What exactly is a loppis?
"Loppis" is Swedish shorthand for loppmarknad — flea market. Few words come up as often when driving through Småland: hand-painted, often slightly crooked cardboard signs by the roadside, pointing towards a farm driveway, a barn, or a community hall. Behind them lies a genuine Swedish institution — from a spontaneous farmyard flea market held by a family clearing out the attic, to fixed second-hand shop chains with regular opening hours. For children it's often a genuine treasure hunt: old toys, books, bicycles, crockery — all for a few kronor, and nobody raises an eyebrow if you spend a long time browsing.
Why it's worth stopping
A loppis visit needs no planning — that's exactly its charm. See a sign while driving, and you simply pull over. For families, that's ideal: children can browse at leisure and buy something with their own pocket money without it costing much, and the selection is refreshingly different every time. Honestly, not every spontaneous farmyard loppis can be found online in advance — the best ones are genuinely discovered only by following the hand-painted signs along the road. If you prefer something more reliable, though, there are also fixed addresses with regular opening hours.
Fixed loppis addresses near Vimmerby
Erikshjälpen Second Hand is one of the region's largest second-hand shops at around 1,500 square metres — clothing, furniture and household goods across two floors, plus a small café to take a break. Proceeds go towards charitable projects.
- Address: Åbroallén 2, Vimmerby
- Opening hours: Thursday 12–6pm, Saturday 10am–2pm
- Distance from Ullevi: approx. 26 km / 30-minute drive
- View on the map
Lions Återbruksbutik is run on a voluntary basis by the Lions Club Vimmerby — with an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 items, a genuine treasure trove known for particularly friendly prices. Open daily during week 29 (mid-July, peak season).
- Address: Bäckgatan 5, Vimmerby
- Opening hours: Saturday 10am–2pm (Easter to late October), daily in week 29
- Distance from Ullevi: approx. 26 km / 30-minute drive
- View on the map
Fixed loppis addresses near Västervik
Busfrö is considered one of Sweden's largest commercial second-hand chains — the Västervik branch offers a correspondingly large selection across several floors.
- Address: Storgatan 25, Västervik
- Distance from Ullevi: approx. 40 km / 40-minute drive
- View on the map
Kupan (Red Cross) is the Red Cross second-hand shop in Västervik — clothing, books, household goods, bought with a clear conscience since the proceeds go directly to relief work.
- Address: Esplanaden 22B, Västervik
- Opening hours: Monday–Friday 11am–5pm
- Distance from Ullevi: approx. 40 km / 40-minute drive
- View on the map
Schematic overview of the loppis addresses from Ullevi — not to scale
Practical tip
Bring cash — many smaller farmyard loppis don't take cards. And: if you're travelling with children, it's best to set a small budget of their own in advance — that turns picking what to buy into a little lesson in negotiating and budgeting.