- Hi, guys. Welcome back to my channel.
So today, I wanted to show you one
of my favorite little permanent brocantes here
in Saint Gilles Croix de Vie.
It's called Atelier Brocante, and I'm parked just outside,
waiting for it to open.
I love this little shop
because it's a virtual treasure trove.
So because this place can be so much fun
and so overwhelming, I made myself a little list,
because it can be easy to forget what you went in for.
So I need a little crock for my sink to hold the sponges in.
Number two, I need a little silver spoon,
or maybe a wooden spoon to fit in my mustard decanter
that I found at the Brocante last year.
I still haven't found a spoon for that poor little thing.
I also need a little ice bucket,
something to go with our bar.
Funny enough, I probably won't find any of these things,
but I'll find all new things that I didn't know I needed.
I think I see that he's opening.
Let's go.
(upbeat music)
I always like to start out front,
because this is where you can get some really great bargains
and there are some beautiful old pots
and all kinds of really fun curiosities.
So let's see what he has today.
Look at this, this is an old fish steamer.
How fabulous is that?
You see a lot of these in France.
It's such a fish eating culture.
I wish, in the United States, we ate more fish.
It's hard to get people on board, but here it's so fresh.
We're right by the ocean,
so you see a lot of fish cooking (indistinct) like that.
Look at these chairs. These are beauties.
Look at that, for the garden.
These are fun, too, these bottle holders.
So a lot of times, people will take their bottles,
their empties, to the actual vineyard and fill them up.
And then you can use this to dry them and wash them.
In fact, we were married here in France
and my brother-in-law took us out to the vineyard
and we actually filled up the wine and the champagne.
And my sister-in-law made beautiful little labels
with our wedding date on it.
Super sweet.
There was a bright red Le Creuset pot.
Ooh, yeah, that needs some work.
Look at that.
This is a beauty.
What's this? This is gorgeous.
Wow. Awesome.
It comes with the tray.
Love these baskets.
If I brought home one more basket though,
my husband will kill me.
But I just love them, it's so gorgeous.
All right, now let's go inside
and see the really good stuff.
You guys are gonna die
when you see all of these beautiful stuff.
Again, it's just hard to know where to look.
The thing that I love most about this store
is they have wonderful things, like this mirror.
Look at how beautiful this is, it was 12 euros.
I just loved it,
but I wasn't really sure where I could put it.
So I had to sort of put that one back.
Or look at this copper pot.
How cute is that?
But that probably does take a lot of maintenance,
so I think we'll leave that one behind.
And then they'll have these weird random things
like this bunny.
The owner, Jean-Pascal, was showing me this thing.
And that just sort of started us off on a little tour.
And Jean-Pascal was kind enough
to take me through the store
and show me some of his favorite things.
(speaking in French)
So he told me it was an armoire of a princess,
and what was inside was a surprise.
So I knew I was in for something.
The carving on the bottom was pretty extraordinary,
but what was even more interesting is when he opened it,
I was expecting just a series of shelves,
but instead it was a series of mirrors, a trifold mirror.
I've never seen anything like that.
I thought that was pretty spectacular.
But wait, there's more.
Then he opened the back mirror
and that's where all the storage was.
This was truly an incredible piece,
and I think if somebody had a huge home,
or even a bridal shop, he was saying,
this would be the perfect thing.
(speaking in French)
Then he showed me a beautiful dressing table
that dated back to 1920.
It was really rare
to find something like this made out of marble.
I can only imagine how heavy that must be.
Then another thing he showed me that was fascinating
was an old camera from 1930.
(speaking in French)
I couldn't help but wonder, did it still work?
Could you actually take a picture with it today?
He said, "Sure."
But I don't know, it looked a little suspicious to me.
Then he showed me an old flipper game
that actually had a car wheel
instead of the little buttons of the flippers
that you see today.
I thought it was really interesting.
It dated back to 1949 and had the map of France on it.
(speaking in French)
He was showing me a hat from the French Navy.
And in fact, my nephew was telling me,
as we were watching TV
of all of the Bastille Day preparations on TV,
the reason why they have those little red pompoms
is so that when the sailors go under deck,
they don't hit their heads on the ceilings,
because the ceilings are so low in the boats.
So that little pompom does help protect their head.
Then he opened up some of the display cases
and it was fun to see what was in there.
This was an alligator nutcracker,
which I thought was a very fun looking piece.
And some books, these were books all about nature,
and they date back to a time
when most of these books would've been in Latin.
So they were actually printed in Latin,
which I thought was also kind of interesting.
There was an old fireman helmet.
I just kept thinking how hot that would get
if you're fighting a fire
and that thing is made outta metal.
Then he showed me some beautiful absinthe glasses.
So absinthe was quite a popular drink in the 1850s
among writers and artists in France.
You would actually serve it by taking a spoon
that was pierced.
This is a solid spoon, but just to get the idea,
putting a sugar cube on top of the spoon
and then pouring water
so the sugar melted into the alcohol.
It was banned 1915
because it was said to cause hallucinations
and make people go crazy.
But then they brought it back.
But in France, you couldn't call it absinthe.
so you could serve it,
but as long as it had a different name, it was allowed.
(speaking in French)
In this part of France, since we're so close to the water,
it's common to see these old models of boats
in different brocante shops.
I always am so intrigued by them
because they're pretty detailed.
This was before the internet or television.
So this was something that would've kept you pretty busy
to pass the time.
I think they're beautiful
and they would look right at home today in a living room.
(speaking in French)
This book was pretty interesting.
This was an old school book that was used to teach
the history of France.
I think it's pretty wonderful how large it is,
and the engravings are so detailed.
One of the things I love most about brocante shopping
is that it gives you a picture
for how people used to live back in the day.
This old piece of equipment would separate out the milk
from the cream and then would also churn the butter for you.
So can you imagine waking up every morning
and giving this thing a turn?
I'm also a sucker for all of these old serving pieces.
Look at this beautiful pewter one.
I mean, how gorgeous is that?
If I could bring it home with me,
this would be a perfect piece for Thanksgiving.
Just would look right at home with all of our fall foods.
(speaking in French)
This was another fascinating piece.
Jean-Pascal was describing the boredom that existed
in the trenches during World War I
and the men would sometimes find little diversions
to keep themselves occupied.
And one thing that they would do is carve
these sort of just random objects.
This was just a wooden phone
that somebody felt the need to carve.
It doesn't work, it's just a sculpture,
and we have it today as testament to that was something
that they did.
There was an old scale that used to exist in pharmacies.
In fact, I showed this to my husband
and he remembers as a kid going into a pharmacy
and putting in your money to see how much you weighed.
I guess as a kid, that would be a fun thing to do.
I'm not sure I wanna go do that now though,
especially not after this trip.
This is my favorite little section
of this shop I always make a beeline for.
This is where all of the glassware
and the dishes can be found.
The fun thing about France is that you can find a glass
for just about everything in France.
Each little glass had its purpose
and served a certain type of alcohol or drink.
And there is no lack of options.
Linens are a fun thing to bring home
because they can just be tucked inside a suitcase.
I always look at the initials in France
to see if I know anybody who has those initials.
Wouldn't that just be a perfect gift?
RC. I don't know anybody with RC.
So I'll keep moving.
Ooh, some cute little fish plates.
Again, more fish motifs.
Oh, and these, these are my favorite.
These are old jam jars.
They're typically pretty inexpensive
and I use them to put votive candles in
'cause they make perfect candle holders.
Another thing to be on the hunt for
at a shop like this are little pasties glasses.
In fact, a lot of people collect them
because they're just so collectible.
There's so many different kinds.
So apparently these glasses were given to bars
by the various alcohol manufacturers
that were manufacturing pasties
as a way to promote their brand.
So you'll find everything from Ricard to Pernod.
All the brands usually are represented in some way.
So when the bars closed and all these glasses were left,
they usually end up at a brocante like this.
Another thing you'll find
are a lot of these beautiful floral plates,
which I think make great little hors d'oeuvre platters.
Sometimes they can be hard to find as a whole set,
but as onesies or twosies,
I think they work great for hors d'oeuvre
or for serving a dessert.
I was not finding any ice buckets, but hey,
here are a bunch of coffee carafes if you need it.
I love that trivet, the rope knot.
That's great.
It kind of reminds me of a pin my mom used to wear
in the 70s.
Then it was off to the larger part of the store,
which is where all the furniture is kept.
This was something that was used
before you had running water in the bedroom or bathroom.
You would just pour the water on the top
and wash your hands on the bottom.
I find brocante shops are also a great place
to get a good deal on original art.
I'm kind of kicking myself
that I did not buy this painting
because it's a painting of Nantes,
the city where my husband and I were married.
(speaking in French)
For a minute, I almost fell for that joke.
Also, look at this beautiful mirror.
If I had any more wall space, oh, that's a beauty.
Then, this was an interesting piece.
I mean, this is why I love this shop.
These are the kind of weird,
random things you can also find here.
This was an old motorcycle, but not just any motorcycle,
a family motorcycle.
(speaking in French)
He explained that if a family didn't have enough money
to buy a car, they would use this instead to move around.
So you would have the husband on the front,
the wife on the back,
and the kids in the little crate there,
and off they would go to a seaside village for a vacation.
(speaking in French)
Okay. All right.
So this was a piece that required
a little bit of show and tell.
Again, this was something that was going to shed
a little bit more light on how the French lived probably
a century or two ago.
(speaking in French)
So apparently this little gadget would've been filled
with hot water and placed in the bathtub to heat the water.
I was kind of intrigued by this 'cause I kept thinking,
why not just pour it right in the bathtub?
But he explained, because it was made out of copper,
it would actually retain the heat better
and continue to heat the water.
(speaking in French)
Then because he was so knowledgeable,
I couldn't pass up the opportunity
to ask him about these pots.
I see them in all the brocantes in France
and I always wonder what they were used for.
He explained that they used to be used for food storage,
but I thought they'd be great for my sponges.
(speaking in French)
Then remember what I was saying
about every alcohol in France
having its own little specialty glass?
Well, that was the case here.
These were glasses that were used to drink
an alcohol called Byrrh,
which was typically enjoyed by women back in the day.
I think today these little glasses would be perfect
for ice cream cups.
I was curious about this little basket
and what it might have been used for.
(speaking in French)
He explained that a long time ago,
the women of Vianden used to use these little baskets
for Sundays.
Now we were going for another show and tell.
I love the show and tell
because it really helps put it in perspective.
He explained that these little baskets
were basically the modern day makeup bag.
So Sundays were big days for these women
and they would go to the market, they would go to Mass,
they might even have a little picnic,
and they needed the baskets to have things
to make sure that their hair looked best,
their makeup was touched up.
So they were pretty much very coquette,
as you would say in French,
which meant that they were really into their appearance
and didn't wanna look out of place or disheveled.
I just love walking through the back of the store
and looking at all of this beautiful furniture
and thinking about who might have used it
and what it was for.
Look at this beautiful piece,
little odds and ends of people's lives
that just somehow all come together and get collected here.
Just, if they all could talk and tell you stories,
what the stories would be.
I mean, look at this,
here's a cradle filled with champagne corks.
You never know when you may need a bunch of champagne corks.
They're here if you need 'em.
Sweet little platters
that have beautiful little designs on them.
A wonderful old secretary
or maybe vanity with a marble top.
Old kitchen equipment.
My husband thought that maybe these were used
to make Croque Monsieurs back in the day,
or some type of sandwich.
Beautiful old cutting boards made out of wood.
A beautiful old soup tureen that is lovely.
I also love these little plates
that come from Quimperle City up in Brittany.
I just think they're so charming.
There's not enough for a full set,
but I think they would be great on a wall in a kitchen,
or maybe even a dining room.
Some more cute little fish plates.
Look at this guy, he's so cute.
He'd be great for some nuts or crackers.
Some old cast iron enamel pots.
This one's 35 euros
and in a lot better condition than the one outside.
In this part of France,
you also see a lot of these brass candle sticks
with a little lever for moving the candle up and down,
depending on how burnt down it is.
I love them because they really add
to this sort of nautical vibe.
We have a few at our house
and I just think they're so charming.
Well, that was quite the visit.
Some very interesting things.
Let me show you what I got.
So I didn't find exactly what I was looking for,
but I did find some things.
First up, this little gem of a pot.
This is what I'm gonna use to put my sponges in.
Really well made, it's in great condition.
Thought it would just be perfect
on my counter for my sponges.
So let's see.
I thought I could just put it here and drop them in there.
There, that looks a lot better.
And maybe I'll just put this in here.
There we go.
And it's right at home with all the dish washing pellets.
There.
And then the other thing I found was something
that I didn't know that I actually needed until I saw it,
then it just reminded me that, oh yeah,
this would be a good thing to have,
and that is this little gem, a beautiful tray.
Isn't this great?
This was only 16 euros.
My little pot was eight euros.
So that was a good deal, I thought.
But look how well made it is.
It's really beautiful.
I just thought it would be really handy
to put like drinks and little coasters and glasses on,
because it has these handles and I can just take it outside.
Then another thing I found are two serving pieces.
So this I did luck out.
So I got this pair, and then I got this pair.
This actually came in a little fancy box.
I thought those were nice.
And the moment of truth is gonna be
if I can publish these and they're going to shine right up.
But in the past, I have done that.
I have this pair here.
This is my little serving drawer.
I did it with these and they did shine up a little bit.
I just think the rustic part of it
is kind of part of the charm.
So I don't mind a little rusticness.
And then I just have a little cake server in here,
and some knives.
These actually I found last year.
I love it when they come with a little case,
because it just makes storing it so much better.
But see, now I'm adding to my little collection here.
And I think this is part of
how you acquire things for entertaining,
is you don't have to buy it all at once.
Little by little, you add to it,
and it's a fun thing to collect.
And so then when I entertain
and we have 16 people for dinner
and there's lots of platters and bowls,
I will be able to have these serving pieces to go with them.
So let's see if they shine up.
Let's see, come on.
Last time I was here,
I actually bought this little silver polish.
I don't know if it's the exact thing I should be using,
but we're gonna try it and see.
Hmm.
Well this is looking promising. Okay.
See? Not so bad, right?
Check it out.
Before, after.
And then my last little find is actually gonna go in here
in the studio.
Excuse the unmade bed,
we have my brother-in-law and sister-in-law coming tomorrow,
so I'm getting this room ready for them.
But one of the things we learned when renting this house
is that our rental agency said we needed to have hangers
on these little hooks here for people to hang things.
So, when my husband was here in October,
he got these plastic hangers.
Bless his heart.
But I'm really not a big fan of the plastic,
so while I was at Atelier Brocante,
I actually found these wooden hangers.
They're a little bit more rustic,
but I just think they'll look a little bit better in here.
So let's see.
It's kind of funny that it still has the franc.
There. I don't know.
Just looks a little better I think,
adds to this sort of rustic charm.
Then another thing that I bought this week
that I could not resist,
I found it at this other little local flea market,
is this fantastic soup tureen.
Look at this.
Now, this would obviously be a lot of soup going in here.
But, I just thought because this table is so big,
it needed something on it.
It just looked kind of lonely.
And I thought wouldn't that just be pretty
to have in the center?
It has the most incredible detail.
Sorry, we've got a play date going on in the pool right now.
That's why it's a little loud.
So what I thought I would put in here are just napkins
for the table, right?
It was only five euros, five euros, $5.
Such a bargain.
I could not pass it up,
it just looked too pretty to stay
in that little thrift store, collecting dust.
And you know, if somebody breaks it,
it wasn't a ton of money, but hopefully it will survive.
All right, you guys,
that's it for my flea market hall this year.
I'm sure I'll be finding little things along the way.
And when I do,
I'll be sure to share them on Instagram in my story.
So you can follow me on Instagram
if you want more updates on my flea market finds
while I'm here in France.
All right, you guys, I'll see you back here next time.
Until then, bye.