I am arriving in Paris on June 7 (Fri.) and staying until Mon. morning June 10. I am crazy about flea markets, shopping consignment shops,antique shops, Goodwill and other charity shops, and, of course, the all-American garage sales. I planned to be in Paris over the weekend to find some of these types of sales and shops and wonder how I begin to locate them, especially flea markets and consignment or used-clothing and -goods shops. Can anyone help by May 29? )Note: We are also in London May 31 for the weekend. Also, what happens if I absolutely fall in love with a huge item that I can't carry back on the plane? How difficult and expensive is it to get it back to Michigan? Thanks to all the bargain hunters out there who can give me some advice.

Sat & Sun fleamkts: Port de Vanves (14th arr. I think) and the bigger & moe renown but not nec. better Portes de Clignancourt. GREAT FUN. They'll be in your guidebooks. May 31 is my B'Day. Celebrate it {real early} w/ a visit to Bermondsey Mkt. near the new Globe theatre in Southwark ("suthik"). And Sat go to Camden Passage (Angel tube stop) or the ever-popular Portobello Rd. top of Ken. High St. But get there early, too. There are lots of reputable shippers, and yes it's very expensive. A piece of furniture could cost you $400plus. Interestingly, I'll be in Brussels that wkend doing exactly the same thing. Have a great time.

Puces de Cligancourt (I think it's spelled this way, not sure)is great. Considerably less expensive than antique shops and auctions in the States and have really beutiful antique pieces. I bought two chandeliers for what would have paid for two wall sconces in the US. My advice, carry it on.Chandeliers can be disassembled and rewired here, cheaply I might add. Regarding shipping, I bought a 5 foot by 4 foot oil painting in London and checked it as luggage. Most prople do not know that you can do that. I checked with various shippers and would have cost $500. Call the airline first for maximum sizes they will check. Sometimes Fed Ex is actually cheaper. Happy shopping!

The flea markets in Paris are definitely fun to browse, but do be advised that the prices are WAY inflated over what you'd pay for the same merchandise out in the countryside in France, even if you bargain hard. Just a thought, in case you ever travel into the country as well. I've seen items priced 5-10 times higher in Paris than I've paid for them in the Dordogne, yet lots of Americans think they are getting great bargains. It takes real know-how to get a bargain at les puces in Paris, but you might get lucky. You also may find things that, compared to prices in America, seem inexpensive - it's possible. Just don't go thinking you are going to get a lot of inexpensive merchandise. And if you are going to have the chance to travel to rural France anytime soon, save your money and buy on those trips, rather than in Paris. This is not meant to put you off picking up a souvenir or two in Paris - I've done that for years, but for buig, expensive items - the kind you'd need to have shipped- it pays to head for rural France.

The Marche St Ouen (Porte de Clignancourt) is the largest in Paris. It is a permant market that spans several blocks. The shops range from small stalls to large showrooms. Quality ranges from an old ragged deck of cards to the highest quality antiques. The walk between the metro and the market is riddled with pick pockets so be careful. I find this market a bit pricey. I have never felt that I could make a "find" here although I am sure it is possible.<BR><BR>I personally prefer the porte de Vanves market. Go early saturday morning for the best selection. This is a temporary market. The vendors set up shop sat morning and leave by the end of day sunday. Most goods are presented on card tables or on the ground. Prices tend to be lower here and I have found some interesting items. This is more my idea of a flea market. St Ouen is more like a permanent antique mall to me.

First of all do a search on this site for Paris flea markets--you'll come up with lots of stuff. There are quite a few neighborhood weekend markets--I think they're listed on one of the "what's going on in Paris this week" magazines, but I can't remember the name. Also check the Paris tourist office website--www.paris-touristoffice.com and do a search under Events, Second-hand sales. There you'll find a listing of all the organized neighborhood flea markets happening on the dates you're there. These are events run by a company which rents stalls to vendors (definitely up several levels from garage sales, but much more fun and better prices than Clignancourt, and nicer merchandise than Vanves.