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If this conjures up images of a sprawling field filled with broken bed frames, faded curtains and sofas with the stuffing coming out, you're in for a surprise and are better off going to the Montreuil version. The fleas left long ago, and since what started as a rag-and-bone shantytown outside the city limits has been organised into a series of enclosed villages, some entirely covered and others with open-air streets and covered boutiques for the antiques dealers.
South of this sprawls the canvas-covered part where joss sticks, fake Converse trainers and cheap batteries are perused by crowds of teenagers - best avoided unless you're after that kind of thing. In recent years rents have shot up. The result is that much of the Puces is more like a museum than a flea market, and restaurants are swiftly replacing antiques dealers who can no longer make ends meet.
But once you get under its skin, the Puces still offers an intoxicating blend of the sublime and the ridiculous. Repeat visits pay off and the more you banter with the sellers preferably in French the more bargains will reveal themselves, especially in the couple of streets that still sell unrestored objects.
This already shows the dealer that you want it. Be prepared to walk away if you really want that good deal. Some only take it, and for others it's a good bargaining tool. There is only one cashpoint and there is always a queue. Been there, done that? Think again, my friend. About us. Contact us. No thanks Subscribe. Enter email address. No thanks Awesome, you're subscribed! One of Europe's biggest flea markets, selling everything from Nike knock-offs to Eames chairs.
