“On the big clearance sales, it happens that it is the war between the second-hand dealers, remembers Hélène Louvet, head of the cloakroom at Secours Populaire. I even suspect some of them to have tripped over others! “
This Saturday afternoon, in the premises of the association, this is not the case. Since the beginning of the month, the Secours populaire has expanded its sales windows by opening on Saturdays. A solution to overcome the impossibility of making large sales. But the information is not yet well received. The bargain hunters parade through the two dedicated spaces: the games-clothing section and the flea market-books section.
“Small retreats”
In the middle of the clothes, two retirees from the Peninsula are hunting. “These shoes are nice!” Michelle exclaims, seeking approval from her friend Caroline. “Yes… well we like it or we don’t like”. Finally, she will put the pair of lightweight shoes back at € 1. “We’re here for fun but also to find clothes at low prices,” explains Michelle. We have small pensions that do not allow us to buy in stores ”.
And we can say that there are good deals to be had. In the room, there are thousands of clothes. Scarves, coats, boots … for adults and children at just a few euros. A boon for Aurélie and Clara, mother and daughter, clearance sale fans. “We started eight years ago. We do it every weekend, explains Aurélie while looking for shoes for her son. We are there to do business but above all for the pleasure of hunting. This is our moment of relaxation. Sometimes you can stay there for three hours! Her daughter nods. At 14, she was hooked and proud to wear clothes, sometimes branded, bought for nothing at all. “I would say that my wardrobe is made up of 90% vintage clothes! “
“The novelty is the arrival of high school students. They are looking for THE vintage piece. Sometimes they scream with joy when they discover THE plaid shirt! “
Currently, what is all the rage is vintage clothing. “We really have all audiences: the upper middle class, students… The novelty is the arrival of high school students. They are looking for THE vintage piece, explains Hélène Louvet. Sometimes they scream with joy when they discover THE plaid shirt! “.
“See the world”
On the other hand, what sells less are the imposing and old furniture like the Breton cabinets. Otherwise, on the flea market side, you can find everything: a mini oven for € 30, dishes for a few cents, kitchen robots, paintings, lighting, thousands of books, and even vinyl… German!
This Saturday, of the thirty volunteers of the Secours populaire, five are in action: Christian, Georges, Clément, Sabine and Marie. In a warm and family atmosphere, they advise customers, sort objects and make jokes. Volunteers who are not there by chance. “It allows us to see the world and to feel useful”, explain Clément and Georges. 5 p.m., it closes. Meeting next week !
Convenient
Secours Populaire is open weekdays from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. and, during a test period, Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at 40, place du Champ de Foire.
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