Marche Saint-Pierre

I found this place in a book on Paris and wanted to check it out. This place specializes in fabrics of all sorts and since fabrics have texture and colour I thought it would be good for photos. The Marche is at the end of three long blocks on a street called rue d'Orsel which is lined with shops trying to divert shoppers into their stores before they reach the Marche. A number of specialty stores line the street that sell buttons, braid and fabric trimmings of all kinds. But as you can see below a number sell these gaudy outfits. At first you think they are selling costumes but as you wander around Paris you actually see young people, usually from some ethnic group, wearing these outfits. Yuck.


I found these specialty stores better for pictures than the Marche itself. There also were no elevators in the store so I walked up five flights of stairs ... not sure it was worth it. I I was looking for a bargain maybe but not to take pictures!


Le Marche Saint-Pierre is an old wooden building that house five floors of fabrics of every imaginable colour, texture, print, and weave. Salesmen ply the store carrying the essential tools of the trade ... a meter stick, a pair of scissors, a ballpoint pen and a receipt book. Typical of Paris you decide what you want and the salesperson gives you a slip to pay the cashier. Once paid for you come back to the salesperson to pick up your goods. At least that is how they do it in most small shops ... in the big department stores it is no different from back home.


Unlike a lot of other stores, management does not discourage looking and touching AND taking photos. I've been asked not to take photos in some places already. I guess they worry that it will turn their store into a tourist destination. Le March Saint-Pierre IS a tourist destination so they don't care one way or the other. The most commonly posted sign says "nous de donnons pas d'echantillon" which I suspect means ... 'we don't give samples' but I'm not 100 percent sure. There are also signs everywhere saying all sales are final ... that I can translate.


Life is good .... Enjoy


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