Where do you store everything you buy at the brocantes to be sold later?
In my house, in our place in Paris, in my studio, under my bed, in my closets, in the garage, between the sheets, under pillows, stacked on the bookshelves, on the chairs who needs to sit? Stacked in the corner, on the top on my head.
Do you have someone who packs it up and ships it out? Do you do your own bookkeeping?
All of which are time-consuming chores.
30 percent of what I do regarding my work with sourcing at the brocante is actually what I love best, going to towns in France, talking with dealers and buying antiques. The other 70 percent: Loading the car, inventory, taking photos, writing about the things I bought, sending out emails, writing potential buyers, posting to Instagram things I have for sale, collecting packing material, boxing items up, going to the post office, unloading the car again, the bookkeeping, paying taxes… is the work side of it that is simply that: Work. I do most of it by myself. Yann helps me ENORMOUSLY as he is my sherpa, bookkeeper and takes everything to the post office. He is my Brocante Bug Hero.
What is square footage of your places. Is property expensive one gets out of Paris?
Our home in Provence is 2200 square feet. In Paris 650 square feet. Property values in France vary greatly. To see how much a square foot costs in Paris click on this link
Also, click this 2016 Property price guide in France.
So many factors go into the value of property. This is a subject that is tossed around often in our home as Yann is a real estate investor.
Do you have a collection of photos saved in a file, with the wonderful quotes that you share, or do you take these daily and one at a time to post to your daily blog?
Oh, how I wish I was that organized. I am not. I do have photos, way too many on my phone and computer but they are not in any order. I do reuse photos I have, and forget to use others. For years I took photos daily. Though for the last couple of years I am so into what I am doing I forget to take photos and then wished I had so I could post a photo here. I have instagram and post photos daily on my stories simply because it is easier to do so.
So yes I have photos, take photos and forget to take photos, I am not at all dogmatic about how I go about posting… Except to do something on my blog every day.
When are you going to publish a "Book of Annie"? It could be a best-seller!
I do not believe her family would want that.
Will brown furniture ever make a comeback in France? Here they are marketing antiques as "sustainable" furniture because they almost can't give them away.
Brown furniture or Louis Philippe, certain Belle Epoque style, a certain type of brown furniture is and has been extremely cheap. It is exactly as you say: They almost cannot give it away. I do not see it making a comeback for a long time. Sustainable or unfortunately firewood as brown furniture cost less. A large brown armoire that used to sell for thousands now can be bought for 200 or less.
We are in Paris in May for a few days. Staying St Germaine area. Any local spot/spot you would recommend we check out.
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