The Bubble 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 the prefect Poubelle prohibiting the dumping of garbage in front of Parisian buildings. As early as 1885, the rag-and-bone men were forced to leave Paris and took possession of a no-construction zone between the capital and Saint Ouen, "les fortifs". Very quickly, this no-man's-land housed shantytowns in which the biffins (chiffonniers in slang) found refuge with their families and set up their pop-up shops every Sunday to try to earn a few francs with their weekly finds. Legend has it that the term "flea market" was born when an inspired bargain hunter pointed out that the clothes sold here were surely "flea market included", as their provenance could be questionable, at least their condition.

Between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, these illegal sales began to be regulated. First, a tax had to be paid to have the right to sell, then, sensing a bargain, businessmen acquired these plots of land to offer commercial leases.

In the 1920s, we witnessed the creation of the three historic flea markets of Saint-Ouen: Vernaison, specializing in second-hand goods and second-hand goods, Malik, where you could find second-hand clothes and second-hand clothing, and finally Biron, more upmarket and focused on art and historical objects.

In the 1980s, the Sunday bargain hunter or the antiques expert began to encounter a new kind of peddler in the aisles of the flea market. "The dromedary," in reference to his itinerant side, roamed streets and markets with his cart filled with bubble wrap to the sound of his bells. Joël Topor-Predec, the founding father, was a traveling merchant who had the bright idea of ​​offering customized packaging solutions to protect goods, from decorative plates to Normandy sideboards. Bubble wrap became "his thing," to the point of giving his company its name. The company La Bulle was born at this time.

In addition to his notable and welcome presence in Saint-Ouen, he crisscrosses France to antique fairs and exhibitions, armed only with his good humor and miles of bubble wrap rolls. He quickly becomes indispensable, and many dealers call on his services to purchase the famous bubble wrap. In order to best meet the needs of a wide variety of dealers, Joel creates the famous bubble wrap pouch in a format adapted to the size of paintings.

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

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