Marseille, tenth district, Boulevard Fifi Turin, no. 20. It is there, behind the large gate, that you will find a magical place: les puces de fifi. A must-visit in the Phocaean city, all second-hand and vintage enthusiasts swear by les puces de fifi. Beware, they are becoming more and more numerous! It is described as a true Aladdin’s cave. The place is “inhabited” by eight passionate people who dedicate themselves body and soul to this unique passion: flea markets. For them, the “decor adventure” is lived every day for their greatest happiness. An interview with multiple voices.
The "team Fifi" (Roger, Elodie, Emanuelle, Frédéric, and Laurent - missing Anabelle, Jacques, and Fabrice)
Who is behind les puces de fifi
There are eight of us in total: Laurent, Frédéric, Emmanuelle, Roger, Elodie, Jacques, Fabrice, and Anabelle. We met at the Marseille Flea Market. At first, flea markets had a place there that had long been shrinking. We were gradually being squeezed out by fruits and vegetables, clothes, and other odds and ends.
It was a need for change that motivated us to create les puces de fifi. We wanted to renew the model. We thought we needed a space of our own, truly dedicated to flea markets.
There was this antique dealers’ village that had existed for about thirty years but had become just storage workshops. The owners welcomed us, and we started renting this place four years ago now.
The name les puces de fifi was inspired by the name of the street, which honors a militant and resistant worker, Josephine Cavallini Turin, known as Fifi, who was shot after her arrest by the Gestapo.
And les puces de fifi were born.
What attracted you to the world of flea markets?
It’s visceral! It’s a passion, a way of life as well. The watchword is “to hunt for bargains”! That’s the driving force. When we go hunting, we go on an adventure, with no idea in mind, never knowing what we’ll find. We don’t have a precise idea; we let ourselves be carried along, be receptive, and chance does the rest. Above all, it’s a job of chance, but especially of pleasure, of happiness. A passion, in short. We don’t feel like we’re working, and that’s what makes it a real privilege. We can say it’s pure happiness!
How do you supply les puces de fifi?
It comes from everywhere, really! We stock les puces de fifi with professionals; from dealer to dealer, buying from individuals, at Emmaus, at garage sales, and clear-outs. We can also have clients who bring us objects or whom we pick up from when they no longer want them. The ways to supply ourselves are truly multiple. Our job is in constant motion: we sell, we buy, we search, we discover…
So it’s impossible to say that the flea market dealer’s job is just simple commerce?
No, of course not. Commerce is only a small part of the “job.” We are always alert. When we see an object we like, we have to act quickly. It’s impossible to hesitate in this sector. We buy, otherwise we might miss out. That’s our life at les puces de fifi.
We often also need to renovate, to make improvements. We do it as much as we can ourselves; sometimes we have others do it… Fred is our “renovator,” a former restorer, who helps us best when we lack know-how.
We may also modify or complete an object. For example, Annabelle transforms a green marble tray from Guatemala into a table by having legs made by a blacksmith, or Roger creates an incredible frame with wires transformed into barbed wire for a watercolor that had been quietly sleeping in a box for about ten years.
As you understand, it’s a job that truly delights us, even though there are sometimes real moments of doubt and questioning. Moments when it’s difficult, heavy in every way… Especially when you have to carry or move furniture!
Have you noticed a renewed interest in decoration and flea markets with les puces de fifi?
There has been a real resurgence since the lockdown last March (editor’s note: March 2020). For a year now, and probably due to the obligation to stay home, people have truly felt the need to furnish and decorate differently. Hence the choice of second-hand. People sensitive to vintage furniture come to us as a result.
How do you make yourselves known?
Of course, there are our old clients who knew us from the Flea Market and followed us. Les puces de fifi is above all a family story. Then there is word of mouth, which works extremely well. And we have been lucky to have many influencers talk about us, like Ines de la Fressange in her newsletter, the TV show “La Maison France 5,” the series “Plus belle la Vie,” which filmed an episode last year and will return soon. As a result, more than five thousand followers follow us on Instagram. Every day, we welcome new followers, and it’s a real pleasure to see how much attention we get.
What do customers come looking for at les puces de fifi?
Authenticity above all! Vintage, unique, unusual! We don’t sell fakes here. Each object is most often unique! And that is priceless! Even though they also come looking for “a good price” because we really try to offer objects at reasonable prices. That’s important to us. And it’s not always the case from individual to individual, with sellers who get carried away and may offer objects above their value.
Their tastes often lean towards Scandinavian style and the fifties and sixties. Although we do notice that “Classic” still holds strong and sells very well as soon as we get some in. The interest is that we mix styles; anything goes, there are no limits.
Les puces de fifi consists of several spaces. How do you stage such disparate objects and make people want to buy them?
We have 550m2, divided among eight, and each of us has their own space and objects to sell. Some spaces, depending on the personality of the creator, are very cluttered and truly resemble Aladdin’s cave, others are more minimalist and showcase far fewer objects. It varies greatly.
Moreover, these spaces are constantly evolving because objects come and go. Some are bought, others leave for filming needs and then come back. If a table is sold, the objects on it must be moved, and that’s how our displays constantly evolve according to events.
If you could keep only one iconic design object, which would it be?
Everything! Impossible to answer that question. We all buy according to our own sensibility, and it’s different. Élodie buys only what she likes and would put in her home, especially chairs, dressers, and stools, while Emmanuelle, on the contrary, would buy more improbable objects. It could be an incredible stove like Roger’s, a glass plate you’ll never find again...
Sometimes, we also buy because the price is interesting. We wouldn’t say that the names Jean Prouvé or Charlotte Perriand don’t motivate us—we’d be lying!
Decoration is currently booming. What do you think are its challenges and its usefulness?
Of course, people consume less and better, objects that have a soul, that you won’t find at your neighbors’, incidentally.
Find the team’s Facebook account
Interview conducted by Edith Sellier Pascal
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