I sometimes receive emails from bloggers about to visit France, and keen to shop at brocante fairs, but unsure of the do's and don'ts . Of course it's mostly just a question of enjoying yourself and using common sense, but just for fun I put together a little guide to brocanteur etiquette:
- smile - everything works better when you smile
- wear
comfortable practical clothing, especially shoes, this is not a fashion event - enjoy
- be there early - the best stuff really does go first, I try to arrive around 6 .... a.m. of course
- be discreet, don't talk too loudly, be measured in your appreciation of an item
- be polite, this includes learning a minimum of the local language, counting to twenty, thank you, goodbye ....
- smile ( did I say that already?)
- keep your eyes and your mind wide open - be imaginative, don't just look at the object, think hard about how and where it could be used, restored
- be optimistic - take a basket
- certainly try and negotiate, but never so low as to be insulting! Generally you can lower a price a little, sometimes you can't - then you either walk away - smiling - or give in and pay up!
- make quick decisions- mistakes are rarely serious
- don't shop in crowds, it's not practical to be more than 2 or 3 together, plus it makes you conspicuous and lessens your chance of a good buy
- dress modestly, don't wear bright colours, try instead to blend into the background
- never regret, what's done is done (this is actually easier said than done, I still regret things I missed last year ... UGH!!)
I personally favour the country fairs , even if this means getting my feet wet in long grass, I always feel happier in a field than in a street! But I suppose I'm just a country girl.
Hope this is of some help - happy hunting !!
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