Wednesday, February 22, 2012

I'm a Picker, I'm a Grinner...

My love of brocantes and antiquing goes back to childhood: my grandfather owned a used-furniture store in Milwaukee and I loved playing around in there. In Provence there are outdoor brocantes just about every weekend but also shops that sell the same stuff, often at much-lower prices. These stores often have "Troc" in the name and my friends tease me that I can smell a Troc from miles away. (I always find something fun at the one near the TGV Station in Avignon, hidden away near the carwash in the Carrefour parking lot.) 

Not far from my house, in the countryside outside Eygalières, is a big independent one called Le Dépôt Vente and even though it's been there since 2006, somehow I hadn't been in 'til this week. Abondanza! 

Owners Gilles and Manu are antique dealers who buy and sell just about anything; their warehouse (pictured) is piled high with clothing, jewelry, art, books, furniture, kitchenware, lighting, tools and chotchkies galore. (The guys from the TV show American Pickers would love this place.) I'm not an expert by any means but the prices at Le Dépôt Vente are definitely fair: I picked up two St. Remy souvenir plates (one marked Limoges, one "Porcelaine France," plate hangers attached to both) for just 3€ each. If you can't make it to the store you can also shop online...but nothing beats wandering the aisles and coming upon that perfect something. And best of all, when you grow tired of it, you can sell it back...


Le Dépôt Vente
Route du Mas de Branquay
Eygalières
provence-depotvente.com
larmadio@wanadoo.fr
04-90-94-35-63 
Directions: On the website
Posted by Julie Mautner at 11:39 AM
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9 comments:

  1. AngelaFebruary 22, 2012 at 12:35 PM

    Love a good troc! Bought a lovely old heavy wooden cupboard as well as old linen sheets at one. Things people no longer want but that give you the feel of la vrai Provence!

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  2. Cowgirl ChefFebruary 22, 2012 at 12:42 PM

    I, too, am a brocante addict. And I have no intention of stopping. I'd love to check out the shops in your town. I have a feeling the prices are much better than what I find in Paris...

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  3. RonaFebruary 22, 2012 at 12:48 PM

    Another good reason to visit Provence. Julie, you never run out of great ideas. And I love the word Abondanza!.

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  4. RhondaFebruary 22, 2012 at 8:16 PM

    I "will" get to Provence some day! In the meantime, I salute you for sharing your Provence finds and stories. Merci, Julie, love your blog.

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  5. Olive and Branch for the homeFebruary 23, 2012 at 2:29 AM

    Ok- can you take me there this summer?

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  6. Olive and Branch for the homeFebruary 23, 2012 at 2:29 AM

    Ok- can you take me there this summer?

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  7. CarinaFebruary 23, 2012 at 7:07 PM

    I've found the best pieces at Troc's, though it doesn't stop me being excited that we're coming up to the brocante season.

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  8. Heather RobinsonFebruary 24, 2012 at 8:32 PM

    Ahhh, you know how much I love the Depot-Vente in Eygalieres and the two owners are sweeties! I have found some faaabulous things there--including porcelain that I later learned was 200€ a plate when I had bought the set of 6 for 45! :)

    Bisous from Ann Arbor where yes, it is snowing!
    -Heather

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  9. VirginiaMarch 4, 2012 at 4:02 PM

    Your title made me laugh. Now I need that ROUGE race car. It's too cute. The brocantes we found in the countryside were not so chichi. THey looked more or less like garage sale stuff in the U.S.!
    V

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