Life in France

Join me on a tour of the local brocante

I invite you to join me for a tour of our local brocante.

One of my favourite pastimes, when I am down in the South of France, is to visit the local brocante or vide granier as it is often referred to in France. Our local one is Le Jas des Roberts which is only five minutes away by car.

It is a treasure trove of furniture, jewellery, vintage clothes, pottery and all types of bric a brac.

I love these grey armchairs. The sellers are very clever in setting up impromptu roomsets on the rough terrain

If you are a fan of vintage handbags this is definitely the place to come. You will have to check the quality, condition and authenticity carefully before you make a purchase. However you can be lucky and find a real bargain. I have a friend who has acquired a largish collection of beautiful vintage handbags over the years.

Paradise for vintage clothes fans. Plenty of opportunities to rummage through the rails and find a truly unique bargain. Again check the quality to make sure there are no rips or tears and especially be wary of any signs of moth activity. You do not want to introduce those pesky creatures into your wardrobe.

The brocante is a good source of colourful pottery at very reasonable prices. I love these vibrant greens,

This linen stall is here every week. The owner buys genuine linen napkins and then dyes them unusual colours.

I like these “tournant du siècle” style paintings. They are copies but still fun. We have a similar one hanging in our hall.

Are these Louis Vuitton suitcases genuine or not? I think they are at least they should be as this is another regular stall and the prices are high,

The friend I was with bought this chest at a very reasonable price. She is an interior designer and by the time she has transformed it with a coat of paint in a soft blue-grey colour it will look very provencal.

“Deux petites tables de chevet”. Classic and elegant.

You might be interested in another tour I made of the brocante in January.

Chicatanyage

I write a fashion and beauty blog for women over 50 with the aim of inspiring mature women to continue to enjoy and have fun with their fashion choices. I have spent most of my working life in some way connected to fashion. I started my career in Fashion PR and then trained as an Image Consultant when my children were young. I subsequently worked in the corporate world running seminars, doing private coaching and speaking at conferences. I started my blog in 2009 as I wanted to share my years of experience working in the world of fashion. I truly believe we can continue to have confidence in the way we present ourselves. Our style may evolve with time and changing lifestyles, yet with a little knowledge and inspiration, we can all continue to have fun with fashion. As women of a certain age we are a growing demographic let us prove that we can also be a chic one.

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  • Just lovely! I have fond memories of stopping at the brocantes to search for barbotine. That’s the French majolica that you have included in your post. We’ve since sold our house and downsized, so my beautiful plates are in storage. What a wonderful to spend an afternoon!

  • Looks like some nice things! Thank you for sharing. So fun and relaxing to look at these pictures.

  • I try not to visit such places now. Too busy de-cluttering and only keeping things that "bring me joy"!
    Good job I don't visit. I fancy several items pictured above!!

  • What a great idea for when we are in France in April, I love these types of stall and can find something on every stall!!

  • The difference between Vide-Greniers and Brocante is usually that amateurs declutter their stuff at a vide-grenier, while brocanteurs are professionals, down-market antiquarians who make a living from buying stuff to sell at a profit. There was drama in our village one summer because a brocanteur bought several items at a vide-grenier and put them on sale the next day at the Brocante for a lot more money (e.g. he bought six matching dining chairs for €50 and sold them the next day for €350). Of course the vide-grenier sellers were furious!

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