Les Bouquinistes

Les Bouquinistes, a feature of Paris.
(Second-hand book and print sellers)

Most people, including me, seem to love wandering along the edge of the Seine and browsing the wares of the bouquinistes in green metal boxes (boîtes), displaying old and used books, magazines, prints, posters etc. It’s lovely to walk under the trees, especially in autumn when the leaves are crunchy underfoot, and especially where there’s a view across to the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral.

Many of the items for sale are wrapped in plastic, to protect them from the rain, and the bouquinistes who are not open just close down the lids of their boxes and padlock them.
I’ve often wondered about these people, how they get their boxes and books, and whether they do enough business to make a living. So, I was very happy to find some information on these riverside vendors.
Apparently, today, to become one of the 250 bouquinistes, a person could wait for up to 8 years! Coveted spots are awarded based on seniority. So, the demand must be very high.
The name may come from the Dutch word boeckin, which means ‘small book’, but in French today le bouquin is another word for book and bouquiner means ‘to read’. The bouquinistes along the Seine from Notre Dame to the Louvre have been a fixture in Paris since the mid-1500s, when shops and stalls lined most of the bridges. In the beginning, these sellers used wheelbarrows to move and sell their goods, but later they fastened trays to the parapets of the bridges with leather straps. In 1891, the city gave permission for these sellers to attach their boxes permanently. They pay rent only for the stone on which the boxes are attached (currently about €100 a year).
Each seller has 4 metal boxes, which must be maintained that special green color like old train cars. They must open at least 4 days a week and can only have one of their boxes devoted to regular tourist souvenirs.
Now, when I see the variety of stuff on offer, I wonder where the bouquinistes get it. I’ll have to ask one day.