Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Brocante (1)

Paris's flea markets are located beyond the city limits (Montreuil and St-Ouen), but weekend "brocantes" also take place around the capital. Among the amusing items I saw last Saturday were these coffee grinders (above), a chest of (numbered) drawers (has anyone any idea what it was used for?), a record-player with an RCA record that reads "La voix de son maître" ("his master's voice"), and piles of letters/numbers from an old printing press!
Be sure to check in tomorrow to see what I bought at the brocante...

22 comments:

Jill said...

I dream of Parisian flea markets! Your pictures are fabulous...I especially love that old type in the bottom photo. Thanks for being my window on Paris, Mary-Laure!

Andrea Tachezy said...

Ach,ach,ach I would like to have those letters and numbers!I envy you these flea markets! But it´s better for me to don´t have them here - I would spend all my money there...

Ella Gregory said...

i am so in the mood for shopping for some treasures now

Mary-Laure said...

Jill and Andrea, I'm glad you like the old type, as it was also my favorite thing at the market. The letters were €1 to €5 ($1.50-7.50), which is affordable and now I feel sorry I didn't buy any.
I would have liked to have my initials on the door to my apartment, or maybe my birth date on the door to my room or something...
Maybe next time!

Bexy said...

i love that old suitcase. it would look lovely in the corner of my room with 2 or 3 more piled up on top of it! and then i would have a vase of peonies on the top.
bliss

Jo said...

oh that suitcase is amazing! i love all these things, how lucky you are!!! can´t wait to see what you got :)

marie said...

oh i can't wait to visit some brocante markets in paris! you'll have to let me know which ones you like!
and i can't wait to see what you took home..
(oh and i loved juno too! so sweet)

nikole said...

i envy those flea markets too!
what a nice offer to translate that post, thank you! it sounds like a lot of work though. if you have a moment sure, but if not don't worry. thank you again. :)

Lydee said...

Lovely pictures! Oh, to be at a flea market that's not full of junk!

You can call me Betty, or Bethany, or Beth ...Just don't call me late for dinner. said...

Benjy:

Are French Flea Markets really a million times more romantic and glamorous than the counterparts available in the boring old plastic ridden USA? or do they just look that way in these beautiful photographs?

a kiss for your nose,
Bethany

Anonymous said...

Lovely choice of items. Those old coffee grinders are beautiful - my sister-in-law has one I'd like to ask her, she doesn't use it! And the suit-case, lovely too. Thank you for sharing your pictures and comments.

artycho said...

Great pictures they just give us the feel of Parisian antiques and flea pmarkets, I love it! Thank you, I will be back later to see your wonders!

Elina said...

Oh, I like these pics a lot!

Kwana said...

Oh, I wish I was there! Wonderful photos. I can't wait to see what you got. I too wonder what that numbered chest was used for. All I can think if herbs for an apothecary or herbal medicine woman.

Esti said...

The old type are great! I used to have some but I lost them when I moved to a different house. I think I still have an E left somewhere.

Love the pictures!

Joanna Goddard said...

i am soooo jealous. can't wait to see what you got!

Mary-Laure said...

Bexy - yes, a few suitcases piled up would look great AND would provide storage space,too.
As for peonies, they're my favorite flowers.

Marie, we will definitely tour the brocantes together when you're in Paris! It will be fun.

Kwana, you may be on to something... Next time I'll ask the seller!

Anonymous said...

BitterBetty,
Thanks for the kiss on my nose; I hope it's a sweet kiss, not a bitter one.
I think we may have to give some credit to my amanuensis, who makes the flea markets look better than they really are. A lot of the stuff is glamorous, but really overpriced, too, nothing like those cool garage sales in the US where a lot of the stuff is super cheap.
Would you believe my assistant will not take me to the brocantes with her for fear I may pee on some pricey items?
Kind regards to Mrs. HomeMaker; she looks like the kind of lady who'd like dachshunds.

Eugene Lim said...

Wow that's crazy! loving all the things, can't wait to see what you deemed worthy enough to take home (:

Anonymous said...

I like the color of the sky in the mirror behind the letters and numbers.

I like this old record player that has my mind singing Carlos Gardel's song 'Volver...

I like the stiffness of this suitcase and I dream of some port in Europe (or was it in America?), where I arrived a century ago, or in an other life.

Anonymous said...

AAAAAAAAH! I can't stand suitcases! They scare me! They mean someone will leave and abandon my furry self with some stranger!

Anonymous said...

love love love that suitcase. Wish you could have bought it for me.