Escaping the Empty Nest
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Guest Posts
  • Travel
    • Places >
      • United States
      • Europe
      • Asia
      • Middle East
    • Tips
  • Family
    • Empty Nesting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Entertainment
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Musings
  • Living Abroad
    • Paris Life
    • Moving
  • My Novel
  • Subscribe

Creepy Things at a French Street Market

7/5/2017

2 Comments

 
Picture
In Paris, somewhere between Les Puces (the Cadillac of flea markets that you see in movies) and selling-hot-stuff-from-inside-your-trench-coat, there is the the neighborhood street market.
These markets pop up once in awhile, and there is a lot of clothing, mismatched dishware, shoes, purses, toys, jewelry, records, small electronics, anything small enough to get there in the back of a car.

You think I’m kidding about hot-stuff-inside-your-coat? One guy’s sole contribution to the market was a single set of silverware on a towel on the sidewalk. Buyer beware.

This market was particularly high in creepiness. It wasn’t the market’s theme of the day, but there was enough creepy stuff going on to make that the theme of this blog post.
Picture
Thread-bare teddy bear. In a pot.
Picture
Blind baby.
Picture
Bear in a chair. He doesn’t look too creepy now, but every few minutes he moves. He extends his arms and draws them in again, hugging an invisible someone. I almost jumped out of my skin. No, he doesn’t look happy about it.
Picture
Snake-head brush made out of an antler.
Picture
Framed eye chart. This would look great on your dining room wall!
Picture
Pile of glasses. Where are their owners?
Picture
Head on a stick. Among the lamps, she stares into space. Waiting. For what? Nobody knows.
Picture
​Set of kitchen utensils with deer-foot handles. When Meemaw brings out the Christmas turkey, Papaw can carve it with these babies.
Picture
This photo doesn’t look too bad until you notice that Ken is in a plastic bag. Tied up. What did Ken and the other bagged dolls do? Are they being punished? They spend most of their lives jumbled up in a box under the bed with Barbie and Madge. What have they done to be treated this way? It must have been pretty bad.
Picture
At first this looks like your standard nude, right? No. It’s needlepoint. That’s right, needlepoint. Imagine how much you’d flinch every time you plunged the needle into her tender parts. Ouch.
Picture
Is it Roger Francoise, or Roger and Francoise? Are those birth and death dates, or a twenty-fifth wedding anniversary commemorative plate? Don’t worry, Roger and/or Francoise! You are not forgotten! Well, even though your direct descendants forgot you and gave your special plate to the junkmonger to be sold in a street sale, we who saw your plate will not forget you! We, total strangers, acknowledge you! You are valuable! Or you were. You are unique! We salute you!
Picture
What the heck.
Picture
Plate full of rusty old pen nibs. Who needs these? They’re really sharp. And rusty. What are you going to do with them, you weirdo?
Picture
And last but not least, a box of rusty saws.

What about you? What’s the creepiest thing you ever saw in a garage sale/estate sale/yard sale?

PREVIOUS: Paris Flea Market Shopping
NEXT: Cranberry Beans
2 Comments
Randall
7/6/2017 07:38:03 am

You seriously need to write a book, Yvonne. I loved the creepiness of the pictures, but your comments literally made me spew bagel bits. I thank you only that it wasn't coffee out my nose.
I especially love the hugging bear photo, by the way.

Reply
Yvonne
9/6/2017 01:04:10 pm

Randall, this comment is exactly two months late! Sorry about that, but I had to go places and my blog fell behind. Thanks so much for your nice comments! I really appreciate it. I've thought about writing a book, but feel daunted by the task. Keep the suggestions coming--I love them!

Reply



Leave a Reply.