Some valuable antiques in a showroom at a Parisian flea market.

Find the best prices in Paris when professional bargain hunters Rachel Kaplan and Elisabeth de Kergorlay share their secrets. You can purchase top notch antiques for 25 percent of what they would cost in America, for example, which easily covers shipping costs and leaves plenty left over. And that's just the start of the savings at the flea markets in Paris.

• A little known secret: you can go to the Paris Flea Market on Friday morning, when dealers sell to the trade.
  
• Arrive early if you are looking for one-of-a-kind pieces and want first dibs. The end of the day is for bargain hunters.
  
• Clignancourt is the largest and most famous flea market in Paris.
  
• Clignancourt has 2,000 stalls on 75 acres and 200,000 visitors each weekend.
  
• Most Parisian flea markets accept cash only.
  
• The price is lower when you purchase something for export because there's no VAT, or value-added tax.
  
• Shipping costs are based on size. Make sure that the quote is door-to-door. If the shipping is "arrival port," you still have to pay clearance and delivery fees.
  
• Insurance is an additional 1.75 percent of the item's value, with a $2,000 deductible.

Best for Less Cost Comparison:

• Antique desk:
  Paris flea market price: $2,100
  Retail: $9,000

Elisabeth de Kergorlay
Personal Shopper and Owner, So French
Phone: +33 01 53 75 22 53
www.sofrench-paris.com

Rachel Kaplan
Owner, French Links
$700 a day for consulting services
www.frenchlinks.com

Hedley Humpers
Paris Flea Market
Phone: +33 01 40 10 94 00
paris@hedleyhumpers.fr, www.hedleyshumpers.com

Next: Appraisal Basics