There is probably something special for everyone at Swiss brocante (secondhand) events.
Automatic watches. Cuckoo clocks. Swiss knives. Wooden coin boxes. German and French books. Old postcards. Vintage billboards. Toy trains. Motorbikes. Cowbells. Antique keys. China sets. Silver spoons. Intricate jewelry. Toys and dolls. You name it, the dealers in the secondhand trade probably have it.
All it takes is time, patience, and yes, disposable cash to spot and take home that valuable treasure displayed either on a seller’s table or glass shelf. Haggling skills may come in handy, too, in such occasions — that is, if you have the guts to negotiate for a good price. One can get a functional Omega automatic watch for only CHF150, for instance.
Beginning today, over 40 exhibitors will display their precious brocante merchandise in this year’s Bieler Brocante, an annual antiques fair held at the Kongresshaus in the bilingual Swiss town of Biel-Bienne. The exhibition will be held until Sunday, Feb. 15.
Bieler Brocante is touted as one of the major indoor antiques events in Switzerland that antiques aficionados always mark in their calendars. Around 5,000 visitors are expected to troop to the town’s Kongresshaus to inspect up close a wide range of curious and collectibles.
“I come here often to buy some old clocks that my brother can repair,” shares an avid Swiss clock collector.
One Filipino tourist, who came to the event two years ago for a brief look-see, throughly enjoyed the brocante experience. “I really had fun there. It was a unique experience,” she says, adding that she was quite contented with her purchases, which included toys and crytal decors.
For some guests, a day is not enough to scour for treasures from one table to another. So the ideal setup is to come early in the morning, embark on a treasure hunt, have lunch at the designated restaurant, and resume the search for nice and affordable brocante items.
It is indeed fun to visit Switzerland’s various brocante fairs. For old-timers, the whole experience is simply addictive. And for newbies, all that rummaging is “quite interesting” (most of them will eventually become what we call “brocki converts”).
Bieler Brocante is open to the public on Feb. 13-15 (Feb. 13/14, from 19 a.m. to 7 p.m./Feb. 15, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.). Entrance for kids and teenagers (until 15 years old) is free.
Note: You can view some Bieler Brocante (circa 2007) photos here.
