les Puces de Vanves, a Paris flea market

[Jazz]

One of my most loved pleasures in Paris is to spend a day at a flea market. The ‘big three’ are Clignancourt (Saint Ouen), Vanves and Montreuil. There is an ongoing online debate about the merits of each. But, there really isn’t a ‘best’ market, it depends on your mood of the day, whether you want to buy, or just wander etc. I confess, Saint Ouen is my favorite. It is huge, easy to access, and although often criticized as ‘like a museum and too expensive’, I don’t agree. Not if you take the time to explore the entire market. I have often found beautiful pieces at modest prices, ie: 5-20E. The most excellent thread online for this market is Kerouac’s,
anyportinastorm.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=pictures&action=display&thread=3319&page=1


Last October was an exceptional trip for many reasons. I loved my courtyard apartment in the 12th arrondissement and woke up the first morning to realize that I was sleeping in antique linen sheets. Lovely. It was an unexpected and sensual experience and I thought that this could be a focal point for a flea market visit…find my own antique linen sheets to take home.

Vanves is a much smaller market, and thus more manageable for most people. On the whole, the prices are lower. Somehow, I have never found an easy, direct metro route to Vanves.
pucesdevanves.typepad.com/

The morning was warm and beautiful. The totality of the experience was rich and sensual. (despite the metro changes and 22 flights of stairs, one way!) It’s a good idea to go early since most of the key vendors start packing up about noon. The whole market is contained within about 6 blocks? I loved it all and found two exquisite vintage linen sheets , soft and beautiful, 35E each. Here are some of my photos, NOT at all brilliant, but will at least give you a sense of the market….

[Deleted]

Magnificent photos, Jazz! Indeed, the Vanves markets has a lot of fans because it is less overwhelming than then bigger flea markets. There is sort of a village feel to it since it is so compact and also because it does not draw huge crowds like the Clignancourt market, which has sections that are so crowded that it is almost impossible to walk.

I confess that I am rarely preoccupied by whether or not things are "affordable" or not because I always go just to look and it is exceedingly rare when I actually buy something. But I'm glad that there are plenty of people actually shopping for stuff to keep these places in business.

[mossie]

I never miss a visit to Vanves whenever I am in Paris.
My access route is to take RER B to Cite Universitie and then tram direction Pont de Garigliano to Didot or Vanves.

[nycgirl]

Lovely photos, Jazz. This market looks like it has a lot of character.

[lagatta]

I've never been there. I've been to Clingancourt, of course, and to Montreuiil (I was staying in that inner suburb). Now with tramline 3, it looks much easier to get there, with less worry about long flights of stairs! Would certainly like to make it there.

[lola]

These are wonderful, Jazz! Thank you.

Makes me want to grab a fistful of euros and head on over. Linen sheets. Ahhh, nice.

Open every weekend without exception, all year. I'll have to swing by there next time I'm in the neighborhood and see what I can find. Maybe leave room for a couple of sheets when I leave home.

[Deleted]

I am quite intrigued by the mysterious tools in the photo with the wooden printing blocks.

[onlymark]

Nutcracker, corkscrews, bottle opener and handles for something.
No?

[Deleted]

I was hoping to pull some teeth with them.

[Jazz]

Thanks! I love the wooden tools. The one that looks like an ornately carved pair of pliers, I think it’s a nutcracker? Lola, you’d love it here, and a fistful of euros would go quickly. With the trip home to my Paris apartment (the 22 flights of stairs), the linen sheets became very, very heavy. I can’t wait to hear more about your daughter’s placement in France! When you visit her, maybe you can have a Paris weekend?

Lagatta, I’m surprised that you haven’t been to Vanves. I always visit it at least once. Good prices… it’s small, but big enough for an intriguing few hours. Online, I’ve noticed that there always ends up being a huge controversy about which is better, Clignancourt or Vanves. Many fervent accolades about Vanves. If I had only one chance to go to either, I would choose Clignancourt. Montreuil is also great, but in a totally different way. There is little online about this market and I wish that I’d taken some photos. As I said earlier, if you like fleamarkets, the choice really depends on your mood of the day. Now, I didn’t get there, but I’m curious about Eva Pritsky's tiny ‘flea market by day, bistro by night’ in the 20th,
www.mylittle.fr/mylittleparis/en/eva-pritsky-bistro-flea-market-menilmontant.html

Mossie, thanks for the directions.

[lagatta]

Jazz, I'm so glad to hear from you here! I was about to send you a personal letter. I may be back in Paris very soon, being asked to work elsewher in Western Europe in July.

There are simply too many things to do in Paris, and I don't spend all day walking around - often I'm involved in work or research activities there too, and seeing old friends. When I went to Clingancourt, I was staying in the 18th, and when I went to Montreuil, I was staying in that inner suburb, or in the 20th.

[lola]

Thanks, Jazz! She still doesn't have her specific placement, but should over the next month or so.

Since we have some BA miles burning a hole in our pocket, we're thinking the rest of us three will visit over Christmas.

[Mathieu]

Hi Jazz,

Thank you for an interesting report. I loved your pictures and they certainly imparted a sense of what this flea market had to offer the day you were there. I love finding small, odd things, and those wooden instruments/tools also caught my eye.

Quick question for you - do you recall seeing any old or 'antique' kitchenalia items while you were there ? I'm looking for old and even antiquated kitchen utensils and gadgets - old cutlery and serving tools and utensils; any paraphernalia of the good ol' haute gastro days.
In particular I'm interested in those old fashioned jelly/jello molds and deep baked terrine molds... did you happen to notice any of these things ?
Also interested in old copper ware (pots and pans, jugs and basins).

I'll be back in Paris later this year and thought I might go have a look-see.
Last year I happened upon a flea market very close to Marcadet Poissonniers metro stop (not sure which one it was) and while not finding any of the larger items mentioned above, I still came away with an ornate ancient (and heavy) dinner knife, fork and spoon set that looks like it might have originated in the 1800s. It was a lucky and treasured find !

Thanks for any info.

[Jazz]

Thanks Mathieu.

Yes, I vaguely remember quite a few pieces of vintage cookware. It would depend on the day. This article mentions some, with photos,
peopleplacesandbling.com/2011/12/21/paris-shopping-tip-in-the-market-for-vintage-cookware-at-the-porte-de-vanves-flea-marke/

[Mathieu]

That's great Jazz.
Merci beaucoup.

[ssander]

Great Pix, Jazz...I'll be sure to go there on our next trip to Paris (hopefully soon).

SS

[bixaorellana]

*moan* I would KILL to go there!

Jazz, absolutely wonderful pictures. Each & every one could stand photographically alone & certainly the group is a fabulous presentation of a remarkable place.

I particularly love the one with the umbrella & the fruit, and the one of the doll looking right into the camera is stellar.

[Jazz]

Thanks bixa. Yes, you would love a visit! What is great about fleamarkets is that you can visit, look, enjoy, and not need to spend money. Interesting that you noticed the umbrella shot (which I love) and the doll.

The doll has her own story. I took a shot and the woman at the stand became extremely angry! “What are you doing!!!” Once again, it became a lesson of photo etiquette, certainly in Paris. Taken aback, I dredged up an explanation and said that I only photographed the doll because she was so beautiful, and…umm..is there a problem? She calmed down and said, ‘well, you did not ask for my permission!’. So, I then said, ‘would you mind, she is lovely and I would love to have her photo…’ she thought for a moment, then said, ‘ok, please, go ahead.’ Then, I took the photo, which you see.

A few days later in Paris , I had a less fortunate experience. I dropped into a restaurant in the Marais and took two photos of the beautiful hand painted murals on the walls. The owner became incensed and literally grabbed my camera from my hands and deleted the photos!!! Stunned, I looked at him and said, ‘This is pathetic. I can see why you have no customers.’ And walked out.

[Deleted]

The only time that I was forced to delete a picture was in front of an Arab butcher shop. The angry man in question automatically spoke English to me "Delete delete delete!" perhaps because he could only imagine a tourist doing such a thing, not a Parisian.

[Kimby]

May 6, 2012 0:12:51 GMT Jazz said:

Forgive me for "quoting" a photo, but this one is just so exquisite, and I see I'm not the only one who thinks so, so it deserves an encore.

Great thread, jazz.

[Deleted]

Even though I noticed it before, I am wondering what on earth one would do with a wood block that prints SƎY

[Kimby]

May 14, 2012 20:41:18 GMT Jazz said:

A few days later in Paris , I had a less fortunate experience. I dropped into a restaurant in the Marais and took two photos of the beautiful hand painted murals on the walls. The owner became incensed and literally grabbed my camera from my hands and deleted the photos!!! Stunned, I looked at him and said, ‘This is pathetic. I can see why you have no customers.’ And walked out.

Jazz, were you planning to dine there before the "unfortunate experience"? Maybe he gets a lot of looky-loos who don't spend any money there, and so he's oversensitive. No excuse to grab someone's camera though and start pushing buttons. He could have erased your whole chip!

[onlymark]

Maybe because it is actually three blocks, k2?