Claire Louise Milne at Needlebook has some great pictures from her recent visit to the Paris flea market. Can’t wait to hit the posh shops she saw when we head there in August 2007 for our antiquing adventure through the south of France.

Andrea Swinton
www.takeaboo.com

Carol Lazar’s article   from South Africa’s IOL features an informative first person account of river cruising through the south of France.

Liked her tip about bringing binoculars to spy the scenery passing by. We’ll make sure we remind our group to do the same.

Carol headed from Lyon south to Avignon. On our ten-day Provence adventure, we’ll head north from Avignon to Chalon-sur-Saône with a three -night stop over in Paris, so we can visit Les Puces de Saint-Ouen. We’ll visit some of the same places as Carol did – Chalon, Lyon, Tournon, Arles and Avignon, but we’ll be hitting antique shops, flea markets and wineries  and a few other destinations along the way cruising aboard the Conde Nast Traveler rated Viking Cruise Lines.

Andrea Swinton
website www.takeaboo.com

Happy to see that Conde Nast Traveler Readers Voted Viking River Cruise Lines  to ‘Top 10 Small Ship Cruise Lines’ in 2006 Annual Survey.

Why? Because we’ll be setting sail in August 2007 on their Viking Burgundy, 152 person passenger ship to lead a group of 30 travelers through the glorious south of France on an antiquing adventure.  It’ll be fun filled days sailing along the Saône and Rhône Rivers capped off with 3 days in Paris. We’ll be antiquing along the way (guided by my better half, antique expert Martin Swinton), visiting wineries and soaking up the best of Provence.  Next summer can’t come too soon, I say.

Andrea Swinton
www.takeaboo.com

We survived our first trade show, the Canadian Home and Country Show this past weekend. We met a lot of great exhibitors – AnnMarie from Camlen, the ladies from Echos in the Attic, the sisters from Something Cozy, Carmen from Caviar and Cobwebs (hope to get out to Port Perry to visit her some time soon) and the Shortbread Lady to name a few. We received many compliments on our booth (that made us feel good since we are newbies at this trade show thing)and handed out more than 2,500 postcards promoting our river cruise antiquing adventure to France next summer. Talked to lots of people, generating interest in the trip. We promoted the furniture restoration and caning, rushing and cording repairs side of our business since caning restorers are particularly hard to find. We expect we’ll get some business from the show just on the caning side of things.  Got a few nibbles on our beautiful antique rocking horse circa 1850s that we featured at the show; one person is thinking of it to hold her riding saddle, another for her palladian windows in her great room. Both would be great uses for this one of a kind antique gem. Martin even ran into Judith Miller . He mentioned to her that items from our shop have been featured in her Price Guides going back to 2003 and invited Judith to be a guest on the radio show he will host on VoiceAmerica Channel in 2007.

Andrea Swinton                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                website takeaboo.com

Looks like we aren’t busy enough writing articles on antiques, organizing cool antiquing trips in France, updating our website and this blog, oh, and running our shop.  Starting in 2007, Martin will host a weekly interactive radio show about antiques on VoiceAmerica Channel.  We’re working with the good folks at VoiceAmerica Channel (Mark Collver and Denise Dion) to deliver a show that will appeal to antique collectors everywhere.

Andrea Swinton
website: takeaboo.com 

Not that there was much doubt, but our Paris excursion during our river cruise antiquing adventure will be to the famed Les Puces de Saint-Ouen flea market. It’s the world’s biggest flea market and welcomes 200,000 visitors each weekend. The market is open in the morning, so it will be an early start for our group. Don’t know how we’ll get through it all in a morning.

There are a number of different markets within the Puces de Saint-Ouen complex:

Antica Market
It’s miniature market with only a dozen or so stands. This elegant gallery lies alongside the Vernaison Market. You’ll discover beautiful objects, tapestries, ornaments, Art Deco, Napoleon III, etc.

Biron Market
This treasure trove features paintings and other objects.

Cambo Market
In a completely restored area on two floors with twenty dealers, you’ll discover a very high quality selection of furniture and fine arts from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

Dauphine Market
This market offers genuine antiques, all certified by experts from a Renaissance period.

L’Entrepot
The market specializes in out-of-the-ordinary, outsized items — exhibiting classical pieces of extraordinary dimensions: monumental staircases, bookcases and woodwork from stately homes, not to mention a garden pavilion and a castle gate.

Jules Vallès Market
This market features unusual objects, posters, antique weapons, bronzes, books or records, military uniforms and a host of other things. With its no-frills stands, this market isn’t fancy.

Malik Market
This market has over 100 dealers and features clothing including military surplus, leather jackets, sneakers, incense and make-up.

Paul Bert Market
The Paul Bert is likely the most relaxed of the flea markets and features more than 220 dealers with an eclectic selection.

Rosiers Market
This little treasure of a market features only ten stalls or so, specializing in light fixtures, Art Deco and Art Nouveau.

Serpette Market
This market is housed in the former garage of France’s first Citroën dealer. Serpette, home to 130 dealers, is known for the highest quality items and can be pricey.

Vernaison Market
This market is a real maze of alleyways — some stalls are covered, others open to the elements. It’s great for casual bargain hunters.

Andrea Swinton
website takeaboo.com

For our antiquing through France trip, we are happy to have found a great shop to visit in Arles. We’ll visit Maurin,  a local antique establishment that has been around for  three generations.  Their business is comprised of three big shops in the old city centre of Arles, plus a warehouse. Caroline Maurin, a third generation member of this family owned business will give us a tour of the shop and talk about antiques of the Provence region. We might even get a peak into the warehouse and a behind the scenes tour of their workshop where they make reproduction furniture. Can’t wait.

Andrea Swinton
Take-A-Boo Emporium
email info@takeaboo.com
website www.takeaboo.com

Take-A-Boo Emporium sells antiques and collectibles; does furniture restoration and repairs; caning, cording and rushing repairs; upholstery; consults to those who want to enter the antique business; and offers an Antiques 101 course.

Today on the VoiceAmerica Channel internet radio show  TraVerus Celebrity Travel  Talk   interviewed Michele Saegesser, a representative from the Viking River Cruises who gave lots of information about the cruise line and mentioned our trip specifically.  She mentioned that river cruising is relatively new; it’s only been around for about five years; and that 65% of next year’s inventory is already booked. That’s how popular this type of travel is.  Listen to the show to learn more about river cruising.

Andrea Swinton
website www.takeaboo.com

This week on Voice America’s  popular travel show TraVerus Travel Celebrity Talk  they plugged our River Cruise and Antiquing through France trip. Thanks guys. Plus, the trip is now listed on the Hot Deals  section of the TraVerus Travel website.  To book your spot on this cruise contact: Lori Speers at TraVerus Travel 1-866-872-8967 or email lori@traverus.com. To learn more about the trip, visit our website.

P.S.  Martin will host a weekly show on antiques on Voice America in 2007.

Andrea Swinton
Take-A-Boo Emporium
1927 Avenue Road
Toronto, ON M5M 4A2
ph 416-785-4555
email info@takeaboo.com
website www.takeaboo.com

Take-A-Boo Emporium sells antiques and collectibles; does furniture restoration and repairs; caning, cording and rushing repairs; upholstery, provide consulting for those who want to enter the antique business and offers an Antiques 101 course.

Read our column Let’s Talk Antiques at the Town Crier or at ezinearticles.com

Martin and I are looking forward to launching our River Cruise and Antiquing Through France trip at the Canadian Home and Country Show October 26 – 29, 2006 in Toronto. We’ll have post cards to hand out to people who drop by our booth (#102). Thanks to Maria Gabriele who did a great job designing the post cards.

Andrea Swinton
Take-A-Boo Emporium
1927 Avenue Road
Toronto, ON M5M 4A2
ph 416-785-4555
email info@takeaboo.com
website www.takeaboo.com