Sud de France 3.9: Sex At The Vide Grenier

An old poster for an island vacation

Barbie and Ken lay there naked in the hot, French afternoon sun. Another Ken and Barbie, more modestly dressed in shorts, lay beneath them. It was a classic “mise en scene” orgy and it would have been a bizarre except that it is a common sight at French "Vide Greniers". Translated as an “empty attic” sale it like a garage sale on steroids. 

A vide grenier  fills a village for blocks

Vide Greniers are popular throughout France and it seems that there are one or two every weekend in different villages throughout the Herault. Although similar to an American garage sale there is one big difference, a grenier sale involves an enter village and naturally when dozens of people empty out their attics you get a pretty surprising glimpse into their private lives.

One thing that is constant with these greniers is that there are lots and lots of dolls for sale. I guess French women, more than their American sisters, hang onto their doll collections well into adulthood. Occasionally the dolls are neatly sorted, labeled and wrapped, but most of the time they are simply piled on top of each other; inadvertently creating scenes of wild sex and odd juxtaposition.

A wide range of tastes here for certain

It is ironic of course because a vide grenier sale is usually put on by the local PTA or a church group as a village fundraiser. The moms sell snacks and sandwiches at the local “Salle des Fetes” (community center) while the dads direct traffic and parking.Yet for all this wholesomeness just a few minutes into a grenier you begin to notice the odd stuff.  

Lawrence and Florence of Arabia I suppose

Usually a grenier will fill an entire village center with tables as far as the eye can see down every street. There are piles high with stacks of old books, mountains of old clothes, boxes of old vinyl records, CDs and DVDs, old car parts, cartons of electrical wiring bits, used kitchenware, big wooden boards of pin and badge collections as well as display cases of coins.

A Barbie anyone?

But there’s no order to the grenier. No one seems to feel the need to put clothing sellers in one area and record sellers in another. It would probably be too hard anyway as each seller’s table is a hodgepodge of stuff with lots of different kinds of things to sell.It is like stepping into the largest open air junk shop imaginable enhanced with wine and baguettes. 

The noir side of Noir.

So there I am at a grenier on the lookout for the provocative stuff, the subtle stuff that goes beyond the piles of sexy lingerie. That doesn’t interest me, actually I’m a little put off at the thought of buying someone’s used risqué undies for the one I love. 

As you can see from the photos my search went pretty well. 

Photos and text © 2010 Steve Meltzer