Buying antiques in France

If you’re an antiques lover or collector from the UK, you’ll be in heaven in France. It’s a fantastic destination for antiques shopping, with all kinds of flea markets and special sales happening all over the country - as well as plenty of retail and high-end antiques stores.

But where are the best antiques markets in France, and what items should you be looking for? And how do you get your purchases back home to the UK again?

We’ll answer all of these questions and more here in this essential guide to buying antiques in France.

And if you need a smart way to purchase antiques in euros, without losing out to poor exchange rates and high fees - check out the Wise account from the money services provider Wise.

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

Table of Contents

Can you buy antiques in France as a foreigner? Where are the best places for finding and buying antiques in France? What is a Brocante in France? Best antiques markets in France Best antiques and vintage shops in France Antiques shopping tips in France What antiques to look for in France? French antique furniture French maps and postcards French vintage clothing French antique accessories How to bring your French antiques back to the UK? How to import antique furniture from France? Best French antique dealers Maintaining and displaying your French antiques

Can you buy antiques in France as a foreigner?

Yes, there are no particular rules or restrictions in France on whether foreign nationals can buy antiques. This means you can browse and shop up a storm just like a local.

However, unlike a local, you will need to arrange shipping back to the UK, along with any customs or import charges and paperwork. We’ll look at this in more detail later on, so that you’ll have all the info you need.

Where are the best places for finding and buying antiques in France?

There are a number of places to hunt out unique and beautiful antiques in France. Here are just a few of your options:¹

• Retail antique stores and high-end antique dealers. These Salon des Antiquaires are shops or booths in upmarket retail galleries where dealers sell a more carefully curated selection of antiques than you’d find on street markets.
• Vide-Grenier. This is the French equivalent of an attic, garage or car boot sale. It’s a pop-up market held only occasionally, so you’ll need to look out for an event being advertised locally. The items sold here can vary considerably in type and quality, as it’s mainly individuals selling unwanted furniture, household items and clothing. But there could still be a chance to uncover a hidden gem.
• Flea markets. Known as marché aux puces or brocante (depending on the nature of the market), the larger of these flea markets attract vendors from all over the country. You can expect a mix of everything from exquisite antiques to second-hand tat, so you might need to rummage. But you could get better prices than using a high-end dealer, plus visiting a French flea market is always a fun day out.
• Braderie. Usually found in northern France, braderie are sales which happen several times a year and are held outside established shops. So, they’re a mix of street market and a traditional shopping experience, occasionally with food vendors and live music thrown in.

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What is a Brocante in France?

A brocante is essentially a French flea market, where stalls full of brocanteurs (antique dealers) sell antique and vintage goods. The word is also used for second-hand furniture stores.

You can expect an Aladdin’s cave of eclectic items at a brocante, with bric-a-brac and furniture where the selection and quality varies considerably between shops and stalls. It’s a great place for a rummage.

Best antiques markets in France

France has a huge number of internationally respected and popular antiques markets, so you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Here are some of the biggest and best antiques markets in France:

• La Grande Braderie market in Lille - held annually in the first week of September, this huge two-day market has a lively carnival feel.²
• La Grande Réderie in Amiens - held in April and October, this popular market has over 500 professional dealers and 2,000 casual traders selling their wares.²
• Chatou Foire au Jambon in Paris - while it has its origins as a charcuterie market dating back to the middle ages, this ‘Ham Fair’ in the western Parisian suburbs has evolved into a fantastic antiques market. You can also still get a delicious bite to eat there.²
• Braderie de Houilles, near Paris - just outside the city is a market held on the first Sunday of October, with 2,000+ stalls selling second-hand goods of all kinds.²
• Puces du Touquet - held one or two Sundays a month in the northern town’s iconic art-deco style market, this is the perfect place to pick up antiques, vintage items and collectibles.³
• Puces-à-Bidasse in Arras - an enormous market in northern France, held annually in August.⁴
• Puces de St Ouen, outside of Paris - this is one of the largest antiques markets in the world, spread over an incredible 17 acres.⁵
• Les Puces du Canal in Lyon - located on the outskirts of Lyon next to the canal, this is one of the largest permanent flea markets in France with over 400 vendors and dealers.⁵
• l’Isle sur Sorgue in Provence - for sunshine and antiques shopping, head to this fabulous market in Provence with over 300 vendors spread across street stalls and warehouses.⁵

Best antiques and vintage shops in France

There are also a number of renowned antiques shops in France, along with auction houses, warehouses and whole districts of vintage stores.

Some of the best antiques and vintage shops in France include:

• Carré Rive Gauche in Paris
• Hôtel Drouot in Paris
• Barjols Antiques in Barjols
• Antiquités Alric in Villecroze
• Sweet Cabana in Cherbourg.

Antiques shopping tips in France

If it’s your first time antique shopping in France, you’ll need to know about the local customs. Here are some helpful tips to help you shop safe and smart, and get the best deal:

• Negotiation is expected, especially when shopping at a flea market.⁶ So, dust off your haggling skills (and your French language skills).
• Around 25% is a decent amount to expect for a discount, but always ask the vendor to give you their best price before naming a number yourself.
• Make sure to clarify whether the vendor is giving you the export price
• Always have cash ready, just in case the seller doesn’t accept other payment methods. It could be an idea to plan a trip to an ATM in advance. If you need to pay by card, check you have a travel-friendly debit card so you won’t rack up huge fees.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions and to see evidence of provenance and authenticity. You should also check the quality and condition of the item carefully before committing to a purchase.

Another crucial thing to sort is how you’ll pay for your purchase. If cards are accepted, the Wise card is one of the best you can use.

The Wise card automatically converts your British pounds to euros when you spend, for just a small conversion fee. Best of all, it does the conversion at the mid-market exchange rate. This means you get more euros for your pounds, so you can splurge a little bit more at the flea market.

Learn more about the Wise card 💳

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

What antiques to look for in France?

Have something specific in mind? The great thing about French flea markets is that there’s usually a huge range of vintage and antique items available. This may mean you need a little luck and patience to find exactly what you’re looking for though.

French antique furniture

For furniture, your best bet is one of the larger antiques markets where professional dealers are in attendance.

For example, La Grande Réderie in Amiens, a market held twice a year in which has over 500 professional dealers in attendance.

You can also try antiques dealers, such as the enormous Puces de St Ouen warehouse complex of markets and shops outside of Paris.

French maps and postcards

Maps and postcards are likely to be in abundance at any of the marché aux puces or brocante held in cities, towns and villages across France. You may also discover something interesting at a Vide-Grenier attic sale.

French vintage clothing

Paris is the best place to go for vintage boutiques and thrift shops, where there are hundreds to choose from. Look out for one of the branches of the Kilo Shop dotted throughout the city, where you can buy vintage clothing by weight. You’ll also find cool boutiques in the 9th and 10th arrondissements, as well as the Latin Quarter.

French antique accessories

For everything else, flea markets and brocantes are the places to go. Although you can also pick up some gems at a local Vide-Grenier if you’re willing to put some rummaging time in.

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How to bring your French antiques back to the UK?

You’ve browsed the stalls, snapped up a bargain and now you need to get it back home to the UK. Here’s everything you need to know about importing antiques from France.

How to import antique furniture from France?

It can be complicated to import larger items of antique furniture from France to the UK. The customs regulations, duties and taxes, and the required paperwork can be a little complicated - and getting it wrong can be costly.

So, it’s recommended to use a third party importer or shipping company to help you get your item safely back to the UK. The antiques dealer you buy from may be able to recommend a suitable company.

Best French antique dealers

Antiques dealers tend to be specialists in their own area, such as in a particular era or type of furniture. So to find the best antique dealers in France, you may need to narrow down your search.

A great resource is the Antiquities en France website, where you can search dealers and experts based on location and specialism.

Maintaining and displaying your French antiques

With your new purchase safely back home in the UK, all that’s left to do is find the perfect spot to show it off. It’s a good idea to look up some maintenance information, or ask the vendor for any advice before leaving France.

And make sure you consider insurance and security, to safeguard particularly valuable purchases.

If you and your antiques are settling in France, make sure to read our guide to buying property in France.

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And that’s it - your essential guide to buying antiques in France. It’s a huge country, with each region boasting its own flea markets, antiques stores and sales, so you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Hopefully after reading this, you’ll have an idea of where to start planning your shopping trip. You can perhaps time your visit to France to coincide with one of the larger antiques markets. Happy shopping!

And, if you want a transparent, low-cost way to handle your travel expenses abroad, check out the Wise account and get the Wise card to spend with a fair exchange rate.

Sign up with Wise today 💰

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

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Sources used for this article:

1. Solo Sophie - French Antique Market Guide: What to Buy at a Brocante
2. Oliver’s Travels - The best antique fairs and markets in France
3. French Weekend Breaks - Le Touquet Flea Market
4. French Weekend Breaks - Arras Flea Market
5. French Art Shop - The top 3 antique markets in France
6. Antiques Diva - Tips on buying vintage and antiques in France

Sources checked on 18-Oct-2023.