Second Hand Shops in France

               

Second hand shops in France are one of the best places to find a steal deal. Don't be fooled thinking there are only broken down refrigerators and used sofas in such places, most antique dealers frequent these shops, though they would never admit that to you nor me.

The oval pedestal table cost less than a $100, though at an antique shop it would fetch close to $400. The wing back chair sitting next to the pedestal table cost... I won't tell you the price otherwise you might be on the next plane to France just to come to this shop! On the other hand if  you hop the plane let's make a deal, I'll give you the address if you can please bring me tortillas, chocolate chips and my little nieces with you. Fair trade isn't it?

            

Early nineteen century furniture is not very popular in France therefore it is a dime a dozen. This type of furniture is not my favorite, though I have seen some of these pieces painted and they end up looking rather nice. A set of six chairs, a table and the matching sidebar sold for less than $1000 at the second hand shop yesterday. If this type of furniture is your cup of tea, than you might think of coming to France, there is a ton of it for sale.

               

A pair of frou frou urns, this one had a cracked bottom but still stood proudly as I took it's photo. I dare say this is an Italian piece hiding out in France. That happens as France and Italy are neighbors, the furniture goes back and forth, but the style is evident, it is not French.

               

Textiles, especially old ones like this one cause me to daydream and stare into space. I would still be there if the shop keeper hadn't grabbed my arm and shook me, "Eh, Americaine cava toi?" (Hey American are you okay?)

This piece is the an unfinished seat cover. Wool thread, hand-drawn design (note: there isn't any color chart or numbers in those little squares!) I am guessing this piece to be 150 years old. Of course I bought it. How could I not?

               

A divine desk, a drop leaf writing table. Inside there are little drawers with locks to hold ones secret love letters. It is a sweetie. The design is older than it is. Imagine with the industrial revolution reproductions started to be produced, and those reproduction are antiques now. If you cannot afford a real Louis 15th writing table you might consider buying an old reproduction of that period. A hundred year old reproduction costs far less than the real McCoy.

            

A mercury glass candlestick. When I first started buying antiques I couldn't afford even a reproduction from IKEA let alone a reproduction from the 19th century. Though the desire to have old things verses new things was stronger than me. I started buying small bits and pieces. Items that I would use everyday, things such as a clock, dishes, a pillowcase, a candlestick...little things that I could use daily and that made me feel that I was surrounded by beautiful antiques (Insert: Daydreamer in her castle.)

               

The trick about buying at a second hand shop is that you must go often. Luckily for me there is a second hand shop right by the grocery store that I frequent. Every time I go to the grocery store I stop by the second hand shop. The trick is that out of the five times that I stop at the second hand shop I might only find something once. Nevertheless, when I do find something I usually forget about the grocery store!

Pure delight is finding a piece like this and paying less than peanuts for it. Who needs peanuts anyway?

                

My Mother loves country style antiques, what about you what is your favorite style? If you tell me I will try to find it and post it for you.

               

Do you like vintage garden ware? A pair of lions to guard your door? Urns in which to plant toparies or maybe a wheel-barrel, or a gnome?

               

Often when you find something at a second hand shop chances are that you will need to add some TLC to the old piece. It is part of the course, paying less has its price.  Though when I find something I like at a second hand shop I consider paying less a double bingo prize. Re-painting, or re-wiring doesn't break my heart though seeing something I cannot afford at a refined antique shop does.

             

Though at such places one can also find mundane things such as wooden spools, canning jars, baskets, books, or frames...that is the real beauty of a second hand shop: Someone's junk might be your treasure.

            

Those items might inspire you. Look at this antique hand-crafted spool shelf. Did you know you could use spools to make a shelf?

            

Hickory dickery dock the mouse ran up the clock, baby!

This sort of clock face goes inside a clock case.

         

The second hand shop that I go to is never arranged. The items move to fast to be put in any grandoise order. You have to have a good eye, or have a good imagination to see the item cleaned up and properly placed.

Imagine the bed set up with a crystal chandelier overhead, white cotton sheets with lace trim, and the bedroom window wide open filling the room with the breeze of a new day.

         

A small day bed with points de capiton, "upholstery buttons". These buttons, this design is the most expensive to create in upholstery. Older models, like most antiques are styled on both sides, front and back. The fabric was royal blue satin.

         

Each region in France has its own style of furniture, its own look, specialties... Where I live, in the south of France the style is called Provencal.

       

So after walking around taking photos of whatever caught my eye in this second hand shop I realized that I had better stop and go to the grocery store, otherwise the beauitful antique cupboards at home were going to remain bare like Mother Hubbard's cupboards.

Tomorrow photos of the market, or maybe just desserts.

             

Comments

[Mo'a]

I love this post and the one that you had up yesterday. I was too busy helping my Mother to be able to comment on that post.
It is so nice to see your surroundings and to hear about the places you go.
I like all kinds of things...perhaps I have trouble focusing. My home has Rosemaling furniture from Norway and Sweden...antiques? :) from China...or so they tell me, I do have a screen from China that has been in this country since before WWII...I have one room filled with items from the Adirondacks and Navahoe rugs...I have a few authentic Shaker pieces. Then there are my treasures from my Husbands family and my lovely Danish and Icelandic treasures. I do have a few glasses and a couple of china pieces from France.
I wonder do you think I need to focus? I have noticed that my art is like that also a bit of this and a bit of that :)
Oh!!!about what I would like from France...a visit with you...when can you come?

[~Kim]

That was SO fun!

I love that table in the first picture and the bed ~ complete with the vision you shared for it of white cotton and lace bedding, a crystal chandelier , a breeze gently blowing through the window...(flanked by shutters, of course! :-))

Thank you so much for letting me tag along with you on your visit to the second~hand store! :-)

[Lorraine]

I love the empty sewing thread spools! And the country style things! I'm off to find a second-hand store to browse in ...

[beachy]

Scrumptious! I'm saving my pennies and stocking up on tortillas and chocolate chips (sorry about your sweet nieces - we live on opposite coasts)! heehee

I LOVE old beds! Don't know why... perhaps because since having children I haven't had a solid night's sleep in 13 years! I love brass ones, wooden ones, little metal cots, tall ones you need a stepstool to get into, baby beds and cribs... I like beds! =)

[Candy]

I loved the needlepoint the most. When I came to that picture I thought, "I'd buy that". It almost made me want to take it up again. Almost. But what I'd really like to see is more vintage garden ware. I love that stuff. I'm one of those people who has painted a bunch of that furniture - in a past life, several years ago in a studio a friend and I shared. I'll have to post some pictures of some of the wild stuff we did.

[andrea]

Chandeliers! Yes please. I would love to see some photos of stunning french crystal chandeliers.
:)
a.

[Paris Parfait]

I would have bought the needlepoint piece too! I recently gave away four of the Napoleon III chairs (your last picture) with cane seats. And they were the real deal, not reproductions. This is the problem with Paris apartments and not enough space to keep everything I'd like (and the cave is stuffed with things for when we have more space "someday.") I gave the chairs to a young French couple, just starting their life together. They were thrilled, which made me much happier than storing the chairs in the wine cellar!

[karen]

The needlepoint was gorgeous. I love objects that show the patina of time....anything from the 30's and earlier catches my eye. The hardest thing is learning to edit.

[Edi]

"Treasure Hunting" at thrift stores is one of my favorite "entertainments". The thrill is in the hunt (and the find!)

It's making me want to pop into my favorite thrift store today. I have noticed though in the past few years, higher prices and more junk! But once in awhile - I will find a treasure and that treasure keeps me going back.

[Dee/reddirtramblings]

Your antique jaunt reminded me of going to downtown Guthrie. I go there at least once a week. The main streets have several antique 'er junk shops. I find lovely handmade textiles. Living in a log cabin, my style is more American country. I love embroidered pillowcases, tea towels, handkerchiefs, etc. I really like that little chair with the flower arrangement on the back. I bought a big piece the other day. It was a buffet for my dining room. I got it for $300 because it has a scratch on the top. I'm going to have a piece of granite fitted for the top. The other buffet I loved in an Edmond shop (hoity-toity) (spelling?) sold for $3,000. It was French. Here, French antiques are very expensive. I also love garden antiques, but again, here, terribly expensive. I buy reproductions. Sorry, so long today.

[Di Overton]

Can you even begin to imagine how much I am enjoying these posts? I do think you can. Keep going I can't get enough
Thanks for the link Corey you are a dahling!

[Katy]

I'm drooling over the spools! I can usually only get the small stuff, anyway. Furniture is a bit beyond me. I just recently scored some mercury-glass buttons. Like the lady above, I also like old kitchen collectibles. I have several Scottish spurtles - a wooden stirring stick with a thistle carved on top - used to stir porridge. Love that old wood!
Can't help with the nieces, but I can get tortillas and chocolate chips any time!

[le petit cabinet de curiosites]

Someone junk can be your treasure !!! I love that . That is a very good comercial sentence for an antique shop !!!
I can see that there was a lot of interesting things in the TDL !
You are going to put " l'eau à la bouche " to americans !
I think I know these lions.
Which style I like , well ..YOURS

[My Melange]

Love it! Second hand shops are the best!! I frequent the Salvation Arm here at home and I scored a great green and gold chair that sits in my living room..for next to nothing!! Also, Hospital thrift shops are treasure troves. Love that gold-ish table Corey!!! I would love to see some chandelier's. Stone stauary and rusty urns too! And I too love the Louis whatever armchairs ;) Sheesh...you got me all excited with all those pictures..

[Miss Sandy]

Corey,
Thanks for the tour. I am very tempted to hop the next plane with chocolate chips, tortillas, and neices in tow!

[Darla]

Glad you got the tapestry. I too prefer the patina of old to the shiny of new. Can't wait to see pictures of the market. My house is pretty full of furniture but I can always make room for more food and flowers.

Darla

[nancy]

thank you for the petite balade. (feel like i've ben there myself!)
wink nancy

[tut-tut]

Oh, old kitchen utensils are my favorite!

[Lee]

Wooden cotton reels! Time travel! They take me straight back to my Grandmother's house.

[Jeanne]

How beautiful and lovely is everything that you share..........
Treasure troves beyond compare.
Love and kisses
Jeanne