Paris brocante help
 

Hello! My mom is coming to Paris with us for her first visit in April, the week leading up to Easter. She loves flea markets and estate sales, and particularly vintage patterns, fabric, and notions; ephemera - postcards, cookbooks and cooking pamphlets; old crafting items and holiday decorations.
Anyone have any good markets or shops to take her for those sorts of things?
Thank you!!!

Hi Jonesie,

You can have a look one or two weeks before arrival here : http://vide-greniers.org/agendaDepar...departement=75 (don't know if you speak any french, this page tells about all small or bigger flea markets or "vide grenier" around Paris).

You can also go to the well known "Puces de Saint Ouen", at the north of PAris (info in English : http://www.parispuces.com/en/Default.asp) or les "Puces de Vanves" at the south of Paris (in French & English : http://pucesdevanves.typepad.com/).

Hope it helps !

I like Port de Vanves much better than St. Ouen. Too bad you'll just miss the huge one at Bastille. We schedule our trips around that one!

I agree about Vanves. It is MUCH more fun to poke around in. Look in the weekly paper the week you are there for any other brocantes around the city that particular week. They can be almost anywhere==we have found good ones at Pere Lachaise one time and in the 16th at pl. Auteuil. You just never know.
St. Ouen might be fun for a morning--but I find it just TOO expensive, and many of the shops are "outposts" of shops in the center of Paris, open on the weekend at the puces. But as always, it depends on what one wants to see or collect.
Vanves, again!! Always something to pick up for me.

I also think Vanves is much more like what you are seeking. Having said that, don't expect too much, I didn't see anything that great in it when I was there and I don't recall anything like some of the things you name. All those flea markets in France have people selling old postcards and perfume bottles, it seems. I have never seen any of them with vintage fabrics or notions or holiday decorations.

Thanks for the info! Definitely want to check out Vanves. Not sure about Clingancourt-- sounds like it might be a little rich for our pocketbooks!
tipoule - thank you for the sites-- we will have to keep checking as it gets closer!