Tonight we’re going to Paris… No Passport Required!

We’re going to discuss Buying Antiques Abroad:

Where To Go – the Paris Flea Market and Beyond

The Story Behind The Story

Where the Bargains Are

What to Buy

How To Get it Home Sweet Home Across the Pond!

Whether you’re buying for yourself or for a client or stocking your store the most important thing when it comes to shopping abroad is Location, Location, Location! And so we’re going to take what I like to call Grand Tour – Antiques Diva Style!

The Antiques Diva®• I own Europe’s largest antiques

touring and buying services company.

• We lead one on one customized antique buying tours in 10 countries and I have 18 guides.

• We work with tourists and the trade – antique dealers and interior designers sourcing antiques abroad.

• On tour we translate, we negotiate and we liaise buyers with international shippers to help get your goods home sweet home across the pond.

• For those times when you can’t travel in person we offer Buying Services Shopping On Your Behalf.

Toma Clark HainesChief Executive Diva

The Antiques Diva® & Co European Tours

www.antiquesdiva.com

Paris Flea Market

• Well-organized permanent structures housing millions of euros of inventory - complete with 15 districts and more than 7 miles of antique-filled alley ways.

• The Market is open Saturday and Sunday. Friday is dealer day - less than ¼ vendors open and Monday the market claims they are open but less than 1/8 of vendors are in residence.

There is no better place to antique than the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen - Porte de Clignancourt!

Antiquing in Paris with NYC based jet set Designer Jennifer Meditash

The Paris Flea Market MapKEY POINTS

A. Porte de Clignancourt

B. Rue des Rosiers

C. Marche Vernaison

D. Marche Paul Bert & Serpette

E. L’Entrepot

F. L’Usine

G. corner Rue Paul Bert and Rue Jules Valles

C

A

D

E

G

F

B

• If it weren’t for The Haussman Plan the Paris Flea Market might never have been born!

• The Haussman Plan was commissioned by Napoléon III - the nephew and heir of Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon IIII was the first President of France to be elected by a direct popular vote.

• However, when he was blocked by the Constitution and Parliament from running for a 2nd term, he organized a coup d'état in 1851, and then took the throne!

• His prefecture was Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann - and Haussmann’s job was to clean up the city.

• Between 1853 and 1870 Baron Haussmann started renovating Paris – literally tearing building downs and rebuilding the city.

Making Modern Day Paris

• Though work continued until the end of the 19th century, well after the Second Empire's demise in 1870, it is often referred to as the "Second Empire reforms".

• The project encompassed all aspects of urban planning both in the center of Paris and in the surrounding districts: - streets and boulevards- regulations imposed on facades of buildings- public parks- sewers and water works- city facilities- public monuments.

The planning was influenced by many factors, not the least of which was the city's history of street revolutions.

Making Modern Day Paris

Paris Flea Market Origins• While everyone remembers Baron Haussmann in the

the annals of famous Frenchmen Eugène Poubelle gets a seriously bum rap.

• Eugène Poubelle is the Poubelle of poubelle fame

• Poubelle served at the préfecture in Paris.

• On March 7, 1884 Poubelle declared that as a matter of public safety owners of buildings must henceforth provide their residents with not one but a minimum of three covered waste containers, each holding between 40 to 120 liters. These boxes were to contain the household rubbish from each building. He provided a system for recycling and sorting garbage .

• The concept of a regular system to do away with the city’s refuse was revolutionary

• The people of Paris began referring to putting out their refuse bins as “putting out la poubelle.”

Eugene Poubelle

• The Only Problem? The Rag & Bone Men were made redundant. They made their living strolling the streets collecting rags to resell as scraps of fabric or to be rewoven or made into paper. They scrounged bones and boiled them down, creating a glob of smelly glue.

• By the end of the 19th century, M. Poubelle’s tidy team cleaning up the city drove them to the outskirts of town near the city gates – to the Porte de Clignancourt, the Porte de Vanves, etc…

• Then the Rag and Bone men turned a misfortune into an opportunity.

• Referred to as “Moonlight Fishermen”

Paris Flea Market Origins

• Some canny businessman saw the benefit of grouping their wares together and the first official flea market – the Marche Vernaisson was born.

• Parisians in their long gowns and top hats began to see these Sunday afternoon outings as a genteel sport, like fox-hunting for shoppers!

• BUT one did have to shop carefully – some of the goods for sale were infested with fleas, leading the Parisians to call an outing to the markets at the edge of town as going to “the fleas" hence the market became called “les puces de Paris.”

Paris Flea Market Origins

With Valerie Rennert, Andrea Algaze, Rose Gilbert and Lloyd Princeton at my annual Paris Flea Market fete during Maison Objet!

What Will You Find at the Marche Vernaison?Smalls, Perfectly Packables, Lower Priced Items, Jewelry, Paintings, Hotel Silver, Passimentarie, Porcelain, etc

Paris Flea Market Origins

Marche Vernaison was the 1st Market within the Paris Flea Market. Over time as it became more popular the Paris Flea

Market Grew and today has 15 districts.

Antiquing with Dalton Dalton – Editor at Large

Paris Flea MarketIf You Only Have a Short Amount of Time to Shop the Paris Flea Market Go To

• Marche Paul Bert• Marche Serpette

This is the Paris Flea Market you always dreamed of seeing!

• It’s not cheap – and it doesn’t have to be. You’re paying for that convenience of pre-choreographed shopping.

• These aren’t haphazard stalls set up willy nilly but formal styled antique shops.

• Make sure to ask the Vendors for a “Prix Marchand” If you have a proper shipper you can ask for “Export Price.”

• Don’t be shy – negotiation is expected.

• 20% discount is standard

• Verify they are giving you the export price.

• Ask questions about the piece to show interest.

• Poor French is better than no French at all.

Paris Flea Market

The Forgotten Markets• L’Entrepot• L’Usine

The further you go on the Rue de Rosier past Paul Bert the better the prices become.

Global MarketsFRANCE

• L’isle sur la sorgue• Provence• Avignon Trade Fair • Montepellier Trade

Fair• Lille

Best of the Best

BELGIUM

• Antwerp• Brussels• Tongeren• Brugge

Best PricesArchitectural Salvage

ENGLAND

• London• Sussex• Southern Coast / Kent• Cotwolds• West Counties• NewarkChoreographed & Chic yet less expensive than Paris

Global MarketsITALY

• Tuscany• Le Marche• Emilia Romagna• Arezzo & Lucca• Florence• MilanGreat for Painted, Arch Salvage & Garden

SWEDEN

• Southern Sweden• Helsingborg• Malmo• Stockholm• Auctions

Top quality period pieces, mid C modern

When is Best Time To Go:

• Feb, March, April• Watch out for Easter!• May is difficult due to 3

religious holidays• June• Avoid last half July and

August• September, October,

November• December and January

can be difficult

• NEVER let not understanding international shipping deter you from buying abroad.

• The most important thing you can do is to USE an experienced company with whom you have good interaction. I recommend contacting 3 shippers.

• If you want to bring something home with you & pack it in your suitcase – it’s usually cash & carry.

• If you’re only buying 1 thing on impulse often the antique dealer will recommend one for you.

• If you are going to Europe & planning to buy then contact a shipper before you go to set up an account.

• They will give you a book of Purchase Orders & Stickers to tag your purchases as you shop.

Shipping

• When finished shopping you will do a bank transfer or give a credit card to the shipper’s client account.

• The shipper will pick up the items from the vendor, pay on your behalf, produce the proper paperwork for customs clearance, organize your insurance and transport your purchases to your home or shop.

• Price quotes for shipping are often only to the nearest port. Ask if you want the piece shipped to your front door.

• The shipper will designate a broker for you to clear the goods through customs.

• The important thing to remember with shipping THE MORE YOU BUY the CHEAPER it is!

• All antiques – if over 100 years old – are Duty Free!

Shipping

With Justin Shaulis, Lynn Yaeger, Janet, Marion Harris, Shaun Smith Gail McLeod, Susan Pennington, John Bottero at Mercanteinfiera

A Few Shippers Names

• Adam Crease• Chudleys• Air Sea Freight• Edet • Alan Franklin• Headley Humpers

Follow The Antiques Diva®

Web: www.antiquesdiva.com

Email: toma@antiquesdiva.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheAntiquesDiva&Co

Twitter: @TheAntiquesDiva

Instagram: @TheAntiquesDiva

Linked In: Toma Clark Haines

For Media Inquiries Contact: Andrew Joseph PR andrew@andrewjosephpr.com