Climbing over body-bag sized sacks of clothes and shoes to claim some coveted item, scaling the rickety step ladder to the equally dangerous looking mezzanine level in search of boots and bags, diving head-first into the 3€ pit; all part and parcel of the somewhat extreme shopping experience chez Free ‘P’ Star.
Nestled in between the gay bookshop and the quirky theatre Point Virgule, this delightfully ungentrified vintage shop is literally packed to the rafters with second-hand delights. Somewhat more organized these days, areas of the shop now correspond to particular items (bags, shoes, dresses etc.) though vaguely ordered-chaos still generally predominates, especially at weekends.
Prices start at around 3€ in the piled-high troughs on the right hand wall (where dig deep you MUST), dresses/tops (in fact most things) are around 10/15€, bags around 5-20€ and shoes up to 20€ also.
Unlike many French shops, you will not accosted by stern shop assistants but it is essential you go in the right frame of mind – something akin to battle-mode!
And if it all becomes too much there is a lovely restaurant next door (the moules-frites are unmissable), an ice-cream shop on the corner and a number of great bars with trottoir facing terraces in the very near vicinity.
Details about this spot (Show on map)
Free P’ Star | Shopping | Bags € 5.00
8 rue Ste-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie | Marais/Bastille | +33142760372
09:00 – 19:00 daily
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Tons of trend-setting youths. It was incredible. I found jackets, belts, hats that are hard to come by at unbelievable prices.