Second-hand and Vintage Shopping
In our humble opinion, shopping for second-hand bargains is one of the most fun activities when staying at Chez Mathieu! There is a refreshing culture of waste-not-want-not in the Perigord, where one person's junk avoids the landfill by becoming another person's treasure!
Vide-Greniers and Brocantes
Vide-Greniers, literally meaning "empty attic" is the French equivalent to a car-boot sale, while a brocante is a flea market. They are dotted around in the summertime, details of which can be found at the tourist information offices, or at this website. Be sure to search both for the Charante and the Dordogne.
Emmaüs 24
Emmaüs is a rather cool thing. It is an international charity, which was set up in 1949 by the Catholic Priest, Abbé Pierre, who was a member of the French Resistance. The charity seeks to help homelessness, by providing work by helping to sort and sell secondhand items.
There is a large Emmaüs centre in the Coulounieix-Chamiers, a one hour drive away. It is very large, so plan for a few hours of rummaging! Check out their Twitter to get an idea!
Rachel's Vintage Shop, Verteillac
If you don't have time to do any of the above, but want a quick shop for vintage items, a convenient place to check out is a newly-opened shop in Verteillac. You will see it on the left-hand side as you come into the village square. Rachel, the owner, is an English photographer who has lived in the region for a while. She sells posters and postcards, and has a rack of vintage clothes outside for 5 Euros per item!