The habits that keep a sourcing trip running smoothly are rarely the glamorous ones. They come from years of trial and error, and most of them happen before I have bought a single thing.
One of the most useful came at a late fall brocante, when I brought powerful flashlights for my guests. Even with a light on every phone, they found the flashlights showed the tables in much better detail in the early hours before sunrise, and they used them to scan for holes in canvas, cracks in ceramics and wormholes in wood. A strong light can save you from a costly mistake.
Planning how everything is carried
Before a tote bag of antiques settles into my car or hotel room, I weigh it with travel scales and log the reading in a note on my phone. That way I know exactly what I am carrying and how much I can buy before I reach airline limits. I bring an empty suitcase with some bubble wrap in it, because a dealer will not always have bubble wrap to spare for something delicate between the brocante and the hotel. I also travel with three or four heavy-duty tote bags nested inside each other.
Planning for the fair itself
If I am heading to a big fair, I check whether carts can be rented before I think about hauling my own from home. Traveling light saves energy and frustration, especially on mixed terrain or cobblestones. I also always carry a bag with the items that support me through the day: a light, a measuring tape, plenty of cash and a card, my phone, a power bank, a water bottle and a protein bar, just in case.
Planning the practical decisions
Before I leave, I also settle how I will pay and how larger pieces will get home, so those decisions are not made in a hurry at a stall.
None of it is glamorous, but small habits like these shape the trip. What is a small habit you never travel without?
If you would like to see how I approach a sourcing trip, you can read about my North England buying trip in April 2027.
From the Journal of Atelier Chatelaine
Until next time, may you always find the piece that makes you stop, look twice, and wonder about the story it carries.