A visitor observing the display of goods
from the Paris fortifications exclaimed:
«Mon dieu, it's a market for fleas
(puces)!». But they
are the postcards sold to the visitors
who devote this expression, since 1900.
After the war of 1870, shopkeepers forced out of Paris
built the first village
of rag-merchants in Saint-Ouen. But the
Flea Market was officially opened in 1885. The
town of Saint-Ouen took steps to make the district cleaner
and safer. The stall-holders had to pay a parking fee
to the municipality. Parisians flocked there in increasing
numbers, especially on Sunday, following the tradition
of the weekend outing away from the city.
After the First World War, the market became such a popular
attraction that investors bought up land around the Rue
des Rosiers. They laid out streets here and supplied water
and electricity to the stands that they rented out at
a steep price. The first
four markets appeared between 1920 and 1938: Vernaison,
Malik, Biron and Jules Vallès.
The area became really fashionable
then, attracting crowds to the atmosphere of the Flea
Market famous for its cafés, bistros, restaurants
and amusements: chips and mussels booths, dance cafés,
traditional café games. Craftsmen worked in the
streets to attract customers. Gypsies reseated chairs
and played the guitar (leading to Manouche jazz). Between
1947 and 1991, new markets were opened.
The leading antiques market
in the world, the Flea Market is also one of
the biggest tourist attractions in the greater Paris
region. Spread over seven hectares, more than 2,000
stands and shops offer a surprising
spectacle that appeals greatly to bargain hunters and
those who enjoy original places to stroll around. Classic
antiques: furniture, bronzes, lamps, fine tableware,
jewellery, toys, books and period costumes can be found
in abundance alongside more unusual antiques: scientific,
technical and sailing instruments, collector's items
of all kinds, sports gear, old tools, archaeological
pieces, military items, etc.
More than just a market, the district is a crossroads
of civilisations, cultures and trends. Each
market creates its own atmosphere. The rustic
and picturesque setting of the marché Vernaison,
the small houses covered with wisteria along the Rue
Paul Bert, and the tree-lined patios of the marché
Malassis contrast with the shops of the marché
Biron, recalling the sumptuousness of the great Parisian
salons, or with the quiet ambiance of the covered ways
of the marché Serpette.
The Puces have been listed as a Protected Urban Architectural
and Landscape Area, making it the
only urban site in France to be listed for its atmosphere.
For all these reasons, the seventeen markets form a
world apart, popular with stars (television, politics,
show business, film) and frequented by millions of visitors
each year.
This rather discreet market
attracts individual collectors of period furniture
and objects. One finds a great variety of original
and restored antiques: furniture, paintings, bronzes,
Chinese art, earthenware pieces and objets d’art
from the 18th and 19th centuries.
The marché Biron
was the first attempt to apply an urban development
plan to the Flea Market with real shops on both
sides of two parallel passages. This "Faubourg
Saint-Honoré of the Flea Market" offers
restored upmarket items: furniture, tapestries,
mirrors, lamps and decorative tableware (18th, 19th
and 20th centuries). www.marchebiron.fr
Its shops, surrounding
a renovated central courtyard, mostly offer restored
furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries, for
ordinary or more exceptional uses, but always of
good quality.
The marché Dauphine,
extending over two levels, is the largest of the
markets. Skilled artisans work on the restoration
of antiques. On the upper floor, the "Booksellers'
Section" proposes works of literature, vinyl
records, photographs, etc. Apart from classic antiques,
this market contains paintings, engravings and postcards.
This is the oldest covered
market of the Puces. Concentrated on second-hand
goods, it has preserved its traditional atmosphere.
Over 120 second-hand dealers present twenty specialities:
posters, bronzes, records, old weapons or military
gear, etc. You can find everything here, from period
furniture to 20th century ceramics, plus indefinable
items.
This market specialises
in particularly large items: staircases, bookcases,
bars, garden pavilions, château gates, wood
panelling, etc. with the advantage of being able
to load and take them away when you have bought
them! Traditional furniture and second-hand goods
are also on sale. The items are intended more for
professionals than private customers.
This aptly named market covers 1,000 sq m. It has
a single gallery of stands that offer very varied
items: furniture, of course, as well as clothing
and old books, military gear, curios, etc.
Exclusively reserved for professionals, these markets
are closed when all the others are open.
This market, whose building
is inspired by an ocean liner of the 1930s, houses
stands of antique dealers and specialised shops.
Restored furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries
can be found, alongside Orientalist antiques, decorative
tableware, etc. The 20th century is very well represented
(1930 to 1970).
This area is the paradise
of sportswear and trendy clothing brands. It attracts
young people as well as artists and designers who
dictate today's fashions.
This always very lively market stretches along part
of the Avenue Michelet. It mainly offers the very
latest garments, shoes and fashion accessories.
A variety of antique and
second-hand goods are on offer: jewellery, decorative
objects and furniture from all periods.
Paul Bert is a market
offering very varied items: furniture in the Napoleon
III style can be found alongside mass-market furniture,
period furniture from 1950 or 1970, in what an untrained
eye would regard as complete disorder. Most of the
items on sale are unrestored. It attracts famous
interior designers from around the world looking
for the object they have dreamed of. www.paulbert-serpette.com
This market is the main attraction for lovers of
Art Deco, Art Nouveau and designer lamps, as well
as collectors of pieces by Gallé or Lallique.
Bringing together ten dealers, it specialises in
objets d’art of the 20th century.
These flea market streets are lined with numerous
stands: proper shops, stands installed in houses
or simply items spread out on the pavement. The
themes are very varied: fashion, tribal art, home
decoration, jewellery, archaeological items, prehistoric
antiquities, garden furniture, clocks, etc.
Its covered walkways are
packed with furniture from the 19th and 20th and
old or modern paintings: restored items of excellent
quality. This market, mostly targeted at an upmarket
clientele, generates most of its turnover from exports. www.paulbert-serpette.com
This "historic"
market has remained most faithful to the Puces of
the past. Its picturesque winding rows of stands
and shops testify to the improvised development
of the Flea Market. This market features the largest
number of specialised stands, including scientific
items, period toys and glassware (300 stands).
Reception
and Information Centre: 30 av G. Péri / Reception Flea Market: 7
impasse Simon /33
(0)1 40 11 77 36 /33
(0)1 40 11 01 70 /infos@st-ouen-tourisme.com
The
Flea Market:
33
(0)1 40 11 77 36 /
33
(0)1 40 11 01 70 /
infos@st-ouen-tourisme.com