Where to shop for vintage porn in Paris?

September 11, 2010 2:09 AM

Where does one shop for "vintage" porn in Paris?

OK, so I've promised a friend of mine who works in Gender and Sexuality studies that I would bring him back some interesting/amusing French porn. My plan was to either find him something really weird or something old-school. The "really weird" route quickly led me to stuff that I don't think I can legally take across the border (into the US)—and that I was not aware you could even purchase in France. Jeezus.

In any case, I'm now looking for "vintage" porn. I don't want to spend 80€ on a DVD or something, so I'm mostly looking for old magazines and chap-books. I already did the run of the porno shops in Pigalle and came up dry (so to speak): most places don't even sell magazines anymore, and those that do just sell a handful of rather recent and bland pornos. The person I'm shopping for is gay and would probably prefer gay porn, so I'm also planning to see if the sex shops in the Marais might have something to offer.

Does anyone have any further suggestions? MeMail me if you're too embarrassed to show off your porn-shopping skills here, but I imagine that the hive mind would be curious about the results…

posted by LMGM to shopping (6 answers total)

Marché aux Puces. Lots of vintage magazines and postcards (in the Dauphine building, I think). I don't recall any gay porn, but then again I wasn't really looking for it. You're not going to get a deal there, but hey, it's fun to visit anyway.
posted by danny the boy at 2:23 AM on September 11, 2010

Did you go to the Musee de l'erotisme in Pigalle? They have 19th century porno films playing throughout the exhibits and I'd be surprised if they weren't on sale in the gift shop.
posted by fire&wings at 3:41 AM on September 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

The bouqinistes trading along the banks of the Seine slightly east of the Notre Dame area.
posted by idiomatika at 6:40 AM on September 11, 2010

I came here to say Marché aux Puces, as well. Though obviously there are a LOT of other things there, I did see a number of vendors selling vintage stuff that had been hiding under mattresses for decades. My favorite title was definitely La flagellation et autres perversions.
posted by whatzit at 1:59 AM on September 12, 2010

There's a library (and publisher) specialised in erotica called La Musardine near the Père Lachaise cemetary in the 11th arrondissement.
posted by elgilito at 4:29 AM on September 13, 2010

thanks, y'all! La Musardine looks great (based on their site) and The Musee de l'érotisme is an excellent suggestion.
posted by LMGM at 8:57 AM on September 13, 2010