It was April of 1975, when Richard Chapin, working his way through his last semester of college, started selling handmade tables at the corner of Grant and Tanque Verde. With nothing but exuberance, a lot of promises and a maxed out credit card, he cobbled together an assortment of other vendors and the Tanque Verde Swap Meet was born. A few short months later the heat of summer threatened to turn his idea into a total failure as vendors and customers fled outdoor shopping in the hundred degree weather. Never one to give up easily, Chapin bought every strand of Christmas lights he could find and stayed open at night. Vendors and customers loved the new night time hours. With the Swap growing and thriving, Chapin turned to his family members to help manage the business. In November of 1975, the Tanque Verde Swap Meet became an official business and Chapin’s sister, Linda Fiore, became the President. Over the years, Chapin’s wife, nephews, nieces and children joined the business.

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The Chapin family has owned and operated the Tanque Verde Swap Meet in Tucson since 1975.  The Tanque Verde Swap Meet began at the corner of Grant and Tanque Verde roads in 1975. We remained there until 1986 when they moved to 4100 S. Palo Verde Rd where we are currently located. The move proved advantageous for the Chapins, sellers and buyers. The current location has over 30 total acres, 19 of which are dedicated to sellers’ spaces and the rest to parking. This is almost more than twice the area of the old site. Even with this much more space, the vendors’ area and parking lot have been known to fill up quickly. Locally owned, operated and family run.

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In May of 2019, United Flea Markets acquired Tanque Verde Swap Meet. This acquisition marks the company's first property in Arizona, as well as its first venue with nighttime hours. United Flea Markets is proud to carry on the legacy of the Chapin family.