As Christmas approaches, more and more French people are turning to second-hand toys

Stéphane Burgatt 14:37 pm, 05 November 2023

Is Santa Claus eco-friendly? In any case, he chooses more and more second-hand gifts. Purchases of toys from recycling centres, on sites, or from specialized companies are multiplying as the end of year celebrations approach. This is particularly the case in Marseille, where many of them took advantage of the low prices of a toy fair.

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Paw Patrol, Lego and dolls, all the children's heroes in good condition and at bargain prices are present on the stands. Enough to decide Mylène to move on to the second. "I found Playmobil for 3 euros for my son. There are bargains and there are some people who are tired of getting a little lit up in the shops. That is to say, a Playmobil will cost a lot of money and a flea market will cost a lot less. For a three-year-old, that's more than enough," says the young mother.

"Life has increased, but children also need to be happy"

The baskets fill up but the bills don't explode. Very useful for Christmases for large families like Grandma Sylvie's. "At the moment, I'm not even at 10 euros for five books, a toy and two board games. That's great. Life has increased, but the children need to be happy too," the grandmother smiles.

The toy fair is full here and attracts mainly the middle classes. "The average French person who is hyper-taxed is here today. People come two months before Christmas, which is a very good thing," said organiser François Pinatel. It was not initially planned, but faced with the demand, this president of the neighborhood committee is going to renew this type of flea market.