Not as famous as the Grande Braderie de Lille or the Réderie d'Amiens, the Foire aux Puces de Crèvecœur-le-Grand is still considered the third largest flea market in Northern France.
Held once a year on Ascension Day since 1970, this huge flea market welcomes more than 2,200 exhibitors and 40,000 buyers from all over northern Europe. It is the third largest flea market in France, after the Lille and Amiens flea markets, but only in terms of size. In fact, the Foire aux Puces de Crèvecœur-le-Grand has something that Lille and Amiens do not: a strict policy regarding the type of merchandise that can be sold there.
While the Braderie de Lille and the Réderie d'Amiens are more like giant garage sales and swap meets, the Foire aux Puces de Crèvecœur-le-Grand is a true flea market, with almost exclusively rare items. Sellers of household appliances, clothing, food, cosmetics, car stereos, DVDs, toiletries and the like are banned from the premises in favor of merchants selling antiques, crockery, silverware, old furniture, French provincial decor, vintage linen, glassware, books, clocks, vintage toys, collectibles, militaria, and more.
In fact, just like the Bric-à-Brac de Marsac, almost 70% of the 2,200 exhibitors who sell at the Foire aux Puces de Crèvecœur-le-Grand are professional antique dealers. Flea market enthusiasts and antique shoppers who visit this 8-mile long flea market know that they will find quality items. That is why the Foire aux Puces de Crèvecœur-le-Grand has been running successfully for almost 50 years. People who travel to Crèvecœur-le-Grand know that they won't go home empty-handed.
In fact, because of the quality of its exhibitors, the Foire aux Puces de Crèvecœur-le-Grand attracts many foreigners who are accustomed to visiting only the best antique fairs and flea markets in France. Antique dealers and enthusiasts come from as far away as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, to look for objects that the French do not buy anymore, like old clocks, linen, glassware, or 19th-century furniture. Foreign visitors are part of the success of this flea market, which explains why they come back year after year.
As with all great flea markets, the early bird gets the worm. And to be among the first to arrive, antique lovers get up early. Very early. The first wave of visitors usually arrives at the Foire aux Puces de Crèvecœur-le-Grand around 5:30 or 6 a.m. (some even show up at 3 a.m. with a flashlight). The second wave is expected around 11 am and the third wave around 2 pm. As in previous editions, the most eager shoppers do not hesitate to sleep on the spot. First come, first served.
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