Bastille Brocante New Location in November

One of our favorite Paris fairs the Salon d’Antiques Brocante Place de la Bastille is on as scheduled this year — but MOVING to a new location. The Antiques Diva® is offering special mid-week Paris tours: click here to book a tour. I’ve been attending since I lived in Paris, and written about it many times on the Antiques Diva Blog.  

 

Hundreds of antique dealers from all over France set up each year since 1969 at Paris’ Place de la Bastille for its biannual brocante and antiques fair, where visitors can shop with locals. It has the perfect blend of French bric-a-brac and serious antiques – some things that are impulse purchase priced and others that might break the bank, but worth the breakage!
the Paris Bastille brocante
Bric-a-brac spotted on one of my earlier visits to the Bastille brocante.
The Bastille show is held twice annually in May and November along the banks of the Seine at Port de l’Arsenal near Place de la Bastille in central Paris. This November – and indefinitely – the Place de la Bastille is undergoing a 2-year renovation and the organizers have relocated the antique show near the Ecole Militaire in the 7th arrondissement, not far from the Eiffel Tower.
to-the-Bastille-brocante.png” alt=”Paris Bastille Antique Fair” width=”300″ height=”162″ /> French antique vendors at the Bastille Salon d’Antiquaries. 
Tip: Be sure to arrive hungry: the Bastille brocante has wonderful food and drink vendors – and November is typically perfect weather to enjoy a vin chaud!  
Paris Bastille salon d'antiquiaries
Shopping for antique lighting at the Salon d’Antiques Brocante Place de la Bastille.

 

Bastille Brocante –> Place Joffre Antiquité 

  • November 9 – 19, 2017
  • Place Joffre, 75007 Paris, France
  • 11am – 7pm daily
  • tickets: Joel Garcia Organisation 10€

 

Book an Antiques Buying Tour with The Antiques Diva

Book A Tour with The Antiques Diva & Co
Our local expert Diva Guide picks you up at your hotel and whisks you away to the market to help you shop. She will translate, negotiate and lease with an international shipper. We will discuss what you’re looking for in advance of your tour so we can help plan your shopping day and determine if there are other vendors we should take you to visit outside of the Bastille market.

 

Bonne Shopping!
Toma – The Antiques Diva  

 

April Showers Bring May…. Brocantes!

Tips for Shopping at Paris Brocantes 

Antiques Diva guide Jennifer BalmadierToday’s post is by Jennifer Balmadier, one of our Paris Diva Guides. She is a native to Boston, however she traveled to France most of her life helping her parents shop for their antique store. On one trip while attending a French friend’s wedding, the fates aligned and she met the Frenchman she would marry… You’ll have to have her tell you how if it weren’t for her mother-in-law, she might have married a French Duke instead! Utterly smitten, Jennifer gave up her career in insurance in Boston and moved to Paris for love. Her life story is romance on a plate. Once living in Paris she returned to her roots, sniffing through flea markets finding trinkets and treasures helping to buy for her parents, doing personal shopping which led to her becoming a Diva Guide. Her particular passion is vintage fashion (she got her first Hermès when she was 13 years old!) and she knows every vintage Chanel shop in town! She’s also wonderfully down to earth and has a dry humor that will have you laughing before you even hit the shops. She loves nothing more than sharing with Diva clients the ins & outs of Paris, teaching them the metro, telling them where to go to shop, wine or dine (or not) and letting clients know inside details on life in Paris… Details you can only learn from a local!

Café aut lait bowls and French fabric, frills and buttons found at Paris brocantes.

April Showers Bring May… Brocantes!

Warmer temperatures bring all sorts of nice things to Paris: blooming window boxes, crowded terraces and our favorite at AD&Co Headquarters, brocante season! A brocante is a one-day or short-term flea market that pops up in neighborhoods around Paris (and the rest of France). Longer days and sunny skies are the perfect combination to start the day with a walk around a weekend brocante. Whether you are just browsing or want to do some serious damage, you will find the Parisians out in force. If early mornings aren’t your thing, most of the brocantes stay open until 7:00 pm making the perfect segue into apéritif hour at your favorite local terrace.

Check out https://vide-greniers.org/75-Paris and http://brocabrac.fr/Vide-greniers-75 for a comprehensive list. In French, but you can search by date and district. Just keep in mind that a vide-grenier is more like a garage sale, and a brocante will have mostly professional dealers. The city also has a clear website with some brocante information:  http://quefaire.paris.fr/brocantes.

Check out https://vide-greniers.org/75-Paris and http://brocabrac.fr/Vide-greniers-75 for a comprehensive list. In French, but you can search by date and district. Just keep in mind that a vide grenier is more like a garage sale, and a brocante will have mostly professional dealers. The city also has a clear website with some brocante information:  http://quefaire.paris.fr/brocantes.

 

Paris brocantes, flea markets, and vide greniers                              Bric a brac and books at Paris brocantes.

Tips for Shopping Paris Flea Markets and the Local Brocantes

  • It is easy to forget the exact size of that space you need to fill, bring photos and measurements of anything specific that you have in mind. If you’re booking a tour – sending photos to your Diva Guide in advance of items that you like or are looking for is very helpful on a tour.
  • It is easy to forget the exact size of that space you need to fill, bring photos and measurements of anything specific that you have in mind. If you’re booking a tour – sending photos to your Diva Guide in advance of items that you like or are looking for is very helpful on a tour. 
  • Dress comfortably and don’t advertise that you are a (wealthy) tourist. It can rain on and off, even with a sunny sky, so always have your sunglasses and a travel umbrella handy. 
  • As logic dictates, arriving at a brocante at the start of the show will get you the best selection but dealers might be more willing to bargain if you go as they are packing up. 
  • Cash is king and brings you greater negotiating power, but occasionally vendors will take credit cards. Considering splitting a purchase between cash and credit for a better deal on larger items.  
  • Most things aren’t marked so it is always okay to ask the price. Just don’t start to negotiate if you aren’t sure you want the item as it is considered bad form. 
  • Always ask before taking pictures, whether to show your spouse for approval or for your scrapbook. It is a sign of respect to the dealer. 
  • If you are shipping things home (and don’t forget about our new Antiques Diva In-House Shipping ) you can arrange for the shipper to pay the dealers so no money changes hands when you are shopping. This old-fashioned custom also means that you “own” the item, even though no money has changed hands.
  • Buying an extra suitcase and paying extra to send it on the plane with you can be a decent way to get purchases home.
  • You might think you will remember the exact location of that vendor you wanted to go back to, but after awhile things start to look the same. Ask the dealer for their carte de visite. Usually they will offer to write a description of the item for you on this business card. 
  • If you want to remember the history and details of your purchase, ask the dealer to write it down.  This can also come in handy at customs. 
  • Reproduction is not always a nasty word. Many French reproductions date back to Napoleon III based on styles from earlier periods, still making them true antiques. 
  • Last but not least, buy what you love. For many things the value is how much you love it

Paris brocantes, flea markets, and vide greniersBonne Shopping! 

Toma – The Antiques Diva® 

Tips on Buying Vintage & Antiques in France

How To Shop For Vintage & Antiques at French Flea Markets

Marché aux Puces and Brocantes
L’Isle sur la Sorgue
In France, flea markets are known as marché aux puces or simply, les puce, (the fleas). But googling brocante will take you off the beaten path to traveling flea markets that are only held a few weekends a year. They can be held anywhere from 1 day to a full 2 weeks. Bigger traveling flea markets in France will have billboards all over town advertising them – so when you see a sign stuck to a lamp post or a giant poster in the metro with the word brocante highlighted, get ready to shop! Brocantes attract vendors from all over France, selling everything from high-end antiques to vintage pieces and simply second-hand junk. Prices here are usually better and take you into neighborhoods you might never have reason to visit on your own. A great website for finding brocantes is www.brocabrac.fr. While the Paris Flea Market is a personal favorite and must-do (and The Antiques Diva & Co are the only official tour guides of Paul Bert Serpette at the Paris Flea Market), visiting other French flea markets in Paris and across France is ideal to shop for antiques and vintage pieces. Here are my top 3 brocantes in Paris – and my all-time favorite French flea market starts next week!!

Tips on Buying Vintage & Antiques in France: Top Europe Antiques and Design Markets and Fairs Calendartip: Check out our Antiques and Design Markets and Fairs 2017 Calendar for flea markets in France and across Europe!

While there is nothing more fabulous than getting lost in France and discovering some place (or something) magical, shoppers in the know research where to go before traveling overseas. We suggest you book an Antiques Diva tour so you can shop on the arm of a local who knows the area like the back of their hands – plus more importantly – has relationships with the vendors which allows you to get the best prices possible when negotiating. But if you decide to give it a go on your own, be prepared and do your research. Google the cities where you’re planning to antique, using keywords for the antiques and vintage pieces you want to buy.  

Paris Flea Market - What To Buy and HowVide-Greniers
On brocabrac.fr you will also find vide-greniers – essentially attic sales – set up in the center of town with anywhere from 50 to of 1000s of people participating. These aren’t professional vendors, but instead they private people wanting to sell their goods – think of it as a town-wide garage sale where anything and everything is for sale. While you’ll have to dig through second-hand clothes and used toys you can also find gorgeous antiques going for a song!

Salon des Antiquaires
If you’re looking for high-end antiques you want to go to a salon des antiquaires a step up from a flea market or brocante – which can have second-hand and decorative objects. This will be more high brow and have higher quality pieces – but don’t let that phrase scare you – there are still bargains to be had. Remember French antiques are often 3 to 5 times less expensive in France than they are in America or Australia. Something selling for 2,000 Euro in the North of France might go for $6-10K in the USA. You have to spend money to save $$$!

Tips on Buying Vintage & Antiques in France: Toma Clark Haines shopping at a Provence flea marketKey French Shopping Phrases
Now that you know where to go whether it’s a puce, brocante, vide-grenier or salon des antiquaires you should know a few key phrases in French to get the ball rolling! Even if you don’t speak French, learning some basic vocabulary is worth it’s weight in golden Louis 15th antiques.

  • Always start the conversation with a simple, Bonjour Madame or to catch the vendors attention try S’il vous plaît  (SVP) Monsieur.
  • Point then to the item you are interested in and ask how much it costs: C’est combien, SVP? or try Vous voulez combien?
  • Ask how old it is? Quel âge a cette chaise?  Ça date de quand?  What wood it is? C’est quel type de bois? And where it comes from:  Quelle est sa provenance?
  • Don’t be shy – negotiation is expected. Ask for a good deal. Vous pouvez  faire un meilleur prix? Will you make a better price? or C’est votre meilleur prix? or Vous pour faire mieux? Is that your best price? It’s best to ask the Vendor to tell you their best price BEFORE you offer a number – because sometimes they offer you more of a discount than you would have expected. If the piece is 100E and you ask for a best price, the vendor might come back and say 80E. You can then continue the negotiation – Will you take $70? Prenez Vous 70E? If said this way, the vendor might compromise on 75E. 25% is a reasonable amount to expect for a discount.

Be willing to walk away in order to get a discount.  Leaving then returning to the piece helps with negotiation… but beware… you might just return and find your item SOLD to someone else!

  • Verify they are giving you the export price – C’est le prix pour exportation? Is it too expensive? C’est trop cher!  (said while batting your eyes!) A good deal? C’est bon marché – C’est un bon prix – C’est raisonnable.  I’ll take it! Je le prends!
  • And don’t forget to say Merci! Au Revoir!

 

Bon Shopping! 

Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva

Shabby Is The New Chic in Provence

Dear Diva Readers,

top: 5px; float: left; color: white; background: #781300; border: 1px solid darkkhaki; font-size: 60px; line-height: 50px; padding-top: 1px; padding-right: 5px; font-family: times;”>Our lovely Antiques Diva Guide in Provence is Caren. Today she’s sharing a bit about why antiquing is so much more exciting than simply shopping big box stores—especially in Provence where markets have constantly changing inventory! She even shares some of her favorite places to score antiques.

caren and lavender, Flea Markets of Europe, Buying antiques in France, French Antiques, Sourcing antiques in Provence, The Antiques Diva, Brocante, Puce, Vide-Greniers, Isle sur-la-Sorgue, Nice – Cours Saleya, Carpentras, Villeneuve les Avignon

Diva Guide Caren writes:

“Antiquing… it’s so much more exciting than just shopping. It’s like looking for hidden treasure. You’re never sure what you will find and it’s often not in plain view, but when you discover the right piece, you know it’s a keeper. For most of us, shopping is a chore. Not so with antiquing. In a world where so many of the stores pump out the same old, same old, it is a breath of refreshing air to be in Provence with daily possibility of shopping at a market.

Flea Markets of Europe, Buying antiques in France, French Antiques, Sourcing antiques in Provence, The Antiques Diva, Brocante, Puce, Vide-Greniers, Isle sur-la-Sorgue, Nice – Cours Saleya, Carpentras, Villeneuve les Avignon

And remember, nowadays, even top fashion houses are looking to combine shabby with chic. When you’re antiquing you won’t see the same brand names that are found in high streets, airports and shopping malls the world over. The French markets are a daily and weekly delight, brimming with fresh local produce and handicrafts.

Flea Markets of Europe, Buying antiques in France, French Antiques, Sourcing antiques in Provence, The Antiques Diva, Brocante, Puce, Vide-Greniers, Isle sur-la-Sorgue, Nice – Cours Saleya, Carpentras, Villeneuve les Avignon

If you’re looking for a bargain or something that won’t be found in any of the high street shops, it’s the Puce or Flea markets, the Brocante (Second Hand goods) and the Vide-Greniers (literally, Empty Attics,) which are the ones to seek out.

Flea Markets of Europe, Buying antiques in France, French Antiques, Sourcing antiques in Provence, The Antiques Diva, Brocante, Puce, Vide-Greniers, Isle sur-la-Sorgue, Nice – Cours Saleya, Carpentras, Villeneuve les Avignon

Some Flea Markets take place on a regular basis and the stallholders are mostly professional dealers, but the Brocante and Vide-Greniers sales tend to be held only occasionally. Vide-Greniers normally attract private sellers who in the UK might attend a Car Boot Sale or in the US would hold a Yard Sale. Really big Vide-Greniers may attract hundreds of sellers and thousands of bargain hunters. This is the place to find collectables or pick up a bargain— something that you won’t find at any chain store.

Flea Markets of Europe, Buying antiques in France, French Antiques, Sourcing antiques in Provence, The Antiques Diva, Brocante, Puce, Vide-Greniers, Isle sur-la-Sorgue, Nice – Cours Saleya, Carpentras, Villeneuve les Avignon

The great news is, that if you’re in Provence, there’s a flea market to be found every day of the week. Here’s a list of some of the Antique markets.

Saturday: Villeneuve les Avignon.

One of my favorites is held every Saturday morning across the Rhone from Avignon. Moderate in size, it is held in the car park underneath the ancient fortress of Villeneuve. Between 80 and 100 vendors set up here, offering a wide range of items, many with a focus on Provence. Buyers who own shops in the near-by Isle sur la Sorgue come here in search of a bargain.  Provençal ceramics, pots, linens, agricultural tools and clocks.  A great market where you might well make an interesting discovery, and at a reasonable price.

 

Sunday: Carpentras – parking des Platanes

Carpentras is approximately 30 km north of Avignon.  Late on a Sunday mornings a delightful flea market unfolds in a lovely tree-lined parking area– parking des Platanes.  It starts around 10.00 am and it’s a preferred meeting place for some of the more serious collectors: those who a happy to do their own digging. Here you often have to rummage through boxes and crates to find your treasure. Between  130 to 150 vendors set up and often, they are selling their own belongings, which fall more into the category of “second-hand” than “collectable”. The variety in terms of wares and prices is huge, with an emphasis on the rustic and every day, rather than on up market decorative objects. If you are looking for something really unusual and surprising, this is one of the best places to find it, though you will have to expend some energy in the process.

This is the perfect flea market for someone to dig around and hunt for something special and affordable!

Also on Sunday…

Aubagne: Antique market: last Sunday of every month at the Marche de Gros, quartier de la Tourtelle

Isle sur-la-Sorgue: Antique and flea market: every Sunday all along the avenue des 4 Otages, in the village centre

 

Monday:  Nice – Cours Saleya

There are about 200 vendors here until to mid-afternoon. Cours Saleya is just behind the Promenade des Anglais and it’s a great place to rummage.  The market is mostly high quality, but treasure hunters can often find a special something. Many items have also found their way here from across the Italian border which makes for an interesting mélange and some vendors speak English, as well as Italian.  Lots of silver, vintage clothing, posters, nautical and travel items and ceramics.

 

Tuesday and Thursday: Aix en Provence, Place Verdun in the mornings

 

Wednesday : Pernes les Fontains
Antique market in the morning in the car-park at the centre of the village

 

Friday: Toulon
A Brocante market at Place du Théâtre in the morning

 

If you would like more information on an Antiques Diva Provence Tour, email us at to:info@antiquesdiva.com”>info@antiquesdiva.com.

Au revoir et Bonne Shopping!

The Antiques Diva® 

Antiquing at Place St Sulpice, Paris

Dear Diva Readers,

Antiques Diva Tours

top: 5px; float: left; color: white; background: #781300; border: 1px solid darkkhaki; font-size: 80px; line-height: 70px; padding-top: 1px; padding-right: 5px; font-family: times;”>You know summer in Paris is officially underway when the brocante at St Sulpice comes to town.  Ending on June 23, the market is held in the Place Saint Sulpice, named after the famous eglise which flanks its eastern side.   Don’t worry if you missed the fair this year – you can always plan a trip next June as the fair comes to Paris each summer like clockwork.   Movie buffs might recognize the name of this square as well – it played prominently in The Da Vinci Code. And, if you’re a French flick fan, you might be excited to know that the French actress Catherine Deneuve lives in a gorgeous flat overlooking the square.  She’s often seen shopping in the neighborhood (and on more than one occasion we’ve bumped into her shopping this antiques and flea market).

Antiques Diva Tours

Antiques Diva Flea Market Tour

The square, built in 1754 as a tranquil garden in the Latin Quarter of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, is just as lovely today as it was 250 years ago.  In fact, at the flea market (held this year from June 13 to 23) relics from the past remind us what life was like during those days of yesteryear.

Antiques Diva Paris Shopping Guide Danielle snapped a few pics while shopping the market last week and we had to share this glimpse into Paris antiquing with you!

Antiques Diva Tour

Brocante

Antiques Diva Flea Market Tours

To book your Paris Brocante and Flea Market Tour email to:info@antiquesdiva.com”>info@antiquesdiva.com for more information.   Don’t forget to ask to tour with Danielle to go off the beaten path into Paris’ best neighborhoods and brocantes.

Bonne Shopping!
The Antiques Diva® & Co