The best vintage, antique and collectible shops in Paris - Edith Pauly

Antiques aficionados and rummagers of every stripe: call to mind dimly lit attics, trunks smelling of old leather, dusty cartons, and that indescribable tingle of suspense aroused by the idea of a hidden prize which has been lying there, biding its time, waiting for you to find it. If you follow the instructions we have mapped out for you, you might discover almost anything. . . Armed with this list of Paris addresses, carefully selected to fulfill all your desires, you’ll be equipped with what you need to search for the unknown, unexpected surprise, be it large or small. Paris still contains many mysterious secrets and magical places, which you’ll discover, to your wonderment, as you explore its secondhand stores that are brimming with all sorts of decorative curiosities. At the rear of a courtyard or sheltered by a nineteenth-century arcade, in a Gothic stone basement or in an ordinary-looking shop, you will find a cornucopia of delights at a variety of prices, always with charm.

Fifty-eight antique, vintage, and curiosity shops–as well as the Saint-Ouen flea market–are profiled and photographed in this lavish guide to all things collectible in Paris.

Edith Pauly is the author of a book for children, Gigi, la grenouille qui voulait voire la mer, and is the French correspondent to Interni, an Italian design magazine.

Sandrine Alouf is a French photographer whose photographs appear in Paris Chic & Trendy and Boutique & Chic Hotels in Paris (both published by The Little Bookroom). Her installation of photographs of clouds along the platform of the RER Luxembourg station in Paris was called A ciel ouvert (Open to the Sky).

“Paris is many delightful things, one of which is shopping for antiques and collectibles. For that pursuit, this little guide is indispensable: 58 antique, vintage, and curiosity shops are profiled.” —Booklist

"Do you want to know where Karl Lagerfeld and Philippe Starck shop? Where to buy Bavarian tea sets? How to find a shop that sells antique doorknobs, and has more than 5,000 to choose from? You’ll find the answers to these questions, and tons more inspiration, in The Best Vintage, Antique and Collectible Shops in Paris, by Edith Pauly, with gorgeous photographs by Sandrine Alouf." --Irish Times

"Part of the enduring appeal of antique hunting is its serendipity. You can never be sure what you will find. And in a city such as Paris that is especially so. 'Paris still contains many mysterious secrets and magical places,' writes author Edith Pauly. Here she describes nearly 60 of them, including shops that specialize in china and housewares, antique kitchen utensils, vintage clocks and even a toy store for grown-ups. The gorgeous color photographs by Sandrine Alouf, beautifully laid out, accentuate the text." --The Chicago Tribune

"Shopping for vintage items offers two benefits: bargains and uniqueness. And when the shops are as appealing and eclectic as the 60 or so featured in this handy little guide, there's a third attraction: fun." --France Magazine