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31st July 2010
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Dordogne brocante fairs and vide-greniersSome helpful tips
Last year the fair seemed full of unbelievable junk at outrageous prices: chipped china ornaments, rusty bits of metalwork and decaying furniture full of woodworm. This year the standard seemed a little better, and we managed to buy a nice chest of drawers for a reasonable sum. As we strolled round the square, the number of English-speakers was remarkable. Which reminded me that, when looking at statistics about visitors to this site, a surprising number of you exit to vide-greniers.org, the site that tells you where the brocante fairs and vide-grenier sales are happening in the Dordogne. The French call antique-hunters "chineurs". "Chiner" means to hunt for antiques. It's obvious that the Brits are as keen "chineurs" as any French people going. The Dordogne antiques trade The antiques trade in France is arguably a bit shadier than in the UK. Remember those provincial market towns, where suave dealers welcomed you into a showroom smelling of polish, to the reverential ticking of grandfather clocks? You won't find those to the same extent in the Dordogne. When you do - in Périgueux, for example - you're at the top end of the market.
Other than furniture, you'll probably find some porcelain vases, and possibly some clocks. You're unlikely to find the same range of choice of small decorative items that you'll come across in the small antiques centres in the Home Counties of England. Which is where the fairs come in We've got out of the way of fairs. In the UK the large urban centres will have antiques fairs. They're often a way for provincial dealers, whose stock moves slowly, to tap into the buying power of the city market. But fairs started the other way round. Itinerant traders would open up their stalls at a fair, and the local people would see things they couldn't find nearby.
It follows that the person selling to you may not be particularly concerned if you're not happy with the result. He'll be miles away by the time you've decided you want your money back. So you need to be careful. On the other hand, if you're a serious buyer or a collector, the more reputable dealers will want to establish a relationship with you. They'll know that you're not going to be passing by their shop. But they'll be very glad if you give them a ring if you're looking for something in particular. Hints for Dordogne "chineurs" First, if you want to buy something, get to fairs as early as you can. The best items will have gone by eleven o'clock. Secondly, form a view of the trader. Does he strike you as being a smart Alec who'll just rip you off, telling you any old story? if so, do you have enough confidence in your knowledge and judgment to go ahead regardless? It helps if you've bought from him before - even if it was something small. He's likely to reward your loyalty with a better discount on price. Thirdly, don't be in too much of a rush. Hopefully you will have either a budget or an idea of market value by having looked at similar items. Don't spend more than you feel is fair. .jpg) Fourthly, haggle. In the UK traders tend to knock off ten per cent as a matter of course, I've found. In France the initial discount proposed is more of a token. I'm not a good haggler, but Paul managed to get a substantial reduction on a chest of drawers we bought today. (I had to step in when the dealer said we were taking the bread out of his children's mouths, but by that stage Paul had achieved much more than I could have.)Fifthly, don't be frightened of walking away if either on closer examination the item's not what you want, or the price is seriously more than you want to pay. Some language tips Of course there's always the language issue. Again, here are some tips: - just as in shops, start off with the obligatory "Bonjour" - this is no more than a way of opening proceedings, but it'll seem rude if you go straight in with your questions. - "c'est combien?", pointing at the relevant piece, will get you the price. If you don't understand French numbers, ask the dealer to write it down. - "de l'époque" means "period" - a vague term, meaning the item isn't reproduction. However, the precise period may be uncertain - particuly since country cabinet-makers continued making furniture in the old styles for decades after the relevant period. - "votre meilleur prix" means "your best price" - i.e. the best price that the dealer can offer. - "c'est trop cher" means "it's too expensive", and is likely to provoke a storm of protest, or a shrug of the shoulders. - "j'y réfléchirai" or "je vais y réfléchir" means "I'll think about it". - "je reviendrai tout à l'heure" means "I'll come back shortly". I hope this helps. Happy hunting, fellow chineurs! Antony Mair 19 August 2006 Dordogne Holidays and Leisure Home Page Looking for a property in France? Use FrenchEntrée's Property Finders to help you find your property and to help you through the buying process 
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Ceramic Holidays in the Dordogne
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