In today’s episode, Toma Clark Haines, CEO of The Antiques Diva & Co – the World´s Largest Antiques Touring Company – tells you how to shop for antiques at the Paris Flea Market and how to ship antiques from France.  

The first time Toma and her locally-based Paris team met with Jean-Cyrille Boutmy, owner of Marche Paul-Bert Serpette, he said, “The Antiques Diva & Co are Ambassadors. You make a bridge between the American buyers and the French vendors helping both sides do business.” The Antiques Diva & Co translates, negotiates, and liaises buyers with international shippers. As the Paris flea market has more than 3,000 vendors – it’s virtually impossible to scale in a single day unless you know where you are going. To book a Paris flea market antique buying tour email [email protected]

If you are going to the market on your own – the first thing you need to know is that the Market is NOT in Paris. It's in Saint Ouen, just outside the periphery to the north of Paris. You can take the metro line 4 to Porte de Clignancourt or if taking a taxi or uber beware that you MUST set the city location as Saint Ouen sur Seine or you might end up on the wrong side of Paris! Use Marche Biron address 85 Rue des Rosiers, 93400 Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine to get to the center of the flea market.

The market is open every weekend all year long Saturday & Sunday from 10am to 6pm. The market is open Fridays from 8am to 12 noon -– but NOT all vendors are open. Maybe 60% will be open on Fridays. Mondays have less than 40% open.  

There are 12 different permanent markets within the Paris flea market where you can buy anything from Art Deco leather club chairs to Louis 15th chest of drawers to sterling silver art de la table, paintings, vintage fashion and more. Some of my favorite markets are Marche Dauphine, Marche Biron, and, of course, Paul Bert Serpette. Marche Dauphine has a large number of artisans on site making contemporary art and artisan goods as well as vintage fashion in addition to traditional French antiques. Vernaisson in the front of the Rue de Rosier is actually the first original market, and it’s still one of my favorites because it’s so shopable with smalls and impulse purchase price items.

When it comes to making purchases at the puce de Paris, Toma shares a few practical hints and tips on shopping the fleas:

• No AmEx. Sorry we know you love to get your miles – but most vendors do not accept AmEx.
• For all other credit cards, make sure to tell your bank that you are traveling internationally.
• Cash is king.
• Yes, you can ask for a discount.
• The more you buy from 1 vendor, the more likely you are to get a discount on your purchases.
• If you don't speak the language you can use your calculator to ask for a discount. 10-20% can be expected.
• A cross body hand bag is ideal for preventing pickpocketing.
• Do NOT be a jerk and wear a backpack.
• It’s dangerous for breaking antiques and increases the odds of being targeted for pickpocketing.