Hidden away in a small antiques district not far from the opera house is Paris's central auction house, selling everything from bric-a-brac to old clothes to rare Chinese laquered boxes to Renoirs. You can walk in off the street and browse through the open salesrooms, which can be tons of fun depending on what's on the selling block. Mingle with a mix of art dealers, ladies who lunch, and art amateurs hoping to unearth an unidentified masterpiece. Anyone can attend the sales and viewings. Don't miss the small galleries and antiques dealers in the Quartier Drouot, a warren of small streets around the auction house, notably on rues Rossini and de la Grange-Batelière.
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