La Bulle wanders through the Paris Saint-Ouen flea market

The history of the flea market dates back to the 19th century and a decree issued by Prefect Poubelle prohibiting the dumping of rubbish in front of Parisian buildings. From 1885, rag pickers were forced to leave Paris and took over an area forbidden to construction between the capital and Saint-Ouen, "les fortifs" (the fortifications). Very quickly, this no man's land housed shantytowns where the biffins (rag pickers in argot) found refuge with their families and set up their ephemeral shops every Sunday to try and earn a few francs with their finds of the week. Legend has it that the term "puces" (fleas) was born when an inspired bargain hunter remarked that the clothes sold here were surely "fleas included," so dubious could be their provenance, if not their condition.

Between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, these unregulated sales began to be regulated. First, one had to pay a tax to be allowed to sell, then, sensing an opportunity, businessmen acquired these lands to offer commercial leases.

In the 1920s, the three historic markets of the Saint-Ouen flea market were created: Vernaison, specializing in second-hand goods and bric-a-brac, Malik, where one could find secondhand clothes and garments, and finally Biron, more upscale and oriented towards art objects and historical items.

In the 80s, Sunday bargain hunters or antique experts began to encounter a new kind of peddler in the alleys of the flea market. "The Dromedary," a reference to his itinerant nature, traversed streets and markets with his cart full of bubble wrap to the sound of his bells. Joël Topor-Predec, the founding father, was an itinerant merchant who had the good idea of offering custom packaging solutions to protect goods, from decorative plates to Norman sideboards. Bubble wrap became "his thing" to the point of giving his company its name. La Bulle company was born at that time.

Beyond his notable and welcome presence in Saint-Ouen, he crisscrossed France according to antique shows and fairs, armed with his good humor and miles of bubble wrap rolls. He quickly became indispensable, and many merchants called upon his services to buy the famous bubble wrap from him. To best meet the diverse needs of merchants, Joel created the famous bubble pouch in a format adapted to the size of paintings.

La Bulle gradually became a family affair when Balthazar, the son, began accompanying his father on his tours to earn some pocket money, then at the age of 22, he fully joined the company. With youth came new ideas and opportunities to develop this bubble wrap business.

In 2010, Balthazar revolutionized La Bulle, and for the first time in 30 years, he opened a shop at the Malassis market. While tours continued to various antique shows to sell bubble wrap and offer art packaging solutions, Balthazar began to imagine a new service