Paris Brocante
Dear Lovely,
While in Paris last month, we spent an entire day at the Paris brocantes, or flea markets. I had never been before, and what made this trip even more special was we had professional guides to help us navigate the market as well as negotiate the best prices for us. It could not have been a better experience!
My friend, Jessica, and me and a flea market friend.
I am not by any means a Paris flea market expert, but I learned a few things while I was there, which I’ll share with you through out this post. The markets I specifically visited are static markets, not the ones that randomly pop up on one street or another.
Marché Vernaison
I spent most of my time at Marché Vernaison which is part of the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen complex. Its history stretches back to the late 19th century and is a maze of small shops and winding passageways filled with antiques and collectibles. They are only open Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10-6.
Below is what I purchased. I have noted which dealer/market each item is from if I could remember. Come back next week to see how I styled everything in my home/wardrobe. You do NOT want to miss that post!
1. Vintage Hermès scarf from
le grenier d’amatxi-Marché Vernaison
When I heard we were visiting the brocantes, a vintage Hermès scarf was immediately on the list, assuming I found one that I loved. I feel so lucky that I found le grenier d’amatxi because she is an expert with Hermès and even consults with the brand on preserving vintage and understanding counterfit products. She warned us that if a luxury vintage vendor prefers cash, “walk away.” She said that if they are avoiding paper trails, they are likely selling fake items. Needless to say, she preferred taking a credit card. I wouldn’t say her prices were low, to be honest. In fact, some were comprable to purchasing a new scarf, but this was only if the scarf had never been worn before. She was a wealth of knowledge, and I would definitely recommend her.
2. 1950s French pen nib from ils antiques-Marché Vernaison
Finding a little pile of vintage pen nibs was not on my list at the brocantes, however when I did, as a writer, it was very thrilling. I love finding writing paraphernelia, but the fact that I found a replica to the icon in my logo, made this treasure all the sweeter.
3. ink bottle with a bisque porcelain figure cork from ils antiques-Marché Vernaison
I also found this ink bottle with a figure head cork at the same little shop as the pen nib. The chances that the bottle, cork, or figure head are that old are slim, but again, I love to find writing paraphernalia, and had to add this to my collection. To me, the head resembles that of a cherub, which is a sweet touch.
4. (4) vintage salad plates from ils antiques-Marché Vernaison
Initially, when I saw these plates I was drawn to the green color and thought I would hang them on either side of our pantry doors. I asked the owner of the stand about them, and she said they were salvaged from a cafe in Paris that went out of business. Each plate has a traditional wire salad basket in the center. These were used to shake water from washed greens, basically a primitive salad spinner. Different salad-related sentences with rhyming words circle the perimeter of each plate which makes them all the more charming: crouton/gueuleton; sauvage/visage; échalotte/Charlotte, and lardons/compagnons.
translation
top left: “Frisée with croutons accompanies a hearty feast.”
top right: “Wild mâche gives you a fresh complexion.”
bottom left: “Romain with shallots is Mother Charlotte’s secret.”
bottom right: “Dandelion greens and bacon are delicious companions.”
5. Palmer & Co Champagne Bath from taraj antiques-designs
I’ve always wanted an interesting champagne bucket or bath, and when we stumbled upon Taraj Antiques, we were floored to see one that actually has my name on it! You will probably be shocked to hear this, but I did not purchase this immediately when I first saw it. It was early in the day, and I hadn’t broken the seal of shopping yet. Those of you who love antiquing and flea markets will probably get my drift here. Sometimes it takes a little bit before you’re ready to commit to purchase. Markets like this can be overwhelming and overstimulating. I loved the Palmer & Co Champagne bath, but what if I found something I liked better and I had already spent my money on that? You have to be smart with your choices. Luckily, when I came back a few hours later, it was still there which isn’t always the case.
This is the only item of everything I purchased that I actually photographed in the market.
6. Linen Panel from reflets d’artgen
This is the only item I purchased that wasn’t old. I walked past this store toward the end of our shopping day and saw all these beautiful linen panels hanging from the wall. Each had a different scene with vibrant colors. The linen is incredibly soft and they are machine washable. In the moment, I wasn’t 100% sure what I wanted to do with it—could it be a tablecloth, a throw blanket, a tapestry/wall hanging, a coverlet for the bed, drapery panel—and the proprietor said yes! Yes to all of the above. I’ll show you what I did with mine in next week’s blog post.
7. Oyster Platter
I have long been a fan of oyster platters; any type of platter, really, that contains special spaces carved out for a specific food such as egg plates, asparagus platters, or even the Fitz and Floyd “Quacker Tray.” I find them charming and conducive to tradition.
I loved this one made by Saint-Clément, a historic potter established in 1758 in Lorraine, France. The platter is glazed earthenware and was painted by hand.
Do I make oysters often, you ask? No. Never, in fact. Check back next week to see how I use this platter.
8. Tiny box
In my article titled The Case for Charming Drinkware, I tell you about my mom’s collection of tiny boxes; boxes so small, there is nothing that can actually fit inside of them. Well, when I found a sweet one at the brocante, of course I bought it for her.
9. Terra cotta cameos from the 1950s
There must be more of a story about these broaches, but unfortunately, I don’t know what it is. All I know is they are made of terra cotta and are from the 1950s. They came in 3 colors: blue, green, and terra cotta, and had both a Marie Antoinette style portrait as well as a Virgin Mary version. I bought 6 total; 2 for me and the rest I gave away as gifts. This was probably my favorite find at the flea because I think cameos are so neat.
Okay, those are the items I purchased at the Paris flea markets. Everything except for the Champagne bath was packed in my luggage and checked on the airplane home.
For anyone curious about shipping flea market finds home from France, it is possible. The vendor who sold me the Champagne bath charged me €150 to ship it home. He shipped it DHL and I received a message from DHL when it arrived in the US that I owed a $36 fee for it to clear customs. This is something the vendor did not tell me about, but I paid it because I wanted my Champagne bath. As soon as the fee was paid, it was cleared and it arrived just a few days later. He may have known that a fee would be charged, but it is very unlikely he could tell me how much it would be.
NOTE: If you decide to ship something home from a flea market, I suggest a few things:
take a picture of your item(s)
take a picture of your receipt
get one of the vendors cards and take a picture of it; make sure it has this info:
email
phone number
vendor’s name
shop name
shop address
make sure you give them your name, address, phone number, and email
Here is the photo I took of the receipt along with the dealer’s card so you can get a visual of what I’m talking about.
Receipts can go easily missing when traveling. Taking a picture is helps avoid that.
My time in Paris was wonderful, and shopping the flea market was an incredible part of the experience. To read more about my Creative Renaissance in Paris check out any of the following blog posts:
Paris Fashion Diaries part 2-what I actually wore in Paris
Life Between the Lines-Paris journaling class
How to Keep What Cannot Stay-savoring special moments
