Flea Markets in Paris

Marche d'Aligre is one of the lesser spoken about flea markets in Paris, in fact no-one ever told me about it, I found a small mention in a magazine years ago. The three well known markets (more info on those below) are all next to the periferique, the main road that circles Paris and they are all weekend markets - some are open Monday too - but the brocante at Place d'Aligre is open every morning except Monday so you have more opportunity to visit it.

At first it looks like alot of antiques but get further in and there are stalls like this with boxes and boxes of stuff - far more promising for bargains!

This market shares the Place with an amazing fresh food market and an indoor food market. There are cafes around so it's a good morning out with lots to look at and buy and a coffee stop; it's about 5 minutes walk from Metro Ledru-Rollin on Line 8, a little south east of the Bastille area in the 12th arrondissement.

I can really recommend a morning in this neighbourhood. I went on a Tuesday that was actually a public holiday (victory day) and lots of places were closed so I was happy to turn a corner and find everyone busy and working as normal.

Puces de Montreuil

I really like the grubbier markets because I'm looking for old kitchen stuff for my work and so the Marche aux Puces at Porte de Montreuil in the south east is a favourite. It's open all weekend and Monday though most will pack up at Monday lunch time. Warning - This is not picturesque Paris. Go to Porte de Montreuil metro, line 9 then walk east (follow the crowds) on the left around a portion of a huge roundabout (Place de la Porte de Montreuil) and you'll come off at the start of some stalls. For the brocante walk down it's hill, turn left and follow the bottom aisle all the way north til it ends - the other aisles are all new stuff. When you get to what appears to be the end do continue 40 yards or so up Avenue Gallieni as there is a yard on the right with alot more stalls; proper scruffy stuff here so good for a proper rummage. I found quite a few things for my work here. There are no collectibles and trendy stuff up this end, it's like boxes of stuff found on the streets or from house clearances so it's not chic at all and regular tourists would not come here. I read some reviews on the link and see some people felt scared here and one got pick-pocketed - well you need to be careful of that in every big city but yes this is more edgy and may not be for you but I've always felt fine here as I don't look like a tourist or ever have a ladylike handbag etc. 

Marche aux Puces de St Ouen also known as Marche aux Puces de Porte de Clignancourt

There  is plenty online about this the most famous flea market in Paris so I'll not write too much but you need to get to the heart of this market and then go to the west end of it where the real bargains are; the banana boxes of junk but at the high end there are shops of ornate baroque furniture so this place has an amazing range and feast for the eyes. Orientate yourself from Rue des Rosiers. I love the Marche Vernaison off that road but it's too expensive for me though lovely to look at everything here. I love these town houses on one of the roads near here, the whole market is like a small town itself.

I wouldn't say I'm a hat person particularly but I couldn't resist the displays in this shop. And if you come here be sure to have lunch at the amazing La Recyclerie which is right by Porte de Clignancourt metro line 4, the market is 5 or 10 mins walk from here.

These coffee pots were in the Marche Vernaison; there are many named markets within the whole market area.

And here are some of my finds from across these three markets. I presume the bigger metal disc is a stencil to sieve an icing sugar pattern on a cake - I may even use that in my kitchen! I cant wait to rewire the little turquoise glass stand and see if I can do something with that.
I only ever went to Porte de Vanves market in the south once, (Sat/Sun only) it was mostly antiques, hardly any bargains so I never gave it another go, but it's great to look at and maybe there is a bargain in there somewhere.

Case Study

 I bought this suitcase from a charity shop recently.  I haven't fallen for those styled stacks you see as I always thought it would be annoying to have to keep unstacking them every time you were looking for something. I just liked this object. I think I'll keep fabric in it.

It has some really nice labels on it and a tartan type paper lining. I always found those authentic travel labels so lovely, though Waterloo to Staines is not that exotic! You used to see suitcases like that in old films that they never show on TV anymore, why don't they show Jean Harlow or Marx Brothers movies?, I love the dresses from the 30's best - such lovely draping and fabrics. Ever seen anyone pack a case properly in the movies? No it's practically non-existent, they throw things in all crumpled in a frenzy then squash the lid down with a tail hanging out.

I'd like to know this case's stories; it seems to be hiding the fact it's been to Singapore. When I was a teenager I bought the tin below in a junk shop.

And more recently I couldn't resist this little one, it's a money box for skinny coins.

I love the colours and graphics on this and the little key works.

 I bought it at Spitalfields Antique Market ( see 2 posts ago) for £10.

And here's Otis with suitcase all ready for social cleansing (!) before eviction day last year.

Spitalfields Antique Market

 I knew about this Thursday market for years before I visited - sometimes I need to avoid temptation - but it's a great day out as you can meet a pal there for lunch and the market is there all day. I managed to come away with just 2 purchases - both for my work; glass drops and little tin moulds.

Last time I came here I bought a little tin suitcase money box which I'll show you in another post soon, you definitely find your favourite stalls here where the dealer has a good eye.

I noticed this impressive carved skull because my friend the artist Gloria Carlos works with ornamenting animal skulls.  I don't do dead things in the home myself - look at the stuffed ducklings on the top stall, my heart sort of skipped a beat when I saw them.

More Finds

I went to Kempton antiques market recently, a nice crisp sunny cold morning to go hunting for junk but I found everything so expensive, like retail prices. Next time I'll go at closing time when the prices come down. Anyway I was giving up hope of finding any surprising, inspiring treasure when I came across a box of Meccano for £10. I looked up Meccano and they still make it but it's gone the way of Lego: over-designed with little room for imagination. I mourn the loss of a nation of boys making trucks and cranes with working pulleys etc. from scratch!

Also in the box was this screwdriver. I think they still make this style but isn't the practical simplicity beautiful. I have been marveling at it's economy of design. One rod bent around and with one end flattened - ticks all my boxes.

Dresser Find Update

I ended up painting the inside of the glass door cupboard I got recently to lighten it up. I gave it 2 coats proper coverage to avoid any hints of that fake shabby scratchy style....have you seen B&Q do floor covering with a trompe l'oeuil floorboard of worn paint? Amazing, look at it here. It still perplexes me that the styles of arty folk of 30 years ago that were considered leftfield and quirky are now mainstream taste and the things we scavenged because no-one wanted them and because we art students had no money are now highly desirable and expensive items.

I added a narrow shelf at the top for all my tiny glasses. And if you love the LED rabbit light...it was £5.99 at 20 Storey in Market Row in Brixton market. This is a really nice shop and better than the shop at the Design Museum which I found massively disappointing. I've done all my Xmas shopping in Brixton, fantastic to get all that done without leaving SW9.

Bric a Brac

This is today's catch from a junk market. I haven't been gathering for ages, but I was looking for things for a school visit this week when we'll make a large hanging sculpture and need some structural objects. No luck there so I shall raid my own collection, but I found some useful things. Very often it's only stainless steel cutlery in charity shops these days so I do buy older cutlery when I find it in the smaller sizes - for my Jelly Bowl Lanterns. I love the warm colour of the plating and the makers marks. Normally they say Sheffield and I always feel sad about the lost age of our great industries. However some of these said Turtle, Croydon.......

.......so I googled and found that Louis Henry Turtle had come from Sheffield and set up business in Croydon. The family business seemed to evolve into a hardware suppliers and last over 100 years, the shop closed in 2008 and clearly locals were devastated to lose it. I also found that his son died in the 1st World War in 1917, plenty of sad history in these forks, but as with all family histories. I wonder how old the forks are? anytime from around 1900 possibly. When I use them in a chandelier I shall think fondly of the long service they gave and all who were connected to their existence.

And for £1 I had to bring this tiny stove home, it's cast alloy and with the lid bit down is only 6cm high, I can squeeze it into the cabinet of curiosities.