If you’ve not heard of Leboncoin – you probably don’t live in France.
Leboncoin.fr is one of the most popular websites in France, in fact I read recently it is the second most searched on website in France. It is a portal for selling new and second hand goods throughout the whole country.
Now, I’ve been here long enough to know that it is not in the nature of my French friends and neighbours to throw anything away unless it absolutely has to be done. Leboncoin feeds this passion for recycling – it is in fact a sort of online flea market in many ways.
There are millions of items for sale on this site from the bizarre to the brilliant.
A ten minute browse in my local area alone on just one category “autres” (other) yielded the following weird and peculiar items:
2 Euro coin once owned by Zinedine Zidane for €50 (really – it says that)
A burial plot for two people with a stone monument €1500 (with a photo to illustrate!)
A toothbrush (used) – I’m not joking – €1
A roll of “humorous paper for WC” €2
An empty whisky bottle €2
But, if you look carefully you’ll also find some real gems. I personally find that a lot of the goods on here are total rubbish and expensive rubbish at that but you can find some really unusual and unique items – and many of my French friends use this site to sell their homes rather than go through an expensive estate agent.
Some of my favourites from my ten minute search today in “autres” in my area were:
Two carriages from the 1800s to restore – they wanted to be made an offer
A lovely old printers tray complete with rubber printing stamps – again they wanted an offer
A three bedroomed holiday home for less than the price of a mid-range saloon car
A gorgeous old wooden Champagne box for 9 bottles with stamp, lid and hinges intact €10
So if you are in France, looking for a second hand car, house, sofa, armoire, chandelier, galvanised bath tub, burial plot or toothbrush – this might be just the site for you.
A bientôt
Janine
