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As a pair of avid
collectors (some would say hoarders) we have visited the car-boot sales
and street markets of England for years, and watched many of them change
from genuine flea-markets to Rag Trade outlets.
An on-line guide
for Brittany (and elsewhere) is at:www.pointsdechine.com
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The magic of the
hunt in rural France is that the process is at a different stage there.
The depopulation of rural areas is unfortunately happening now, not 40-50
years ago as in England, and so everyday items from the whole of the last century
are turning up as well as Antiques proper.
The description of
events, often on official or unofficial wall posters but also in the newspapers,
gives a good guide to what to expect:
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Antiquités
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they
mean Antiques, and you need to know your Kingdoms and Républiques
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Brocantes
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loosely,
collectables or bric-a-brac - could be bargains
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Troc
et Puces
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closest
to car boot sale - troc means exchange as in the old days of Exchange and
Mart; second user toys, jumble
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Vide
Grenier
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attic
clearout or garage sale could have any thing in it eg tools, building materials
old or new, sports equipment
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Collectioneur
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phone
cards, tie pins, fridge magnets, post cards etc
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braderie
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I think means sale goods, seconds, ???
There are completely
specialised events also such as our very own Electrical
Jumble in St Aignan where Bakelite radios, headphones, valves, meters and
other apparently collectable stuff gets sold (?) the day before the PROPER
brocantes /troc /puces. The first year we went hoping to buy a washing
machine and went away very disappointed !