Some days I just notice things more than others. Here was a small shop that I pass several times a day on rue de Sevres in the 6e arrondissement. Clickity-clack going down the street, minding my own business, and then I had one of those gasp-out-loud-clamp-my-hand-over-mouth moments. After continuing along, startled, on the sidewalk for ten more paces, I did a volte-face and returned to take a photo.This is a shop, not uncommon in Paris, that purchases jewelry and gold from individuals. Discretion guaranteed. Immediate payment. Watches, lingots, diamonds, coins, andandand... dental gold?
I saw this and immediately felt a throbbing, possessive ache in my molars. No, no -- not my crowns! More reason to fear the dentist.
And then thanks to a tip from my pal Going Like Sixty, here's a fascinating and timely companion article by Geraldine Baum on the Credit Municipal de Paris -- the Fort Knox of all pawn shops, euphemistically referred to as "chez ma tante."
Apparently you can pawn anything at the Credit Municipal -- even bottles of wine.
3 comments:
I'm so curious as to if the dental gold they buy back was from living souls extracting their fillings and looking to make a quick buck, or if the majority of their stock comes from graverobbers. I'm not sure which is more disturbing, actually.
What baffles me is the thieves that are taking the catalytic converters from under cars for the platinum!
That's a lot of work! But I guess you can set your own hours.
Lengli,
I hope the dental gold just comes from people who've had a tooh pulled. Needless to say, I was unwilling to pop my head in the door to ask.
Sixty,
A man from Ohio I met last year told me that people in his city can't put copper gutters and downspouts on their historic houses any more because thieves steal it in the night to sell for scrap.
Anyway, I want to check out some of the auctions they have at the Credit Municipal. I bet there's some intersting stuff.
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