Swap-O-Rama LLC

The flea market is bottom-line entrepreneurship. Its basic business at its core. Jim Pierski, Swap-O-Rama The History of Swap-O-RamaSwap-O-Ramas founder, Rex Meadows, came to Chicago from California in 1969 with the idea to open a flea market in the Midwest. It was not long before he opened his first location at the Double Drive Inn Theater at 2800 W. Columbus Avenue in June of 1969, and Swap-O-Rama Flea Market and Farmers Market was born. Soon SwapORama flea markets were opened throughout the Chicagoland area from Romeoville to Waukegan. Between 1973 and 1986, Swap-O-Rama opened a variety of flea markets across the Midwest in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin as well as standing locations at Allstate Arena and Maywood Park Racetrack. In 1992, Swap-O-Rama opened the granddaddy of all flea markets at 41st and Ashland in Chicago, which is still open today. During the peak season in the hot summer months, the Ashland Avenue location sees over 20,000 people come through the flea marke...