Paris markets for books and collectables

Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Man Ray and the rest of the ‘lost generation’ of the 1920s browsed here, and the atmospheric lines of used booksellers with their painted wooden stalls along the banks of the Seine are an unmissable stop-off – even if only for a photo opportunity – for every visitor to Paris.There are 217 licensed bouquinistes, totalling around 300,000 volumes and 3km of quayside browsing. Some of them sell more postcards and Eiffel Tower keyrings these days, but with time and patience you can still find affordable first editions, intriguing second hand finds and other curios...

Attached to the théâtre du Monfort and running the length of the parc Georges Brassens, the Marché du Livre ancien et d’occasion is an unmissable stop for any bookworm. Collectors and tourists read at leisure in the covered aisles of this charming hall – whether it is an art book, the complete works of Molière or a childhood comic. Allow time to chat with the booksellers, who are passionate about their wares. And if you happen to be clearing out your attic, make an appointment for a book valuation and you never know, they may make you an offer.

Every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, free your inner geek at the Marché aux Timbres (stamp market) on the Champs Elysées (corner of avenues Gabriel and Marigny). Aside from millions of stamps from across the world, you’ll find old postcards, some with hand written messages, others simply yellowed by the passing of time.  Stamp collecting is serious business in France, so expect lots of professionals scouring the stalls, as well as parents with children looking for something special to treasure. The market also opens on most bank holidays...