On the day of our own village brocante the weather was terrible so there were not many stall holders. This was good news for the lady holding a "vide maison" where people could browse indoors so she had a steady stream of customers. She said this set of playing card stainless steel dishes had been a wedding present. Guessing her age I would say they were probably from the 1970's. I bought them as a gift for some friends who occasionally hold card tournaments.
She also said her house was for sale, or would be once she had cleared out all the stuff (there was a lot of it). I gave her my number as it could be exactly the kind of small house we're looking for.
This pretty set of espresso cups came from the brocante at Neuilly-le-Brignon. When I got them home two of them were chipped so I swapped them for some I had already. It was still a bargain for 2€.
This unusual chandelier came from the brocante restaurant in Pleumartin, the one where everything is for sale, including the dishes you eat off and the chairs and tables you sit at.
It took me a while to find some candles slim enough to fit in it.
This pretty dish is probably fairly modern but it's proved very handy for serving bread or a few biscuits. A bargain at 1€.
I got these Pyrex cups from the vide grenier at Le Grand-Pressigny, perfect to supplement my collection of small cups to serve chocolate mousse or lemon posset. They remind me of the glass cups and saucers that were used to serve coffee in the coffee shops that were all the rage when I was a teenager in the 1960's.
This pretty green plant pot holder looked as though it had never been used. In fact the price label was still on the bottom of it. Although the price was not legible I bet it cost a lot more than the 1€ I paid for it. The pineapple plant is a recent purchase from Ikea.
Lovely bargains. I remember those Pyrex cups. Milky coffee, anybody??
ReplyDeleteHow cool we were in those days, with our milky coffee behind the steamed up windows of the Kardomah coffee shop, next door to the record shop where you could listen to the latest singles in a little booth before buying! Those were the days!!
DeleteThose are all "Quality Finds!" And thanks for teaching me the word "brocante" -- I'm trying to improve my French vocabulary at the moment.
ReplyDelete"Brocante" is bric-a-brac. A "brocante" is the name for a street market selling old stuff. We would call it a flea market. There is also the term "vide grenier" which is another kind of street market and actually means "empty the attic". The terms are interchangeable but my impression is that a "brocante" is likely to have more antiques and professional sellers whereas a "vide grenier" often seems to have literally old junk from the attic or garage plus mountains of used clothes and toys. They are a godsend for people with young kids.
Deletewow! My mother had suits bowls quite similar to these; she used them at bridge parties.
ReplyDeleteI imagine they would be just the thing for bridge parties.
DeleteI love that kind of collecting.
ReplyDeleteIt can be transient as some of the things we buy are found another new home after a while. Others become permanent treasures.
DeleteAre you looking for a smaller place? We just have got bigger and bigger here with the addition of two barns and a garden extra to the original!! I love brocantes, but because N cannot walk far, we seldom go to any or the markets, I miss them. Hope all is well up your way. Cheers Diane
ReplyDeleteYes, we recognise that sooner or later we will need a house that is easier to manage and nearer to help and facilities, but it’s a few years away yet.
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