Renningers, when you turn in, has antiques down the hill to the right and the flea market is up the hill on the left. I made the mistake of going to the left. Although the definition for flea market says it’s “a market, typically outdoors, selling secondhand goods,” somehow I always thought those “secondhand goods” were good bargains, tastefully displayed. Who knew it could also mean worthless crap that somebody just wanted cleared out of their house that could be tossed on a shelf (or a pile) in a claustrophobic shop that smells like a musty attic? One of the outdoor spaces even came replete with live cats amongst the goods (see 3rd photo below).
However, some of the vendors took the time to make their displays eye-catching. That’s a smart thing in a market with over 700 vendors. It can easily be overwhelming, so the clearer the goods are presented, the better. Otherwise, I found myself walking away from the mess. This flea market has, I swear, something for everyone – wigs, guitars, back pain devices, jewelry, luggage, leather goods, Christmas decorations, bonsai trees, candy, door mats, washing machines, piggy banks, wooden snowmen yard decor (reminiscent of pink flamingos on the lawn), rugs, furniture and a plethora of miscellaneous “stuff.”
At some point, you may find yourself, as I did, wondering where you came in, how far away from the parking lot you are, and where the hell your car might be. Good news! You can purchase a drone. I’m convinced it’s there to help you find your car when you’ve had enough of cramped spaces and jostling bodies.
My favorite sections were the outdoor gardens. Not only did I get home with a couple of new plants, but the greenery was soothing to the senses.
If you’re there long enough, you can take in a fast-food place (they’re scattered about) or buy your own fresh produce to take home. I must say the fresh produce looked delicious.
Since it was 12:30 and I’d been walking around for over an hour, I decided to grab a bite to eat. I spied a chalkboard listing fried rice as one of the vendor’s options. Sitting in a low-slung lounge chair behind the table, a black man nonchalantly watched me approach. Standing near the covered entrees was a lanky, surly looking kid who wasn’t inclined to crack a smile for any reason. I didn’t want to pay for a bowl of plain rice; I wanted something in it, so I said, “What’s in the fried rice?” The surly kid responded, “It depends on why you’re asking.” Ummm . . . what? Maybe he thought I wanted to steal their award-winning recipe and sell fried rice out of my garage? Finally, the black man chipped in. “It has peas, carrots, all the usual stuff.”
“OK,” I said. “I’ll have the fried rice.” The kid responded, “You’ll have to come back in 45 minutes. It’s not ready.” Nope. I was done.
On to the antique side of Renningers.
I loved this side and wish I’d started here. There are over 200 booths on the antique side, arranged better (for the most part) and with better looking merchandise (for the most part). I ended up purchasing candlesticks I’d been trying to find for my fireplace mantel for several years. These fit the bill.
I’ve never been a big tiffany lamp type of person, but I liked these.
And there’s everything from a class toy shop with Betty Boop at the entrance, to the tiffany-style lamps, old books, doors the HGTV people would love, and all sorts of other treasures.
Overall, Renningers Flea Market & Antique Center is worth your time and can easily be your entire sightseeing day so plan accordingly. Mount Dora is only about 10 minutes away and has lots of great restaurants. I’d definitely recommend Mount Dora’s food choices over the fried rice.
- 20651 US Hwy 441, Mount Dora, Florida
- Flea Market is open Sat/Sun 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Antique center is open Friday 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM and Sat/Sun 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- If you want to see both, you’ll have to go on Saturday or Sunday
- http://www.renningers.net
Lisa Browder 
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