Brocanting in Paris

Part 1

One of the topics I receive the most queries about is ‘brocanting’ in Paris. Brocante is an all encompassing word for flea market, junk store, jumble sale or antiques dealer, and Paris has them all. Below is a roundup on what they are, where to find them, my top tips and how to get it all home.

First things first, you need to know the lingo:

• Vide-grenier literally translates to ‘empty the attic’ and refers to a temporary open-air sale, a mix of total junk with some hidden gems. It’s often a lot of clothes and gently (or well) used home goods such as electronics that are usually out of date, but I’ve never left one empty handed. Anyone who wants to organise a stand can do so with a simple registration form and small fee, so a lot of people participate after they’ve had a good spring clean.

• Brocante means an open-air sale with a mix of professional dealers and individuals. Offerings can range from affordable bargains to very high-end antiques and jewellery, it’s all down to chance.

• Marché aux puces means flea market and refers to the large fixed-location markets on the outskirts of Paris, and a daily one in the 12th arrondissement.

• These terms are often used interchangeably and you might also hear braderie (a sellout or sample sale), débarras (a warehouse sale) and bric à brac (a store selling pretty much anything and everything).

• If you come across a magasin d’antiquités, and you will quite frequently in Paris, this is a specialist antique shop, usually devoted to a particular item or era.