From Nadine (31, USA)…
As an avid secondhand shopper, one of my most pleasant surprises in Tunisia has been the fripe. Fripe, which derives from the French word for “rags,” now refers to the sale of secondhand clothing (which, in my experience, included a lot more riches than rags). With tables and tables of piles and piles of clothes, shoes, accessories and home goods. The fripe was far removed from the thrift stores I know back home in the United States. This was an exciting, chaotic world buzzing with the possibility of finding buried treasures.
Some of these informal markets spread across city blocks, under tents, while others seem to pop up randomly along the sidewalks. Either way, cycling around Tunis will certainly bring you into contact with a market or two. My favorites for long, meandering walks around tables and down side-streets were the fripes in Cité Ibn Khaldoun (a three kilometer ride from Nomadic Bike Bardo) and Hafsia (four kilometers from Bardo, near center city).
Cycling from Nomadic Bike was my contribution to the long process that is the global trade of secondhand materials. Each year, more than 8,000 containers of secondhand goods arrive in the port of Tunis, with most coming from Europe or the U.S and carrying donated items as well as off-season fast fashion stock. Upon arrival, a local network of brokers and dealers buy, sort and resell the items to market vendors. The sorting process brings this random selection into some sense of order based on type and quality of product; the organized piles are then repackaged into 40-50 kilogram bales. These bales are then sold to the individual market stalls.
At the fripes I visited, new selections entered the marketplace early Saturday morning, and the ritual of the bale opening (halan al-bala) provided quite the spectacle for the interested observer. One Saturday, after a seven-kilometer bike ride to Cité el Kadhra with Malek, we joined the crowds around big empty tables, eyes on the one man holding what we wanted: a fresh package of secondhand goods. Gingerly, he reached in and began pulling out one item at a time, including sunglasses, jewelry, phone cases and other accessories. Upon catching a glimpse of an interesting item, a nearby shopper would call for it to be given to them to inspect closer.
If deciding it was worth purchasing, the prospective buyer would carefully hold onto it until time came to hand over money, which was always negotiated. Shouting and arguments seemed on the verge of happening, but those in charge kept the peace between interested shoppers. Evidently, some people shared with the bale-openers what they were looking for and were readily tossed new items that met their needs. With Malek’s help in inspecting and negotiating, I left happily with a hiking backpack, camping mattress, CamelBak and more—all for under 90 dinars, or approximately 30 U.S. dollars.
If you’ve read this far, you probably don’t need convincing of the values of secondhand shopping, but I think it’s worth reiterating. The fashion industry is estimated to be responsible for 10 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, so buying secondhand is a way to make purchases alongside one’s values—similar to the choice to bike instead of drive. It’s also just fun, and the camaraderie you’ll find at the fripe is emblematic of the friendly, open culture of Tunisian people. To be successful at these markets requires patience and strategy, but it still feels like a nice use of time if you leave empty-handed, cycling home with dreams of next week’s batch of treasures to dig through. But if you do find some good bargains, you’re sure to hear a round of saha! (“cheers”) from your fellow fripe lovers.
FURTHER DETAILS:
Fripes, which are generally open from about 7am to midday, every day (unless noted)
Listed in order of distance from Nomadic Bike:
- Cité Ibn Khaldoun (3 kilometers)
- La Hafsia (4 kilometers)
- Bab el Falla (6.5 kilometers)
- Cité el Kadhra (7 kilometers)
- Souk du Jeudi d’Ezzahra (21 kilometers); Thursdays 6am-7pm
- Bou Selsla, La Marsa (23 kilometers); Sundays 7am-3pm
