and renting a uhaul to bring back some goodies for the house. People bring in their old cabinets and furniture off the farm and I’ve seen some beautiful rustic furniture go for around 40 bucks! Can’t beat that!

Don’t worry, no VD’s will be caught here. Unless you’re having sex here, which I really wouldn’t recommend.
I visit the STD (Springfield Trading Depot) every time I visit Springfield. It’s a rather unsavory place for us gentrified city dwellers, but, oh the treasures you will find. There is one in each of the cardinal directions of the city, but I usually visit this particular location. There are many booths.
Some of them are more shop oriented and streamlined (like the standard Retro booth in just about ever flea market I’ve been to), but in others, you can find things as strange as a half used bottle of laundry detergent. It has the same issues that all flea markets have-​Some people know what they have and put exorbitant prices on things, some people just put exorbitant prices on things because they don’t really want to part with it/​it has sentimental value, some people have no idea what they have, or don’t care much and put great prices/​reasonable prices on things. That’s the fun of the hunt!
Don’t let the state of the place fool you, either. You will always find the vintage treasures or tacky gifts here that you heart so desires. So, pack your hand sanitizers, some tissues and a soda and your set for your STD excursion!