Vintage & Bargain Finds From a French Depot-Vente

Around 10 years ago, when we bought our holiday home in Gascony, we were faced with the same dilemma as most other people: what to do about furniture when we’d already spent most of the budget buying the house?

The quick, easy and short-term answer was making many trips to Ikea. Although the Swedish giant is brilliant for many things from kitchenware to soft furnishings, though, we always struggled with finding furniture. The ultra-modern stuff for sale at Ikea didn’t really suit our tumbledown farmhouse, and we wanted something a little more authentically French and of the period (our house is around 150 to 200 years old).

‘A giant warehouse full of stuff…’

That’s when I discovered the depot-vente. This is an institution which mostly exists because the French have a much less disposable attitude to furniture than we tend to do in the UK. Rather than take old furniture to the tip when it’s been replaced, they send it off to the depot-vente in the hope it will still be of use to someone.

Generally online selling is also much less popular, as distances are much greater for buyers to travel (although there are lots of local online message boards advertising furniture).

‘Depot-vente’ roughly translates to ‘deposit for sale’, and it’s a system whereby you take your item along to the depot-vente premises, and they display it for you and charge a commission when it sells. Our local depot-vente is called the TROC, and it’s part of a chain of franchises bearing that name. It’s huge. Seriously, a massive warehouse crammed with stuff – if you’re a bargain hunter or car boot addict, this is the place to come.

Pair of skis, anyone? A bargain at only 60 euros!

What ‘stuff’ do they sell, then? Go on, name something. anything.

Toasters. Hairdryers. Sofas. Tables and chairs. Tablecloths, forks, ornaments, books, pictures. A life-size cast iron statue of a lion. A fountain. Pens. Toys. The answer is ‘pretty much anything you can think of, and lots of things it would never have occurred to you to think of.’

Need a grandfather, grandmother or carriage clock at all?

Chairs, chairs and more chairs, starting at 5 euros or so each

And now you’ll be need a table or two

And a huge wardrobe.

The pricing is a bit quirky, as it’s set by the seller rather than the depot-vente themselves. You can often see identical objects side by side, bearing different prices. Some things are extremely good value, others are ludicrously expensive.

Large furniture tends to be cheap, as there’s a limited market for it, while smaller pieces are more expensive. Each object bears a sticker which displays a reference number and a price. If you’re interested in an item, you can make a note of the reference number and take it to the till. They’ll use that to look up how long they’ve had the object in stock, and if it’s a few weeks then they can use their discretion to offer a discount – I’ve had items knocked down to just a euro or two, so it’s always worth asking.

There could be a forgotten Picasso in among this lot, although personally I’ve always got bored of looking before I got to the end.

Electrical goods and smaller ornaments.

And who could possibly resist these, a snip at only 5 euros each?!

General bric-a-brac and the odd nice piece of vintage enamelware

Everything from vintage sewing machines to farm machinery.

Our TROC will deliver for a fixed fee, but otherwise it’s up to you to get your new purchase home within a week.

A visit to the TROC isn’t necessarily for everyone – you have to like rummaging! – but personally, although our house was fully furnished long ago, I rarely come home empty-handed. If you’re on holiday and come across one of these depot-ventes, it’s worth a browse on a rainy day – and you may come back with some unique souvenirs.

Depot Vente FAQS

What is a depot vente?

The best English translation of a depot vente is a thrift shop or thrift store (or some say a consignment shop) that sells secondhand goods. But rather than donating your items, you can take your unwanted goods to the depot vente and, when and if they sell, you’ll get a cut of the selling price. It’s like a pre-eBay way of selling second hand items!

What does a depot vente sell?

Most depot ventes sell anything and everything! From large and small vintage furniture items, electrical goods and china, to household goods, crockery, cutlery and even vintage clothing, there’s a huge amount to explore!

Where can I find a depot vente?

If you’re going to France on holiday and are interested in visiting a depot vente, it’s worth searching online in advance to see if there are any in the area you’ll be in. The TROC website, for example, has a searchable map and list of depot vente stores located across France. You could also search on Google, ask on relevant forums on Facebook or TripAdvisor, or search for instagram accounts that could highlight relevant depot-ventes.

Once you are in France, look out for any signs for depot-ventes, check local magazines and adverts or ask locals where you can find the nearest one.

All images (c) Write Image for you Media

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