ekscrunchy, not offhand, but let me check into it. I'll get back to you.

eks - so far, I haven't come up with anything unusual, but there is the brocante at Place d'Aligre.

So Vanves and Place d'Aligre on Friday (?) and Vanves on Saturday morning?

Thanks so much for your help, Toupary. We are very excited about getting back to Paris, even if for only a few days!

ekscrunchy, Place d'Aligre has the market during the week, but I think most of the brocanteurs are there on Sat & Sun. Porte de Vanves is Saturday and Sunday, but I think Saturday is better.

I hope you have a wonderful visit. If I hear of anything in the meantime, I'll let you know.

ekscrunchy, I think you're thinking of the Foire national a la brocante et au jambon in Chatou, outside of Paris. If you google it, many sites will come up. Famous not only for brocante but also the cooked pork (?!) that is for sale. I believe it's held twice per year, for sure each March.

Been to a lot of those so-called markets. A waste of time, a waste of money, a seedy-looking crowd, crappy merchandise. Better to poke around in genuine antique stores, scattered all over Paris. The mall-like place near the Ecole Militaire metro stop offers no bargains either.

USNR

I'm not even sure how to respond to that post, other than to say that when you generalize, you sound as if you don't know what you're talking about.

I don't know what you mean by "genuine" antique stores. If, by the "mall" near Ecole Militaire, you mean Village Suisse, I can assure you that there are a number of dealers there who have high-quality merchandise. Bargains? Probably not, but blame that on the dollar. Most antique dealers in Paris will tell you that business has fallen since the war in Iraq.

USNR, are you sure you made it past the t-shirt vendors?

One does not have to spend a fortune at these markets. I have found treasured items--jewelry, china, paintings--for anywhere from $2 to $100. Really special things. If you're looking for an authentic Louis IV chair, that's another story. And the antiques stores in Central Paris are MUCH more expensive, as a rule, than the brocante markets. Everyone should go at least once and decide for himself.

If USNR can make a comment such as that, he obviously has not been to the St. Ouen market. To my knowledge, many antique dealeers with shops in central Paris also have shops at the market. Seedy? I think not.

Toupary, thank you...

Cimbrone..that is correct. Thank you so much..I have been trying to recall this for years!! That sounds like a reason to make a trip in March or September.

://www.sncao-syndicat.com/sncao/chatou/foire/acc.htm

Cimbrone, I think you hit the nail on the head.

If USNR is willing to spend €400,000 on a lovely Louis XIV desk, I would be more than happy to connect him with a dealer -- "genuine," no less. For the rest of us, there are wonderful little treasures to be found, often in brocantes.

I'm not sure what he means by seedy-looking people -- perhaps that Paris is full of people who don't look like him?

Glad to help ekscrunchy. I wouldn't mind making it there myself someday. Chatou, by the way, is the town where the restaurant in Renoir's painting can be found. You know the one, with all the happy people on the cafe terrace? The still functioning restaurant is called La Maison Fournais.

Oh, and I really meant Louis XIV. I hate to think what a Louis IV chair would cost!

bookmarking

The large brocantes have "genuine" antiques dealers from all over France, not just Paris

The next Foire de brocante et aux jambons is in Sept in Chatou

http://www.sncao-syndicat.com/sncao/.../foire/acc.htm

BAstille brocante dates

http://www.organisation-joel-garcia.fr/

You can send for free tickets to the Joel Garcia exhibits.

I am definitely not agreeing with USNR--I think he missed the real St.Ouen market. And yes, most of these shops there are little "outposts" of central Paris antique shops. In the 20's, when it really WAS a flea market, my parents bought many things there--Mother said she came home and washed them in Clorox! And in past years I have bought many things there--and found absolutely wonderful things to just admire--like a full size wooden carving of the famous Indian motorcycle!! Things you just don't see a lot of!! AND if you have a specific collectible to look for, it is fun in the hunt. But it has just gotten too expensive for me.
Do check Pariscope for brocantes around town. We went to one at Pl Auteuil once with great luck, and another in Montmartre and at the Cemetery. I'd love to hit that Bastille one!

The one at Bercy Village is very good. Next one in January.

I don't know what USNR was referring to, but I think it was those roving "flea markets" and brocante fairs you find all over France, not St Ouen in particular.

I halfway agree with him, and yes, I have been to St Ouen and Vanves and a lot of the others. I don't agree with the seedy-looking crowd part, though, but I do think (other than St Ouen) they have a lot of junk and are a waste of time. They can have some cheap clothing, if you are in the market for that, though, and I bought a decent cheap watch at one once when my watch's battery ran down so I needed a new one. It was just some cheap watch made in Japan, but at 5 euro wasn't a bad deal (might sell for US$10 in the US at some discount store). Some are good for food, cheap clothing or bags, etc. But as for antiques, St Ouen isn't really a flea market as many people think of that term, it's just an area with antique stores.

I thought Vanves was a complete waste of time and did have a lot of real junk without any redeeming value. How many times can you see these vendors with old postcards, old perfume bottles, etc. I didn't buy a single thing at either one, however --

I do not find shopping very enjoyable in itself and don't consider that a hobby or good pastime. I don't like buying things just to buy things and spend money, and don't like to acquire a lot of things I don't need. So, just browsing tables of junk that is nothing special isn't that appealing to me. There are expensive, good antiques at St Ouen, but I'm not in the market for those, and the casual tourist usually isn't either. You really have to know what you are doing and be willing to spend a lot for that.

I have never thought the crowds were seedy at any of these, though, just regular folks. I thought Aligre had the absolute worst junk -- they had clothes there with stains on them, faded, etc.

loisco, Le BHV is at 14 rue du Temple
in the 4th
www.bhv.fr

Christina, I agree. To buy things just to buy things is silly. But if I need dessert plates, they might as well be 100 year old Belgian china from the Vanves market!

I wish I were in Tours this weekend for their annual Marche Aux Puces which sets up the entire length of la rue Colbert. This is s true flea market with all vendors just local city residents selling things from their homes. When I was there in 2004 I got some wonderful items like lace curtains from Bretagne, a 1950s tin cannister set and some old Faience bowls, all for very, very little money.

Funny you should mention Tours. One of my most treasured finds is a very old religious medal from Mont St. Michel, which was hiding amid a jumble of items at a brocante market in Tours. I still remember what it cost--10 francs.