The Saint-Ouen Flea Market - From Rags to Riches

St-Ouen Flea market is the biggest of the three main flea markets in Paris. It is open on weekends and Mondays and sells almost anything you can think of from second hand to new clothes, old knickknack's and antiques. It is the leading antiques market in the world and is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the greater Paris region, which is no surprise as some of the best villas in France are nearby

The flea market is called Le Marche Aux Puces de Saint-Ouen and extends over seven hectares in Saint-Ouen. The flea market has around 70,000 visitors over its opening days and is one of Paris most famous shopping venues. There are over 2000 shops and stands in the flea market so you are bound to find something of your interest. This is a place that can appeal to bargain hunters or just those who fancy a stroll.

After the war in 1870, shopkeepers who were forced out of Paris built a village of rag merchants in Saint-Ouen, after a while they officially opened the market in 1885. The town of Saint-Ouen made sure to make the district safer and cleaner. This was helped by them charging the stall holders a parking fee. Parisians flocked there in increasing numbers particularly on Sunday, as this is almost like a ritual to them as a Sunday outing away from the city. The first four markets appeared between 1920 and 1938: Vernaison, Malik, Biron and Jules Vallès. The Marché du Biron was formed in 1925, with two long rows of stalls and is known as one of the more expensive markets.

After the first war, the market became so popular that the land around it was invested in. Streets were laid and necessities such as electricity and water were supplied to stands; although at a steep price. This made the area more contemporary and attractive so more crowds would turn up and it also helped it become famous for its cafés, bistros, restaurants and amusements: chips and mussels booths, dance cafés, traditional café games.

A few tips when going to the flea market:

Go in the morning as in the afternoon it gets very crowded. Bring a calculator with you to really see if what you are buying is really a deal as opposed to mentally juggling about different currencies.

If you are going to the market in a group then choose a central meeting point and time after you arrive there so that if members of your group do wander off in various directions, you can join back up with each other.

Hide your wallets under your shirt or sweaters around you upper body region, thankfully a lot of the dealer accept credit cards so if you rather pay that way you can as it will be easier and lighter for you. Also don't bring your passports with you as they're not needed especially when buying antiques although they do need credit cards.

If you are use to shopping at markets for antiques, then you will know that you could always banter with the dealer to get a cheaper price. Also if possible try to go with someone as sometimes you will need a second opinion, and having someone to ask "do you really need X?" also helps with the haggling.




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