Brand Julie Paris News Brocante Season

Brocante season

Spring is the season for spring cleaning, brocante and flea markets.

In Japan, the big cleaning is done in December, which marks the turning point of the year, but in France it is done in the spring.
That's because it's the perfect season to open up all the windows that you kept closed during the winter and clean your entire house.

You'll want to get rid of the junk and unwanted items that come out of your spring cleaning by selling them cheaply.
Polish the windows and let the long-awaited sunshine into your home.
So, spring is Brocante,
It's also Vide-Grenier (attic-emptying, i.e. flea market) season.

On spring weekends, if you walk around Paris you are sure to come across a flea market somewhere, as there are flea markets held all over the city.
It's a great activity for an unplanned weekend.

This time, I'll show you a flea market that was held in my neighborhood.
Although it's quite different from the flea market scenes you see in magazines, take a look at how ordinary Parisians live.

First, there is the flea market in Reuilly-Diderot, 12th arrondissement of Paris.

It is a small flea market that occupies a small space on a street corner.
There were no professional stands like those you see at flea markets.
Most of the items in the store made me wonder, "Who would actually buy these things?"

That's okay too, because you might find a bargain.

A cabinet with a marble table,
I asked a man selling a solid wood chest how much it cost, and he told me it was 35 euros.
It's cheap, and a repaint or de-varnishing will give it a much more modern look.
You can store things inside, and I imagined for a moment how nice it would be to put it on the balcony...
With such low price, you can leave it outside without any worries.

Next up is the flea market on Wattignies Street.

It really feels like a big clearance spree of unnecessary items that came out during the spring cleaning.
It was an explosion of common man power, and I was amazed at the display, which even made use of a construction site fence.

Here I found an unexpected bargain: a glass pitcher for 2 euros.
I was having trouble finding a vase at home, so this seems perfect.

I'm already using it like this. I'm also using all the other bottles.

Incidentally, the white painted rattan mirror is also second-hand and was purchased from a charity shop called Emmaus.
Emmaus is located all over France and will also collect unwanted items from your home.
I also sent a lot of children's clothes, toys, picture books, etc. to Emmaus.

Emmaus
https://emmaus-france.org

Arrange waxflowers in a jar in which you grow alfalfa.

The bottle next to it is a non-alcoholic gin that has been all the rage lately.
In Europe, people want to enjoy an aperitif with a non-alcoholic drink.
There is a growing demand for these bottles, and many different types are available. This bottle could also be used as a vase for a single flower later.

Finally, here are some photos of brocantes in the Marais district.
As expected, the stands at the brocantes in the Marais are very stylish. The quality is also completely different.
Naturally, the price will be higher, but if you are shopping for a specific purpose and want to find something good, it would be wise to choose a place like this from the start.

Flea markets, where you can get rid of a large number of unwanted household items, are a great place to stop by on a weekend stroll.
Apparently the trick to brocante and flea markets is to "not go with a specific purpose in mind."

Until next time,
Avianto!