No, it’s not a scrap yard, It’s a car boot sale
For the uninitiated a car boot sale is an English tradition where people take their cars, full of things that they no longer want, to a venue where they then display it from said car’s boot in the hopes that it will sell.
A Brocante is exactly the same but set in France, not the UK. There are, however, several differences, I will do my best to explain these.
START TIME
UK: 3.45 a.m (sometimes earlier)
France: After coffee + croissants and having read the paper, walked the dog, chatted to the neighbours, had another coffee and cut the grass a.m (sometimes later)
ARRIVAL TIME OF FIRST CUSTOMERS:
UK: 2.55 a.m (sometimes earlier)
France: Generally just after it’s opened (unless the croissants haven’t been cooked in sufficient quantities, then everybody is delayed).
CHANCES OF HAVING ALL THE CONTENTS OF YOUR CAR BOOT STOLEN BEFORE YOU EVEN HAVE A CHANCE TO GET THEM OUT OF YOUR CAR TO SELL THEM:
UK: high
France: Low
IF YOU SUCCESSFULLY GET YOUR ITEMS OUT OF YOUR CAR BEFORE THEY ARE STOLEN, WILL PEOPLE HAGGLE WITH YOU WHILE YOU ARE UNPACKING AND PAW AT YOUR THINGS, EVEN IF IT IS DARK*?
UK: Yes
France: Unlikely
*They bring torches
LOCATION:
UK: Always, always close to a sports facility. Either a rugby pitch, football pitch, or cricket field. I suspect this is because the organisers detest sport, and so hope to destroy the pitches, so they are unsuitable to be played on.
France: Side of a road, through the main street of a town, near a lake, up a tree, on the roof of a building. The French will hold a brocante ANYWHERE.
WEATHER
UK: If it isn’t wet, cold, windy and/or snowing the English will refuse to hold a car boot sale.
France: Generally gloriously sunny, if the slightest breeze picks up, or 25 ml of rain falls, everybody leaves.
CHANCES THAT 95% OF THE GOODS BEING SOLD WILL BE AGRICULTURAL TOOLS:
UK: low
France: High
CHANCES THAT 95% OF THE GOODS BEING SOLD WILL BE RUSTY AGRICULTURAL TOOLS:
UK: Low
France: Extremely high
DEAD ANIMALS?
UK: Not many
France: Loads
WILL FOOD BE AVAILABLE TO BUY?
UK: Yes
France: Yes
WOULD YOU EAT IT?
UK: Yes
France: Yes
COME ON NOW, BE HONEST, WOULD YOU EAT IT?
UK: No
France: Yes
WILL THERE BE MANY OF THESE VANS THERE:
UK: No
France: Every other vehicle will be one of these.
IS HAGGLING ACCEPTABLE:
UK: If you don’t haggle they chase you off the field with pitchforks, screaming ‘Not one of us, not one of us!’
FRANCE: Not as prevalent, you will receive some glassy-eyed stares when you attempt to negotiate a better price for Spiderman AND Batman’s secret hideouts. Also they may hide behind the excuse: ‘I’m selling it for my daughter, and she said I can’t sell it for any less than 35 euros’.
IS THAT WOMAN REALLY SELLING USED UNDERPANTS?
UK: Yes
France: Yes
No, it’s not a music festival, it’s a brocante. Note model of van in bottom right corner.
PASSIVE SMOKING OPPORTUNITIES:
UK: Not as high as it used to be
France: Everybody smokes. Even their dogs.
THINGS TO SAY:
UK: ‘Keep an eye on your handbag’ ‘Is that meat?’ ‘Why is that lady wearing a dressing gown?’ ‘Do people really buy this crap?’ ‘Where’s my handbag?’ ‘Where’s my child/husband/car?’
France: ‘Who is Titeuf?’ ‘Is that meat?’ ‘Why are there so many dead animals?’ ‘Who buys all this rusty agricultural crap?’ ‘But I don’t need a picture of Jean Claude Van Damme’ ‘Wow, you people really like ashtrays don’t you?’
WHAT HAPPENS AT CLOSING TIME?
UK: A huge group of people – up to 75% of those still in attendance – who have had no intention of paying for anything wait with baited breath for the remaining sellers to give up, look at all their unwanted items and offer it for free. There then occurs the ‘attack of the locusts’ as the group, en masse, descend upon the boot of the defeated seller. They can strip a car boot of all its remaining goods in five seconds flat. After the dust has settled all that will remain will be the bewildered seller, his underpants and, if he’s lucky, his car.
France: The remaining people will slowly head home, many of them may hitch lifts with the sellers as everybody knows everybody. They will then add up the day’s takings, put all their unsold animal heads and rusty farm implements back in storage until the next brocante. Which will be in a week’s time.
Unless it’s a bank holiday, then it will be tomorrow.
Mr Mum: The 'joy' of a stay-at-home dad 
I found this absolutely hilarious – I’ve sold things at car boot sales in the UK and it’s so accurate. They descend on your car with torches desperate to check out the contents of your boot before you can even open it! I haven’t been to one in/around Lyon, though it sounds like a more leisurely affair here in France.
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People change when they go to car-boots, it’s like they regress. Yes, it’s definitely a more leisurely affair in France, much better atmosphere too! Thanks for the compliment, much appreciated and I’m glad it made you laugh.
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Love this, so typical of the French. Glad I have discovered your blog because we are thinking of making the move to France, I’m going to enjoy following you ..
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Thanks, I just hope I can continue to keep you interested. With regards to the move we have no regrets, but the French bureaucracy do NOT make it easy – even when one of you is actually French!
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To my knowledge, there is nothing like this in the States – although I have only lived in one, so don’t take that as Gospel.
Individual homeowners may have yard sales, where they lay out unwanted items for sale. No matter what time you say you are opening, there will be “early birds”, who will actually come and knock on your door, or offer to “help” you set up things, and accidently pocket a few choice items.
There are also flea markets, where people can rent a space and sell stuff. If you are into making jewelry or selling Avon this can be a good place to set up business.
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I must say I think sales, any kind of sales, just brings out the worst on people. Look at Black Friday, in the UK and the States it just turns people into animals. I’ve also experienced this phenomena in reduced sections in supermarkets – as soon as the goods are lowered in price – and I’m talking food here – it’s every man/woman for themselves, elbows everywhere, manners goes out the window, people are shoving/pushing just to save a couple of pounds. Crazy.
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I go to brocantes every Sunday in the summer it’s a lovely morning milling around stalls of all kinds wether it be household or garden or ornamental items it breaks up my week and you meet all kinds of people too much friendlier than an English car boot
Loved this article x
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Thanks so much! I really enjoyed writing it to be honest – and yes, I completely agree that brocantes are much nicer than car boots, that probably came across quite strongly in the article 🙂 .
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I’ve bought and sold at UK & French Bootfairs & Brocantes and the one thing you left out was “Can you buy between 12 & 2pm – UK definitely, France only if you first apologise for interrupting their lunch.
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Ha! Yes you are so right – many’s the time I’ve approached a stall and then backed off a purchase because I didn’t want to interrupt the (entire) family having their (sit down) meal. I love their customs.
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