French "Brocantes" - Objects changing hands.
- Jan 12
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 13
Today is a particluar kind of Sunday. It's flea market day. Not any one in particular, just one close to us. In fact there is very possibly one taking place every day of the year in France. The French "brocante". The word itself is pretty old. It comes from the 15th century verb "brocanter" meaning to barter or trade in small goods. It's roots are a bit more practical than poetic.
The things for sale, were never supposed to be rare or carry any kind of prestige. It was all about "circulation" - objects moving from one life, to be re-loved in another. It's a worthy distinction. Brocantes are not antiques fairs, neither curated nor particularly elevated. They are, by nature, resolutely ordinary events, they are the purveyors of the in-between things. Items that are no longer needed by me, but more than a little sought after, by you. That's the charm.
