The Louvre des Antiquaires
My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.
A depressing look down one of the aisles of the Louvre des Antiquaires, with all the shops closed
Upon arriving back in Paris for the first time in a year, we visited some old stomping grounds. First up was the Louvre des Antiquaires, purportedly closed. Well not quite yet. Our visit showed it was open, but barely. Almost every shop was closed, except for a select few. In its heyday, the center was bustling with activity. Getting a shop there required buying out someone’s existing lease with
key money, usually hundreds of thousands of dollars. What a depressing difference!
Rue des Rosiers, the main street of the flea markets
Next up were the flea markets near Porte de Clignancourt – disappointing, but not depressing like the Louvre des Antiquaires. In its heyday, much of the business was done in the middle of the night, with flashlights. The action started early, with fierce competition for the best merchandise. Nowadays, the pace is much slower. The flea markets have clients milling about, but there is no frenetic competition. Many of the dealers I knew have retired, leaving very few to do business with.
Wonderful Daum vase with two applied and wheel-carved dragonflies
The trip wasn’t a waste. I was still able to buy some goodies from a few dealers, some of whom hid their best items. If they don’t know you, you’ll never see them. I’ll start to list some of them on my site as soon as I get a little time.
Now off to Barcelona for a few days – a city I’ve never visited, but have heard lots about. Of prime interest will be the Art Nouveau architectural masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi. We’ll also check to see if it’s possible to buy antiques there, but I don’t really see that happening.
No post this Thursday. The next new post will be on Monday. The topic will be Barcelona.
No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, at the Denver Mart, EXPO Building, 451 East 58th Avenue, July 24-26, 2015. I’ll always be in touch, even while we’re in Europe, so please don’t hesitate to email or call.
Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around. I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.
