While there are many types of old treasures with historical backgrounds to buy at a flea market, Le Puces market in Paris contained some of the most incredible antiques I have ever seen. The booths were filled with items such as colorful glassware, designer vintage clothing, and lost photos from old film cameras. As I intently browsed and picked up things, I had no intention of buying, I peeked down an alleyway into a warehouse-like building and found the true showstopper of Europe’s largest antique market, the furniture.
Each of these garage-like spaces were filled with individual vendors. To put it simply, it could be described as a mid-century modern interior designer’s shopping dream. The garage spaces in this warehouse were filled with unique pieces of furniture that looked like they were straight out of a sixties house. The lack of people in this area tells customers one of two things. First, either they missed the crowds due to the time of day, or second, all of this stuff was way too expensive for passersby or international travelers to consider purchasing. Nevertheless, each space draws you in regardless of one’s willingness to buy. It was like these Parisians were giving you a peek into their lives by opening the doors to their private homes with the intention of selling their things. Each space followed similar themes but were also widely different. They could either be black and white with pops of orange or red on a table or in a bowl or filled with pastel pinks and lightly colored wood. Some of them even had sets of stairs leading to a room above their shop. Walking through the flea market felt like I was getting a glimpse of someone else’s home, and also their workspace. Either way, they offered something different, while always remaining in style.
As workers took smoke breaks outside their shops, my observations were soon paired with the slight smell of cigarettes. However, at some points you could not help but get a whiff of an item that had the familiar smell of something old. It is a stale, water damage like smell that always accompanies antiques and old photographs. To me, that is how you know what you are looking at is legitimate.
Many of the vendors were sitting in chairs or desks that were a part of their display. Occasionally, you would run into someone working on a piece of furniture in order to make sure it is in the best possible shape for selling, or you could hear the hums of conversations happening between neighboring vendors. They would bring one of their chairs out and all sit in the same area, close enough to their booths, but also to each other. I could hear them laughing and relaxing. Conversation between these neighbor-like figures only halted when a customer would approach with a polite, “Bonjour.”
Considering this was just on part of Europe’s biggest flea market, I cannot image what the rest holds.
