My Antique Silver Trays... Not from Paris!
Don’t travel to Paris in August if your goal is to Antique hunt!
I recently took a trip to Paris with a dear friend who loves shopping, antiquing, and cooking as much as I do! That was definitely a prerequisite for anyone who was going on this girls-only trip with me, we are total partners in crime. One of my goals for the trip was to hunt for antique silver trays. I have always coveted a set that my friend has. I even borrow them for parties, so I knew it was time to find my own!
Le Marche Aux Puces de Saint-Ouen was top of our list of places to visit on the trip. It is the largest antiques and second-hand market in the world with over 1,700 merchants. I could have spent the whole trip there and still not seen everything!
At Le Marche aux Puce de Saint-Ouen. Paris, France. August, 2019
It’s divided into sections so you choose where you are most interested, meander your way through the narrow passageways and get lost in utter beauty. Chandeliers, mirrors, paintings, tapestries, bronzes- it is a feast for your eyes of truly remarkable, one-of-a-kind treasures. Unfortunately for me, many of the shops were closed as August is the time when most Parisians go on vacation. I wouldn’t recommend visiting Paris in August if your goal is antique-hunting like mine was! I may have missed out on some exquisite shops but that didn’t stop us from having the best time! We saw so many beautiful things. One of my favorite parts of the visit was finding what appeared to be a secret garden, hidden behind gorgeous iron gates.
Even though I did not find the silver trays I had been dreaming about, I looked on the bright side- at least I didn’t have to pay for international shipping!
Once I got home, I was more determined than ever to find my silver trays, so I went to the next best thing… eBay!
I had so much fun searching through and bidding on trays. Buyer beware- I was new to eBay and put in “Best Offers” on more than one tray and would get an email saying, “You got it!” Luckily because they were best offers, I got some great deals but I did end up with more trays than I had planned on! So, be careful, if you lowball on eBay you can end up with a lot of stuff without even realizing it!
Delivery day is the best day!
That said, I absolutely LOVE the trays I got! I love anything pretty and nothing adds elegance like a silver tray. My initial plan was to find two large Butler trays for setting up my home bar when we entertain. The silver trays are perfect to setting up glassware and really elevate a cheese platter too! There are so many uses. Right now, I have one on my coffee table, loaded up with sea shells.
So, moral of the story, sometimes you don’t have to go far to find that special item you’ve been coveting.
Let your fingers do the walking and search the big wide web! Just learn from my mistakes and don’t bid with abandon or you too will end up with more than you planned!
P.S.– I love getting packages and it is SO fun when they arrive in the mail. Facebook friends, you’ll remember this video…
