Monday 9 September 2013

Vide Grenier - Experiencing the Other Side of the Table

Yesterday Jean and I did our stint at a Vide Grenier/Brocante.....

It was an early start - up and away by 6am for Jean and 6:30 for me. Needless to say, I stopped en route to take some photos of the mist over the fields and river near Chinon, a sight I'm not usually around to see....
 

This made the early start worthwhile!

Arriving at the field where the event was held I was surprised to see so many cars already in place. We hadn't unloaded our cars when an elderly couple approached:
"Tu est anglaise?" "Oui".. 
What they were after was Wedgewood. (Note to self: import Wedgewood next time we go back to the UK)

We got busy setting out our wares in very cold temperatures; so cold that I used the bubble wrap I'd brought with me to insulate my legs under my jeans, much to Jean's amusement!! You can see how wrapped up Jean was in the photo below as she arranges her jewellery!

Things began to liven up and here is Jean making a sale....

As the sun came out the temperatures rose and we were thrilled to see our friends Tim and Pauline who had taken the trouble to come over and take some official photos..


Tim's final photo shows the 'gazebo method' (Colin's idea) used to secure the rail on which I'd hung my needlework when the wind started gusting in the afternoon...

We left around 4:30pm, although the event went on until 7pm. It was a long but enjoyable day and we left in profit. We had known all along that this was not the ideal place to try to sell craft work but it was a valuable experience and one which neither of us will forget. If nothing else, I'll never see bubble wrap in the same light again!

And to 'Alain', who gave me his phone number and a 'petit cadeau' (!), Sorry mate; just not my type!!

1 comment:

GaynorB said...

Perhaps next time you need Colin and Nick there all day to ward off unwanted admirers!!

perhaps your wares would sell better nearer to Christmas time or in a specialist craft market. They do them in the UK but I haven't noticed any in France - but then I haven't looked either.

If you can look back and say that you enjoyed the day then it will have been worth the effort.

The Wedgewood factory is just a few miles from where we live, but ubfortunately most is now made in China...