Bievres, France, June 5th, 1999

Neither Rain nor snow nor.....

The first Sunday in June used to be the day when everyone in Europe, well, camera collectors at least, would converge in the tiny suburban village if Bievres. Many drove from Holland and Germany. Some flew in from the USA. A few even managed to make it through the border from Poland and Russia. The local hotel and inn is always booked the year before. It was a chance for friends to meet and catch-up on the happenings of the previous year.

Benoit and Marie Ancelot - visit Benoit's site at www.grandlargepictures.com.

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Over time, people started arriving earlier and earlier. I remember when avid collectors would scour the offerings of early bird sellers in the wee hours of the morning. It was not at all strange to see grown men with lights strapped to their heads pouring over the jumble of cameras freshly unloaded from a van which had just arrived from England or Italy. By dawn on Sunday morning every one had dark circles under their eyes, and most were shaking either from excitement or a caffeine overdose.

Things have changed from those days. Now sellers start to arrive on Friday, and even though it is forbidden to transact business before Midnight, many hardened dealers make quiet sales to eager collectors willing to risk the wrath of Madam Camus, the stern matriarch who rules the fair with a fist of iron and the wisdom of Solomon. One advantage with the new method of operation is that the aging population of collectors has the chance to get a good night's sleep before rising with the sun to start the hunt all over again in the morning.

The first week in June in France is often subject to the vagaries of the weatherman. This year was no exception. Had the fair been held two weeks earlier, sunshine and unseasonable warm temperatures would have greeted the visitor. But this was not to be. I awoke to wintry skies and blasts of cold air and drizzle. Not the best weather for holding a camera show outdoors.

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As my friend Tony Lo and I waited at dawn in the light rain for the taxi, I wondered if it would not be better to go back to bed and sleep a while longer, in hopes of brighter skies later in the morning. Frankly I had forgotten what a cold damp Spring morning in France felt like. To make me even more grumpy, I was loaded down with all my baggage. I would leave Bievres directly for Limoges because the next day I had an important appointment with the man putting a new roof on my house

The night before I had phone Jean-Loupe Princelle on his mobile phone, I had reached him as he was having dinner with Jim McKeown, Benoit Ancelot and Dieter Schiebe.

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He told me that arriving in the morning before AM was not necessary. Few people had set up on Friday night, and hardly any cameras were available to see. The people already there were simply socializing and having a good time.

The Taxi arrived 30 minutes late, and already had US$12 on the meter. The driver explained that he had to come from quite a ways off, and that reserved fares always cost more. I sort of remembered this and didn't make a fuss. In the end the fare was about US$45 from our hotel in Viry-Chatillion to Bievres.

After the twenty minute ride we arrived in the center of Bievres. It was evident from all the cars parked on the side walk that people were up and about. That the show had begun!

The actual "Fete de la Photographie" takes place in the town park, a hilly patch of grass nestled between the main street and what appears to be an overgrown wooded area. Many dealers had set up tents, or parked their campers at their appointed spots and spent the night.

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The drizzle had stopped and people were out and waking up. Most had come prepared with a covering for their tables. Some were elaborate, others simply used a plastic sheet tied to a convenient tree.

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There were no surprises for me on Saturday. I didn't find anything out of the ordinary, nothing exceptional or earthshaking. The prices for things seemed high, but these were asking prices after all, and there was a whole 'nother day to go. As is usual at large two day fairs, deals can sometimes be had at closing time that would never take place earlier. Depending on whether or not the seller had a good show, and also depending on how much the buyer still had left in his pocket.

One thing did strike me. I saw quite a few tables with sellers from Russia and maybe Poland. (The lingo sounds the same to me.) There were Kiev medium format cameras, and fake Leicas galore. I saw the cut-away model Leica for sale for US$350 but I was not tempted. Overall, the quality of the fakes was better that I had seen before. They were doing a bang-up business, judging by the throng at their tables.

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Perhaps the best part of Bievres for me was being able to catch up with old friends. Allen Weiner from New York was there. So was Eaton Lothrop, who I caught along with Bob White and Max Dyble. Eaton mentioned that he was working on a book about 126 Instamatic cameras. I can't wait to see the results. (picture below)

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There were a few IDCC members who showed up. Occupant and friend were there, so was Adrian Richmond (who wins the award for the best business card of the day by making me home sick.) I took the liberty of defacing his address and phone number. Peter Loy was also there. I went to visit "Andrews Cameras" in Teddington the day I left to return to Hong Kong. I'll be making a report on the shop in the near future, look for it here at Camprice.com

The IDCC member who most surprised me was Bernard Plazonnet who came all the way up from Clermont Ferrond. Bernard tapped me on the shoulder and introduced himself. It was really great finally meeting him. Bernard has helped me with Camprice.com by looking at all the French camera listings and offering his advice and counsel. We made plans to meet at my house this Summer for a BBQ. Hopefully with some local collectors. If this week-end get together comes to pass, you can be sure I'll immortalize it here with a page or two of pictures. (picture below)

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The only camera I was really tempted to buy was one that I'm sure they would not have let me onto the airplane with. I've often thought of sending up a camera with a kite, but I had not seen a "Rocket" camera before. I had heard about them, but obviously I had never been in the right place at the right time to get one. I thought long and hard, but in the end, common sense won out. I'm afraid if I had bought it I would have had to use it, thereby ending it's life as a collectable, horror of horrors!

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I left Bievres at about 3 PM. It was beginning to really pour down rain, and I had a train to catch to Limoges, another 3 and a half hours South of Paris. I had an appointment with a roofer, and needed to be there to do some pre-meeting planning. The word I got back from those who attended Sunday's fair was that it was a continuation of Saturday with the addition of Factory reps from Agfa etc., and other retail type stands, missing from Saturday's event. One buyer from England said that he didn't have much luck negotiating lower prices late on Sunday. The seller seemed happy to keep his equipment and try his luck again next year! If you can make it, Bievres is the place to be on the first Sunday in June. No matter what the weather, a good time is almost guaranteed.....and you'll never can tell who you might run into...

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