top:5px;float:left;color:white;background:Red;border:4px solid blue;font-size:100px;line-height:90px;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5px;font-family:times;”>You’ve heard me wax poetically about the famed tou/foire/acc.htm” target=”_blank”>Foire Nationale a la Brocante et aux Jambons tou” target=”_blank”>twice before so I won’t regal you with details of this giant French flea market with over 800 vendors held in the Parisian suburb of Chatou, but I wanted to give you a quick reminder to book your ticket to Paris to attend the Spring Brocante.
Chatou details:
When: Dealer Day March 6. Open to the Public March 7 – 17
Time: Daily from 10am to 7pm
tou/foire/plan.htm” target=”_blank”>Where: Chatou, France. RER stop : Rueil-Malmaison or Chatou-Croissy
Book your tickets now!!
The Antiques Diva™
Part 1 – to-find-my-favorite-french.html” target=”_blank”>Q&A; – Where to Find My Favorite French Flea Markets
Part 2 – My Favorite Flea Market
Part 3 – One Minute Diva – The Foire Nationale…
Parking is free at Chatou but limited. Here’s a link to the fair’s map http://www.sncao-syndicat.com/sncao/chatou/foire/plan.htm . Last March my husband and I drove around for over an hour before finding a parking spot at 11am on a Saturday. We then walked 20 minutes to the fair from the spot we finally found! Needless to say, go early! The good news is there is plenty of pork on hand at the fair to give you extra stamina should you grow weak from all that walking!
Rather than running back and forth to your car, unless you find excellent parking up close, it’s an idea to leave your purchases with your vendor until you are ready to leave the fair. The first time I did this it freaked me out – but now I almost always leave my purchases with the vendor and an hour before leaving (which for me is usually near closing time) I make my rounds picking up the loot! I’ve not once had a problem doing it this way! It saves walking back to the car or carrying too many purchases around for the afternoon!
Bonne Shopping! With my recent move, I’m missing Chatou for the first time in ages… je suis tres triste!!
The Diva
Hi antiques diva!!!
I am coming to the Foire Nationale on saturday, we are bringing a car, can you tell me where to stay that is closest? As we dont want to kkeep walking for miles to load up the car! Thank you!
I really wish I was not going to miss this by one day!
Frustrating as it’s the 2nd year in a row to miss it 🙁
La Reine,
Somehow in my antiquing prowess, I’ve missed Posh Chicago! Thanks for the excellent tip! By the way, do you ever shop Ruby Lane? http://www.rubylane.com/
The Antiques Diva
C’est triste, I’ll have to miss my favorite Brocante again. I’ll have to make up for it with some of my best armchair brocanting here in my new cold and windy home, New York City.
Today I’m cyber shopping at one of my faves, POSH Chicago, http://www.poshchicago.com, especially the cute Spring and Easter items like the Egg Cup Chick and the Embroidered Egg Waffle Weave Tea Towel, and for some reason the Boxwood Spoons for only $3 are appealing.
When I lived in Paris, I used to love armchair shopping at POSH, just to reassure myself that I was getting a screaming deal on some of my Paris purchases (read the description for the Vintage French Faience Plates…that was me, scrounging for blue plates in every dusty bin!). Then, when I moved to Chicago, I loved visiting their store in person…and chatting with the staff and visitors. Now, I’m back to POSH online, to satisfy my Foire de Jambon fix!
bisous a tous
la Reine