MARKET VA LUE

Back in the days when the French franc was still the ‘lingua franca’, I fell in love with a Louis XV cherry bedside table at the Marché aux Puces in Saint-Ouen, on the northern fringe of Paris. I was living in New York at the time so, of course, buying it was out of the question.The enterprising flea market dealer had other ideas. He convinced me that it was the size of a suitcase, offered to box it up and personally deliver it to my hotel on the Left Bank. I don’t remember the exact price we agreed upon but it was certainly no more than $200 and it sits beside my bed to this day.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

Since then I’ve visited Les Puces on every trip to Paris and