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| - It seems almost sacrilegious to rate the Park 'n' Swap. The Park 'n' Swap simply is, and it waits for you to grok it in its fullness.
If you wish you were in Tijuana eating barbecued iguana, the Park 'n' Swap is just a train ride away and requires no passport, just a $2 admission fee. (I have never actually parked, as such.) While I cannot vouch for the presence of actual iguana-on-a-stick, there are assorted snack foods, kettle corn, several varieties of ice cream, agua frescas, and Budweiser-with-clamato. The restrooms are also well-kept -- not up to Nordstrom's level, but better than a Walmart on a busy weekend.
Probably 90% of the merchandise was made in factories in China for the purpose of being sold at swap meets, so actual bargains on anything new are a matter of perception. Just speaking from the one thing I know how to shop for, you'll do fine if you know your stuff really well -- most items are not necessarily bargains for the quality, but it's possible to score a good price on something interesting that you can't get elsewhere.
The handful of used-item dealers are where the bargains are (and where I've bought). Their prices are likely to be higher than Goodwill, but they're scouring all the Goodwills faster than you are and getting there ahead of you, so they've earned their premium. Also, Goodwill does not serve tamarindo agua fresca or provide goats for you to baah at, so there's that.
There are also a couple stalls of Mexican-import-type pottery that carry items not found at the Mexican Import Store in Old Town Scottsdale.
Bring cash. Most everything is on a cash basis. Basically, you get exercise, people-watching, goat-watching, some possible stuff, and Mexican junk food for less than the price of a movie with drink-and-popcorn. There are worse ways to spend an afternoon.
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