How to Participate in a French Vide-Grenier (Car Boot Sales)

Member Name: Praskipark

Product:	Car Boot Sales
Date:	09/10/09 (101 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Meet some colourful characters in lovely situations

Disadvantages: You can't just turn up

In the summer months in France, many small towns and villages hold their annual vide-grenier. This literally means empty attic and is a combination of village fete and car boot sale.

Participating in one can be an interesting and fun experience and an opportunity to make a few centimes, so how should you go about it?

It's obviously a lot easier if you speak French but as long as you can make yourself understood, you can get involved. About a month before, posters will appear in shops, cafes and bus shelters advertising the event. These will have a phone number of one of the organisers. You need to phone up and reserve an emplacement stating how many metres you want - two or three is enough for most people and the price is per metre.

They will ask your name and your French address. Some are quite strict in their entry requirements and will only permit people who reside within the boundaries of the commune. Others are less pedantic. In theory, you should only do one or two as more constitutes market trading without a licence. Obviously, I did more more without consequence. I was living in France at the time so it was easier for me to follow and break the rules but if you are coming from UK or just on holiday it may be a little more difficult. As long as you can give a French address and is within the boundaries of the town/village/hamlet there won't be a problem.

Depending on your objective, you may want to do a number to make some cash or just the local one to demonstrate your fraternity with your Gallic cousins. From experience, some are much better than others. The best ones are in a small town that is on a main route between other towns; this will generate a lot of passing trade. The worst ones are in fields out of the way from the village or transit routes. Also, as the season progresses, there may be as many as four or five in one area on the same day and whilst some people do the rounds and go to the lot, it generally reduces the numbers attending. They are usually at weekends and national holidays.

Some of the vide-greniers I took part in where in beautiful situations in the Midi-Pyrenees: those very special fairy tale towns that are dangerously perched on top of a cliff or in busy market towns that have the everyday market going on at the same time so the whole town is a hive of activity. Others were just damn awful - stuck in the middle of nowhere with about 12 punters walking around all day stopping every half an hour and making the same conversation - incredibly tedious at times.

So to the big day; you do not need to arrive excessively early, 7.30 for a 9.00 start will be sufficient. When you arrive in your target town, you will easily follow the signs all around and marshals will guide you to a 'check in desk' where your name will be checked against the reservation list. You will be told what your emplacement number is which is non-negotiable. You will be directed to it by other marshals and the numbered pitch will be marked out in chalk. Some are run with military efficiency whilst others can be a little chaotic.

When you set up, because the plots have been measured to the centimetre, you may find yourself in a border dispute with your neighbour. Don't be intimidated but keep a good humour and try to compromise; you will be stuck with them all day. Remember to pack a parasol as the summer temperatures can get into the high thirties. By the same token, plastic sheeting is a useful precaution in the event of a late afternoon, thundery downpour.

In general, les vide-grenier run to quite a strict timetable and the French being creatures of habit, adhere to the schedule. It's not the done thing to leave earlier than the six o'clock chimes on the local church bell. In the middle of the morning, someone from the local administration will come round to collect your fee and take details of your piece d'identite. After all, bureaucracy is a French word!

The pace of the market is very pedestrian and laid back and as is often the case, people come as much to look as they do to buy. You will get some British tourists and English speakers but the vast majority of punters will be French. Even if your French is not brilliant, it is well worth taking the plunge and getting a free twelve hour lesson.

By mid day, the morning rush has passed and when the clock strikes twelve, the crowd miraculously disappears and everyone downs tools. Small tables, tablecloths, sausage, fromage, pain and vin rouge all come out as stallholders settle down for a good two hour lunch break. It's safe to leave your stall unattended and look around. Along with books sold by weight, children's toys, bric-a-brac, jewellery and 'antiques,' you might pick up bargain baskets, rustic ware and eccentric object d'art but classic items like genuine glass Ricard jugs, all come at a grand prix.

After lunch, the hour between two and three is very slow but the pace picks up again for the remainder of the afternoon. All said and done, it's a twelve hour day for four hour's selling which is probably pro-rata for many activities in France. It's unlikely that you'll have made your fortune but you will have had a genuinely French experience and developed a good deal of bon ami; you'll have met bouffanted Bardots, intellectual professors, edgy, chain smoking swarthy types and a whole gallery of colourful characters telling you your products are 'trop cher Monsieur!' If you've thought about a vide-grenier but didn't have the nerve, just do it; it's well worthwhile and you won't be disappointed. Bon courage!

For people thinking about participating in a French boot sale or vide-grenier I hope this information helps as you can't just turn up like you can in UK. You do have to plan, take your passport and give a French address.

* First posted on Helium - has been tweaked for Dooyoo.*

Summary: A Boot Sale with a Great Deal of French Flair