Antique lovers have been scouring the flea markets and up-market boutiques of Paris for so long that you may be tempted to wonder if there are any treasures left to find. The good news is that some of the finest antiques in the world are vying for your attention throughout Paris, if you know where to look.
The Antique Markets Accompaniment Association, or the AMAA, is a five-year-old organization founded by Riad Kneife, Philippe Methiaz, and Aline Bachelier-Gunderson, with the precise goal of helping serious buyers navigate the sometimes intimidating world of Paris antique shopping. The association takes an approach that is different from that of group antiques-buying tours. For one thing, everything is customised, and clients include both professionals in the antiques business and private collectors seeking out that perfect, special something for their home.
You may expect your AMAA guide not only to help you find what you are looking for, but also to examine it with a critical eye, help you negotiate the sale, arrange for shipping and even interface with your decorator or architect back home to make sure that what you are buying will work in your space. The guides are well versed in import/export regulations, taxes, and all other logistical matters that might otherwise frustrate the uninitiated Paris antique shopper.
But the most appealing aspect of the AMAA’s service is less easy to quantify, and that is the ability of the guide to help you understand the historical context of the furniture or objet d’art you are buying. “I like to tell my clients about the architecture, the food, the wine and the type of wood that grows in a particular area,” says Methiaz. “It all came together to create that piece of furniture, and it’s nice for people to have a story about what they bought.”
Shopping venues include private dealers and warehouses that are not typically open to the public as well as better-known antique fairs and markets. Interested in planning a trip around one of Paris’s renowned antiques shows? Tops is La Biennale des Antiquaires, which is held every other year in September, alternating years with the equally excellent Le Salon des Collectionneurs. Also worth visiting is the World Antique Fair held at the Flea Market every October.

C.S.A. PARIS-1 Bd Bineau 92300 Levallois Perret-FRANCE- contact: riadkneife@yahoo.com