Cross Channel BARGAINS
Mark Franks has been antiques hunting in France for 25 years and says ‘the good thing about France is there are certain things over there that are hugely cheaper than they are in the UK.’
He’s back, from 28 July, in the Channel 4 series The French Collection, in which he helps people to make purchases in France and then sell them on for a profi t back home in the UK. So what could I expect to find during my visit? ‘Mirrors and glassware… you can pick up heavy drinking glasses that would cost £50-£60 in the UK, for £10-£20.
‘They are really worth looking out for,’ he says.
‘Armoires and wardrobes are sold much cheaper in France compared to the UK,’ and Mark suggests you can give them a makeover and sell them on over here. ‘People can make a good living out of it,’ he says. Art Deco pieces are also worth looking out for in France.
‘You get a lot of Art Deco, which is really buyable. It’s cheap because it all started during the Parisian exhibition in the 1920s so that’s why it’s huge in France. We haven’t got so much of it in the UK, which is the reason why you can take it from France and sell it in the UK really easily.’
But how does the novice visitor go about making a profit from their purchases? First, Mark suggests steering clear of items that you may already be overly familiar with. ‘If it’s tat in France, just because you recognise it and it’s English, it doesn’t make it any better when you bring it home. It’s a little tourist trap that you’ve got to watch out for.’
Second, keep calm. ‘If you ever walk up to an item and gush over it, you are never going to strike a deal with the seller. I mean, if you are dressed in 1950s clothes and looking at 1950s items, you have set yourself a bit of a trap. You have to be blasé about it. You have to play the game.
‘Haggling is very simple,’ he adds.
But what’s the difference between a collector and a dealer, like Mark?
‘A proper dealer will buy to sell. If you are buying for your home, you are not a dealer, you are a collector. If you are buying to sell, you need to buy things you don’t like – if you say “I don’t like it but I can see a profit”, you’ve got it. A good dealer will not just buy with their heart; they will buy with the pure view of making money, because that is their job.
‘But you can’t sell something you don’t believe in. With selling you have to wax lyrical and you have to gush. Even if you don’t like it, you have got to sell every single plus point of that item. You have to make them believe that you believe in it. And then you ask over the odds. I wouldn’t say ask for thousands when it is worth hundreds, but start really high.
‘If you have something and say “I want £50 for it” and they say “I’ll have it” you have made a mistake. Because they have hit your offer price, which means you could probably have got more.’
Listening to Mark, I don’t think I’ll make it as a dealer (the Art Nouveau mirror I managed to find on my trip for a bargain €35 will be residing in my hallway as opposed to earning me cash). Besides, it’s clear that even seasoned dealers like Mark sometimes fall for items.
‘I fall in love with things because for me, antiques, collectables, vintage items are charming and lovely. I have a very eclectic mix of things; things I have kept, which I couldn’t dream of selling because they are lovely.’
Braderie de Lille flea market
An hour from Paris, this market (6 to 7 September) is one of the biggest and most vibrant in Europe. It opens from 2pm on the Saturday but ‘window shopping’ is allowed beforehand.
Carpentras flea market
This Sunday market, north of Avignon, located on Parking des Platanes, is a favourite with intrepid collectors who are willing to rummage.
Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen, Paris
Rag-and-bone men once sold their wares at this market. You can expect everything from high-end antiques to quirky items at good prices.
Montpellier flea market
Enjoy local delicacies while browsing enamelware, archaeology, antique and vintage furniture and paintings. The market, located in L’Espace Mosson, is held every Sunday.
Montreuil flea market
This is one of the oldest flea markets in France. Vintage clothes, crockery and jewellery are just some of the things you will find. Renowned for being a vintage clothes-lover’s heaven.
Nantes flea market
Its proximity to the coast means nautical curios can be easily found. Held every Saturday in Place Viarme.
Orléans flea market
The wide-ranging market is held each Saturday. Items are either displayed in boxes or simply heaped on rugs, so it is a paradise for those who are happy to rummage.
Porte de Vanves, Paris
Hundreds of vendors set up every Saturday and Sunday for one of the biggest and most varied markets in France. This is a buyer’s market as opposed to a tourist’s one.
Toulouse flea market
With both weekly and larger monthly markets taking place, there is everything on offer, from military memorabilia, fine French porcelain to books. Held on the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the month, except in October, in Allées Jules Guesde.
Villeneuve-lès-Avignon flea market
Find gems at a reasonable price, with a focus on Provence – Provençal ceramics, antique bottles, garden pots and accessories, bedspreads and linens, agricultural tools and utensils. Held on Saturday mornings.
History-loving Brits are so inspired by period dramas that they are decking out their homes like them as soon as they air, according to new figures from eBay, the online marketplace.
Listings for 'antique style' furniture on eBay peak sharply between 9-10pm, particularly on Sunday evening coinciding with the screening of period dramas. This is part of the established trend of Britons surfing and shopping from their sofas on second screens such as mobiles and tablets.
Since the climax of recent hit series of Mr. Selfridge, Art Deco style items have sold at a rate of over 280 per an hour on eBay during peak Prime Time TV watching hours. eBay is currently listing 76,000 Art Deco items.
Other top period drama-inspired furniture stats include:
• Interest in Victorian furnishing seen on Ripper Street and Great Expectations means eBay now has nearly 9,000 Victorian style products listed
• Brits inspired by Georgian elegance in new blockbuster Belle have nearly 7,000 products to choose from on eBay.
• Edwardian-style furniture similar to that featured in Downton Abbey has over 6,000 current listings on eBay
He’s back, from 28 July, in the Channel 4 series The French Collection, in which he helps people to make purchases in France and then sell them on for a profi t back home in the UK. So what could I expect to find during my visit? ‘Mirrors and glassware… you can pick up heavy drinking glasses that would cost £50-£60 in the UK, for £10-£20.
‘They are really worth looking out for,’ he says.
‘Armoires and wardrobes are sold much cheaper in France compared to the UK,’ and Mark suggests you can give them a makeover and sell them on over here. ‘People can make a good living out of it,’ he says. Art Deco pieces are also worth looking out for in France.
‘You get a lot of Art Deco, which is really buyable. It’s cheap because it all started during the Parisian exhibition in the 1920s so that’s why it’s huge in France. We haven’t got so much of it in the UK, which is the reason why you can take it from France and sell it in the UK really easily.’
But how does the novice visitor go about making a profit from their purchases? First, Mark suggests steering clear of items that you may already be overly familiar with. ‘If it’s tat in France, just because you recognise it and it’s English, it doesn’t make it any better when you bring it home. It’s a little tourist trap that you’ve got to watch out for.’
Second, keep calm. ‘If you ever walk up to an item and gush over it, you are never going to strike a deal with the seller. I mean, if you are dressed in 1950s clothes and looking at 1950s items, you have set yourself a bit of a trap. You have to be blasé about it. You have to play the game.
‘Haggling is very simple,’ he adds.
But what’s the difference between a collector and a dealer, like Mark?
‘A proper dealer will buy to sell. If you are buying for your home, you are not a dealer, you are a collector. If you are buying to sell, you need to buy things you don’t like – if you say “I don’t like it but I can see a profit”, you’ve got it. A good dealer will not just buy with their heart; they will buy with the pure view of making money, because that is their job.
‘But you can’t sell something you don’t believe in. With selling you have to wax lyrical and you have to gush. Even if you don’t like it, you have got to sell every single plus point of that item. You have to make them believe that you believe in it. And then you ask over the odds. I wouldn’t say ask for thousands when it is worth hundreds, but start really high.
‘If you have something and say “I want £50 for it” and they say “I’ll have it” you have made a mistake. Because they have hit your offer price, which means you could probably have got more.’
Listening to Mark, I don’t think I’ll make it as a dealer (the Art Nouveau mirror I managed to find on my trip for a bargain €35 will be residing in my hallway as opposed to earning me cash). Besides, it’s clear that even seasoned dealers like Mark sometimes fall for items.
‘I fall in love with things because for me, antiques, collectables, vintage items are charming and lovely. I have a very eclectic mix of things; things I have kept, which I couldn’t dream of selling because they are lovely.’
TOP 10 FRENCH ANTIQUES MARKETS
France is full of bargains – you just have to know where to lookBraderie de Lille flea market
An hour from Paris, this market (6 to 7 September) is one of the biggest and most vibrant in Europe. It opens from 2pm on the Saturday but ‘window shopping’ is allowed beforehand.
Carpentras flea market
This Sunday market, north of Avignon, located on Parking des Platanes, is a favourite with intrepid collectors who are willing to rummage.
Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen, Paris
Rag-and-bone men once sold their wares at this market. You can expect everything from high-end antiques to quirky items at good prices.
Montpellier flea market
Enjoy local delicacies while browsing enamelware, archaeology, antique and vintage furniture and paintings. The market, located in L’Espace Mosson, is held every Sunday.
Montreuil flea market
This is one of the oldest flea markets in France. Vintage clothes, crockery and jewellery are just some of the things you will find. Renowned for being a vintage clothes-lover’s heaven.
Nantes flea market
Its proximity to the coast means nautical curios can be easily found. Held every Saturday in Place Viarme.
Orléans flea market
The wide-ranging market is held each Saturday. Items are either displayed in boxes or simply heaped on rugs, so it is a paradise for those who are happy to rummage.
Porte de Vanves, Paris
Hundreds of vendors set up every Saturday and Sunday for one of the biggest and most varied markets in France. This is a buyer’s market as opposed to a tourist’s one.
Toulouse flea market
With both weekly and larger monthly markets taking place, there is everything on offer, from military memorabilia, fine French porcelain to books. Held on the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the month, except in October, in Allées Jules Guesde.
Villeneuve-lès-Avignon flea market
Find gems at a reasonable price, with a focus on Provence – Provençal ceramics, antique bottles, garden pots and accessories, bedspreads and linens, agricultural tools and utensils. Held on Saturday mornings.
In other antiques news...
History-loving Brits are so inspired by period dramas that they are decking out their homes like them as soon as they air, according to new figures from eBay, the online marketplace.
Listings for 'antique style' furniture on eBay peak sharply between 9-10pm, particularly on Sunday evening coinciding with the screening of period dramas. This is part of the established trend of Britons surfing and shopping from their sofas on second screens such as mobiles and tablets.
Since the climax of recent hit series of Mr. Selfridge, Art Deco style items have sold at a rate of over 280 per an hour on eBay during peak Prime Time TV watching hours. eBay is currently listing 76,000 Art Deco items.
Other top period drama-inspired furniture stats include:
• Interest in Victorian furnishing seen on Ripper Street and Great Expectations means eBay now has nearly 9,000 Victorian style products listed
• Brits inspired by Georgian elegance in new blockbuster Belle have nearly 7,000 products to choose from on eBay.
• Edwardian-style furniture similar to that featured in Downton Abbey has over 6,000 current listings on eBay