DAY 3

PARIS - Day 3 in Paris we hit one of my favorite places, the Flea Market. The most famous flea market in Paris is the one at Porte de Clignancourt, known to everyone as Les Puces (The Fleas). This is no flea-sized market: The Puces covers a little over 17 acres and is the largest antiques market in the world, receiving between 120,000 to 180,000 visitors every weekend.

We always go to the Les Puces on our trips to Paris to look for vintage pieces of fabrics or “document fabrics” as we call them in the industry. The fabrics are traditionally florals, from small ditsy to large over-sized florals (much like bedding that you might find in Ralph Lauren’s line).

We come to this flea market so much that we definitely have our favorite booths and the dealers always remember us (because we spend so much money). These antique pieces of fabric can cost around $300 and up for just a yard. We spent about $6,000 today, which is typical for us and it’s part of our spending budget.

We rummaged through piles and piles of fabrics and also textile repeat artwork, which is what the fabric patterns originate. We also found some really great ideas for needlepoint, which will go to one of our main factories in Shanghai. They specialize in needlepoint and petitepoint there.

If you are planning a trip to Paris, don’t miss Les Puces, but here are some tips from a couple of frequent American visitors — us!

1. Start early in the morning, because the place can become very crowded later in the day.

2. Don’t bring anything you don’t need, like your passport or extra credit cards, because there is always a risk of having it stolen.

3. Choose a central location to which you and your shopping companions will return. Again, the flea market is very big, thus it’s easy to lose the others in your group.

4. Always negotiate! I have no shame about asking for something at a lower price. It’s almost like a challenge.

5. Contact a shipper to send your purchases back to the states. Even do this for smaller items, because it’s easier and it’s insured — and you don’t have to bother dragging something onto the plane and through airport security.

So after all of that spending it was time for a quick lunch of onion soup, café and French bread to regain some energy to go spend money shopping the little boutiques and another store called Le Bon Marché. It’s the only Left Bank department store, and it earns high marks from both shoppers and food lovers, with its adjoining food halls and roof garden.

Then, it’s back to the hotel to pack and get ready for our trip in the morning on the Chunnel to London.

Read About Day 1
Read About Day 2
Read About Day 4
Read About Day 5