Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Symptoms of the Brocante Bug

Child's-hand-mirror

 

Symptoms of the brocante bug:

-The person infected with the brocante bug usually is not in bed sleeping on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

-Their homes have a certain old look about them.

-A person who has the brocante bug usually stops whenever they see an old table leg, or worse a peeling-painted-ruin-of-a-thing sticking out of a dumpster.

-The brocante bug is said not to be contagious… but a person who has the brocante bug badly knows that is not a fact to count on. For example when you have the brocante bug badly you know that if you take your friend to the brocante they most likely will develop symptoms instantly, grabbing germs (pieces) that you would have gladly suffered with had they not be around.

-A person with the brocante bug carries a big old bag… if you dare call it that.

-Instead of lipstick, or a compact in their purse they have a slew of addresses, a tape measure, and a flashlight.

Do you have symptoms of the brocante bug, or know of symptoms to be aware of?

Comments

11 responses to “Symptoms of the Brocante Bug”

  1. Marilyn

    I bet you know alot of people that are infected with that bug.

    Reply
  2. Jacklynn Lantry

    I have been infected for years! One of my biggest symptoms is heart palpitations when I see something I really, really, really, like.

    Reply
  3. Kipper

    Oh yes! Walking around the neighborhood with my standard poodle assistant, checking out yard sales is a favorite weekend activity. The assistant has a backpack to carry small items. The advantage of walking is that you can’t buy a lot or anything that is heavy.

    Reply
  4. s/e

    Yes, I do: I gasp when I see something I love or have been looking for a very long time:) I am almost 90 days out until we are there!!!

    Reply
  5. Taste of France

    Almost choked on my coffee at the last one: measuring tape and flashlight. Guilty!
    Though I do have lipstick as well.

    Reply
  6. Julia Thelen

    I love this post, Corey!
    My reaction to a dumpster or a pile of stuff on the sidewalk is Pavlovian; I instantly apply the brakes.
    In my purse, I also carry a second flashlight, with a UV bulb, for checking uranium glass, which I ❤️, a magnet for testing silver, and a jeweler’s loupe.

    Reply
  7. Lisa

    I want that mirror!

    Reply
  8. Judy in Fort Worth

    check, check, check, check, check and check…..got ALL the symptoms
    …..now I just need a larger home or I need to stop!!!

    Reply
  9. Vicki Crown

    I love the mirror above! I would like to know the price if it isn’t too precious? The whimsy of the moon and the two fellows is darling. Thank you for all of your adventures. I never miss a post.

    Reply
  10. Chico Sue

    My husband and I furnished our first four homes with things we bought at garage sales and auctions, or found in dumpsters. When we downsized to a smaller house, we had to part with most of our treasures, but we still feel “the tug of the bug” on occasion. My husband spotted a pewter candlestick holder on top of a dumpster on a street in Paris last month and I think it is his “favorite find” in our 49 years of marriage.

    Reply
  11. Tara

    Yes! I know a couple of true symptoms:
    1) When treasures are involved, you will truly consider expelling family members from your vehicle (or at least making them very mad & slightly uncomfortable) to carry said treasure home. 2) You’d be shocked to know exactly how many treasures you can jam into a Toyota RAV4–family members included (madder than wet hens)!
    😉

    Reply

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