The South of France has a well-kept secret that anyone into retro clothing, rare china, or vintage toys should know about. It's called the 'vide gernier' or 'flea market' and visiting one can be a whole new shopping experience.

Google "vide grenier 06" and several websites will come up, telling you where and when to find flea markets, antique markets and car boot sales in the region. The best vide greniers are held at the weekend and once you've chosen one, my advice is to wake up early and get there for opening time, before the best items are snapped up. Don't worry, sellers will negotiate, even at that time of the morning!

The amount of piled up clothes, bits of jewellery, furniture, toys, books and outdated electrical goods can be daunting. 'Vide grenier' means 'empty attic' in French and it's a very appropriate name! You can find anything from plastic cups, fur jackets and baby clothes to horror-movie masks. The best thing about it all is that most items have a guide price of 1 euro!

Look hard and with a bit of luck, you might get your hands on a vintage designer handbag, antique toy or some real gold jewellery, a rare antique chandelier or maybe even a perfect set of china. Sometimes for just a few euros. Don't worry if you're not a linguist - just look up French numbers up to 20! It's not likely that you'll pay more at any of the stands, even for a bagful of goods. Just be confident and be prepared to 'finger bargain', especially if you buy a lot.

It takes time and energy to thoroughly explore the stands, but it'll be worth it when you return home with your treasure. There's no greater pleasure than knowing you've got yourself a bargain from someone else's attic!

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