Antiques Magazines

Summertime is the best time to “chine” in France and all over Europe.

I would like to provide you with some resources beside the internet to which you may refer as you plan your antiquing itinerary this summer. The following magazines are published in France and may be found in almost any newsstand. Each one offers its readers timely antique news, as well as a rundown of which brocantes and vide-greniers to visit. I do caution that before you travel to any of the fairs, call ahead to make sure the event has not been cancelled. Sometimes, the brocante or vide-grenier does not receive the proper authorization from the city or village to hold the fair so it is prudent to make sure beforehand that you are not going to get there and find nothing going on!

1. Chineur

The agenda of the Chineur has the reputation of being the most complete and reliable guide for brocantes and vide-greniers. It is published monthly and is small enough to stuff in your purse. It gives the calendar of several months’ worth of antique events, as well as articles of interest to dealers and particuliers (non-dealers) alike. For instance, the month of May offered great articles on pens, lamps and lighting, chandeliers, and antique sewing items, lace, and buttons. The petites announces are very interesting as well. These are the small announcements that sellers and buyers put in the magazine, often accompanied by color photos, advertising the antiques they would like either to buy or sell. If you see something that interests you, you may call the number and inquire about the piece which is for sale. You should of course negotiate a price and if possible, make a rendezvous to see the item. If you like it, you may purchase it. Prices may vary of course, but many times, the people who advertise are not dealers and therefore, the prices may be very reasonable. The Chineur is also helpful in that, at the end, it provides an address book of antique shops where you may find the items mentioned in the articles from that month, as well as the flea markets and antique villages in France which the authors feel are the most interesting to visit.

2. Collectionneur & Chineur

This magazine comes out twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month. What I like about this magazine, besides the fact that it is published twice a month, and therefore has twice the timely articles to read, is the fact that it focuses on many other things besides the calendar of antique brocantes. For instance, this month, it focused on a particular city, Marseilles, and discussed all of the fairs and antique venues you can visit. There were several articles on private collections, such as wheelbarrows and bulldogs!! The collector is interviewed and discusses his particular passion and there are accompanying photos. We all have our passions and it is fun to see how utterly unusual some collections are! This magazine also has several pages which are intriguing because they give a smattering of antiques found in the flea markets and fairs during the past few weeks and the prices which were given by the dealers. This type of article is particularly helpful in giving us an idea of how much a particular item is worth in the marketplace today, and what we might offer to pay if we were to see one ourselves in a brocante!

3. Brocante & Renovation

This is a great magazine for all the bricoleurs (handymen) among us who like to fix and renovate! This is a relatively new magazine on the newsstands which deals with ideas and techniques to give life back to your antique furniture and objects. Learn how to restore a barbotine pitcher or an armchair. Put gold leaf on a battered antique picture frame. Learn how to protect antique metal garden urns or redecorate your rooms by mixing antiques with new items. The accompanying photos are spectacular and the list of addresses where you can find the products to help you do the restoration work are invaluable. I have only mentioned a few of the interesting articles in this tri-monthly magazine.

4. Antiquités

This monthly magazine is very well-known and with good reason. The calendar of brocantes and fairs is very exhaustive and the articles are well done. Like some of the predecessors above, articles deal with an in-depth analysis of such topics as how to buy on e-bay or other antique-buying websites. In April’s Antiquités, for instance, there are articles on deco furniture, scientific books, blue and white ceramics, and the genre called “cabinet de curiosites.” There are articles which focus on a particular dealer and his or her expertise, as well as on a family of antique dealers who have made a mark on the market through the years. There is a section where an antique expert offers his/her advice and another part which singles out the author’s particular “finds of the month.” One funny part shows an antique object which is the mystery piece of the month and asks the readers write in and identify the object!

5. Aladin

The Aladin is the Bible for antique dealers. If you buy just one magazine, this is it! A glossy cover and extremely interesting articles await you every month, and the calendar of antique events is very reliable. It may not necessarily focus on vide-greniers and smaller venues, but it cites International antique fairs, especially those in European countries. The feature articles are very well-researched and the number of antique experts mentioned is extensive. Careful reading of the Aladin will make you a bonafied antique expert and whet your appetite to get out there and search the fairs for treasures. The photos throughout the Aladin are very appealing the knowledge you will gain about the art and antique market and its changes worldwide will enrich you as well.

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