Hoards of travellers and locals alike flock to Paris’ flea markets in search of antique wares and one-of-a-kind finds, and rightfully so. The Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen is one of our favorite markets and this series will detail some of its top vendors. Today we look inside the best of Mid-century Modern. Enjoy! – Erin

HiP Paris Blog, Flea Market, Emma Stencil, Artocarpus

Artocarpus

The Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen is the largest flea market in the world, welcoming over five million visitors to its maze of stands and alleyways each year. And a maze it truly is—the sprawling complex houses over 1,700 vendors, from art dealers to artisans to purveyors of second-hand furniture.

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Marché Paul Bert

So, you might ask, how do you find your way through this market, and where do you start? While there is value in going simply to get lost, this won’t work if your goal is to really sort the treasure from the trash. It should help that the Puces de Saint-Ouen is divided into 14 separate markets, some of which generally have better quality items than others. The Puces website has a description of each market here.

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Marché Paul Bert

One of our favorite markets in the Puces de Saint-Ouen is the open-air Marché Paul Bert, best known for its early- to mid-20th century furniture and decorative items, from Art Deco to minimalist mid-century modern. Paul Bert has over 220 stalls and is, along with its sister Marché Serpette, one of the more high-end markets at the Puces. In fact, you’ll often find other Parisian shop owners browsing the collections for their own inventories. Of the 220 stands, we love C.M.O. Paris (Allée 1 – Stand 67), Franck & Louise Morel (Allée 5 – stand 194), and Artocarpus (Allée 2 – Stand 143). So if you’re looking for that Eames chair, Noguchi table, or similar, head there.

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Marché Paul Bert

Prices do tend to be high at Paul Bert, but negotiating is expected. If this feels daunting, hire a shopping expert (like Context Travel) to guide you and assist with purchases.

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Marché Paul Bert

Marché Paul Bert, 85, Rue des Rosiers – 93400 Saint Ouen, open Saturday (9-6 pm), Sunday (10-6 pm), and Monday (11-5 pm). Métro: Porte de Clignancourt (ligne 4).

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Marché Paul Bert

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Written by Sara McCarty of Context Travel for the HiP Paris Blog. All photos by Emma Stencil. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, London, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

WRITTEN BY

Sara McCarty for Context Travel

A native of Philadelphia, Sara currently resides in Paris where she takes her passion for French food and culture very seriously. When not eating fromage and strolling in her neighborhood Montmartre, she works for Context Travel and contributes to Condé Nast Traveler among other travel-related publications. Context is a network of scholars and specialists—in disciplines including archaeology, art history, cuisine, urban planning, history, environmental science, and classics—who, in addition to our normal work as professors and researchers, design and lead in-depth walking seminars for small groups of intellectually curious travelers. The Context vision is to bring together local scholars and specialists with curious travelers to educate and impassion them; to allow them access to places and cultures that might otherwise remain out of site to the casual visitor; to invite them off the tourist track and into the real life of the people, history, and culture that makes these capitals, destinations. Context Travel also offers tours, like a shopping visit to the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen.

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