San Jose Flea Market

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San Jose Flea Market

Aerial photograph of Berryessa Flea Market (2003). Berryessa Road runs diagonally, from upper right to lower left, dividing the site into north and south parcels. Bayshore Freeway runs horizontally in the lower part of the photograph.
Coordinates	37°22′09″N 121°52′44″W / 37.36922°N 121.8789°W / 37.36922; -121.8789
Address	1590 Berryessa Rd San Jose, CA 95133
Opening date	March 1960 (1960-03)
Total retail floor area	120 acres (49 ha)
Parking	onsite
Public transit access	VTA: 61, 70, 77, 500, 523 BART: Berryessa
Website	sjfm.com

The San Jose Flea Market, located in Berryessa district of San Jose, California, was founded by George Bumb Sr. in March 1960. He had the idea to open a flea market while working in the solid waste and landfill business. He witnessed abundant items thrown away every day and realized he could make a profit from these discarded items.^[1] After visiting swap meets in Los Angeles and Paris’ Thieves Market for inspiration, George Bumb Sr. established the San Jose Flea Market at 1590 Berryessa Road in San Jose, California. He bought 120 acres (49 ha) of an old meat-processing plant and remodeled it to create a market with an initial 20 vendors and only 100 customers per day.