Depots ventes

[Lapaix]

Hi, all you helpful Francophiles We recently discovered a depot vente at Sourdeval (dept 50), which is a huge, fascinating repository of anything and everything - house clearance, junk, semi-antiques, etc. Does anyone know of anymore within easy travelling distance of there? Lynda

[Will]

Among others nearby are Vire (behind Macdonalds), Saint Sever (in the old cider factory), while a bit further south there are a couple of upmarket and expensive places in Domfront, and a couple of interesting places at St-Mars-d'Egrenne. I agree that the Sourdeval one is pretty interesting. There's an amazing place too on the road between Mortain and Le Teilleul, at St-Jean-du-Corail/Husson.

Nobody should expect to pick real bargains, as you could a few years ago. But having watched the programme on BBC yesterday evening about reclamation yards, you'll probably find some things are still relatively cheap compared with London prices.

[utah]

I too have heard good things about this DV, but I have not yet had the time to visit. The best one I have found so far is in Bayeux on the inner ringroad, close to the turn for St Lo.

Utah

[Emp]

Hi,

There's a small, charming DV in Brece - near Gorron. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday and run by Joy and American lady.

Elaine

[Emp]

Sorry miss hit - Joy is the American lady!

[Dick Smith]

The place at Sourdeval is good - the one at Husson is, as Will says, interesting, but when we went the owners went around in front of us turning over the price labels... They reckoned that if we had a Volvo we were dealers!

There is a very nice place at Ducey and another just before the ferry port at Ouistreham. There is also a place in Bayeux that used to be very good indeed, but has now changed hands and has been close more often than not.

[Will]

Quite so Dick - the Husson chap gives every impression of being a simple French peasant but he's actually incredibly astute, and has warehouses full of traditional French stuff that he exports to places like USA and Japan. You can get some amazing stuff there, particularly on the 'reclamation' type front - but he knows exactly what its worth to the nearest centime.

As we're going further afield I agree too about Ducey and Ouistreham, and the American-owned one between Gorron and Mayenne (she runs boot sale type events in the summer season). The DV by the river in Mayenne itself is worth a look too. There used to be two DVs at St-Hilaire-du-Harcouët but the better one has closed down now, still the other is worth a look. There are also some good ones in the Granville area, the one on one of the roundabouts on the Villedieu road is pretty big and we've seen some good stuff there in the past. Avranches has a reasonable DV too, like the one at Vire it sells new stuff at a good discount as well as junk. Between St-Hilaire and Ernée is a place called Montsurs, the garage there has a DV which can be good.

[Lapaix]

Thanks to you all!  The only problem I now have is finding them!  Is there a directory or something of dvs that lists them all, plus addresses? Lynda

[Diana]

We found a small booklet about the size of a postcard in the TIC offfice. It lists all the ones in Bas Normandie, with addresses and phone numbers. But even with the book they can still be hard to find and as for the opening hours, well they are very french. We have had one or two wasted journeys.

Diana

[Punch]

[quote]Quite so Dick - the Husson chap gives every impression of being a simple French peasant but he's actually incredibly astute, and has warehouses full of traditional French stuff that he exports to plac...[/quote]

 

Just a minor correction Bill. The DV you referred to on the road to Ernee from St Hilaire is at the garage at Montaudin and not Montsurs - which happens to be my nearest town, often incorrectly written as "Monsters" ) Incidentally I have some friends who run a new immobilier at Montaudin.

Anyone visiting the Roman fortresse at Jublains might like to know there is also a new Brocante opened next to the fortressse. Last time I looked they were understocked but that was last year when they has just opened.

Paul

 

[Will]

Thanks for that Paul, yes, you are quite right. I know and like both places and just my luck to give the wrong name . I'll try and look on the map in future. I like the 'monsters' name, that will get added to the list of French malapropisms alongside 'Saint Hillary's Haircut' etc.