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With more than 700 exhibitors spread over 5 hectares of fields, the Bric-à-Brac of Marsac (Charente) is one of the largest professional flea markets in France, along with the Grande Braderie de Lille (10,000 exhibitors), the Foire aux Puces de Crèvecœur-le-Grand (2,200 exhibitors), and the Grande Réderie d'Amiens (2,000 exhibitors).
Held every September in Marsac, a town 9 miles from Angoulême, Bric-à-Brac has been the meeting place for collectors and lovers of antiques from all over France and abroad since 1975. Many antique buyers, interior decorators and flea market enthusiasts come from as far away as Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands to attend this two-day antique fair.
As 70% of the 700 vendors at Bric-à-Brac de Marsac are professional dealers, the quality of the goods on sale is guaranteed year after year. From antique furniture and heirloom-quality oil paintings to gramophones, kitchenware, ceramics, porcelain, stuffed animals, vintage French linen, antique wooden trunks, antique tools, vintage clothing, phonographs, antique cameras and other knick-knacks, the Bric-à-Brac de Marsac is a paradise for bargain hunters and antique lovers alike. No wonder the Bric-à-Brac attracts over 15,000 visitors each year!
To ensure that only reputable dealers with high-quality antiques and vintage goods sell at this event, the organizers of the Bric-à-Brac de Marsac have set the price of the stalls at around 30 euros per meter, in order to discourage private sellers from turning up to sell cheap bric-a-brac for 1 euro or 50 cents. However, prices at the Bric-à-Brac de Marsac are still affordable, especially when compared to other flea markets in major French cities such as Paris.
Because of its reputation - one of the five best flea markets in France - most buyers who are really serious about antiques at the Bric-à-Brac de Marsac usually arrive at 5 a.m. on the first day of the market to increase their chances of finding hidden treasures. Those interested in a good bargain usually arrive on the second day, when the dealers are more willing to haggle, although they also run the risk of missing out on some real treasures.
In addition to catering (sandwiches, grilled meats, French fries, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, coffee, fresh fruit, ice cream), the Bric-à-Brac de Marsac offers useful services to its visitors. For example, customers buying bulky furniture can use the free services of a quad bike with trailer, which drives around the site and delivers large items to one of the entrances of the Bric-à-Brac, where they can be picked up later by a car or truck.
Due to its epic size (5 hectares of fields), the Bric-à-Brac de Marsac is not for the faint-hearted. But the joy of seeing so many dealers in one place with such an interesting stock for only 3€ makes it worth the effort.
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