Did you know the origin of the term "Flea Market" is the famous Marchè au Puce in Paris? Yes, that's what it means. The original flea market is in St.-Ouen, a neighborhood near St.-Denis in Paris.
Every weekend, more visitors flock to St-Ouen than to the Eiffel Tower! As many as a quarter million treasure hunters from every walk of life and many foreign countries are attracted by the amazing variety of vintage toys, rare books, furniture, exhibition catalogs, 60-year old photographs and postcards, clothing, fine china, chandeliers, exotic pre-war souvenirs, phonographs and jewelry that have been collected and then resold by 1,300 traders.
According to St-Ouen Flea Market, "the flea markets developed at the end of the 19th century on the open space of the zone where construction was prohibited near fortified walls of Thiers. There were no taxes here and after the cholera epidemic in 1832, new regulations prohibited markets in the center of Paris. As a backlash from the prestigious work of Haussmann, the poor of the city found refuge here.
"In 1880, a short time before the invention of the garbage container and garbage pick-up service by an official named Poubelle (garbage bin is "poubelle" in French and gets its name from this man), 30,000 ragmen and women made their living off the garbage of the very rich. Set up to the north of the zone where construction was prohibited, they sold rags, metal and food. People got in the habit of coming to Saint-Ouen to buy second hand goods. In 1920, the first organized market was opened when the demolition of the walls began."
Today the market consists of 16 independently operated markets. It is the largest flea market in the world. Another site which gives excellent information is at THE PARIS FLEA MARKET, and by the time you've read these two web sites' descriptions you'll be booking your flight. Go to Suite101's Travel in France for wonderful advice from Robin Grearson on planning your trip.
Of course, Paris does not have the ONLY flea markets worth visiting. If you're going to the south of France, there are small "marchès au puce" in most of the towns in Provence. Usually they are held every Sunday or every other Sunday morning throughout the warm months. A schedule (in French) is at Flea Markets/Antiques in Provence. Try to set aside one or two Sundays in one of these towns, on your trip. It's a great way to meet people, as well as find a bargain to bring home.
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