My Art of Bargaining

The Fun of Bargaining

I was in Xiang Yang Market , Shanghai in the last days before the place was closed down by the authorities at the end of June 2006. A haven of fake goods sold to the locals and foreigners. You name it, they got it. Hundreds of stalls line the place and you can hear the din of traders doing a roaring business. I was wary the fact that I read a lot in the TCG travels and tips and what to beware of and all sorts. I was walking past a stall when a girl in her teens pulled me by the sleeve and showing me her arm full of watches ," Watchie ! Watchie ! Looka! Looka ! Beautiful watchie ! Cheep ! Cheep! . I held my breathe so that I could hold my laughter. For a moment, I thought she was singing ! I smiled and said'" Xie Xie " walking off. My wife was looking at me and giggled at this incident. Then came the part. I shall tell this part in a dialogue . Looking at a piece of fancy lighter that attracted my attention in one of the stalls , I decided to pick it up to have a look. Like Flash( the comic character) from nowhere the boss appeared," Looka ! Cheep! Cheep! Give you good Plice ! " as he smiled a Mona Lisa smile. I smiled and asked," How muchie ? " Boss : For you, my fliend, I give you vely special plice! 500 kuai ! Me: Huh ? I thought 500 kuai for this piece of sh*t ? I mumbled who wants to be your friend when he's trying to rip me off! Me: Ok, 100 dollars ! as I stared with my eyes shooting daggers at him. Boss : Hokey !! my fliend 150 kuai. Me: No..oo , as i walked off with my giggling wife trailing behind. I counted till three where i heard the boss calling me," Hokey..hokey final plice, 120 kuai I got to eat oso. I could smell that,as Garlic smell came out from his breath, yearrgh ! I held my breath as his face neared me to only six inches away. If he started talking, he'll blast me with the smell again. Before he could speak, I said," Hokey ! 100 dollars. He looked at me with his eyes nearly popping out," Hokey ! 100 kuai hao le! I heard him muttering to himself," Ta ma di, zhe ke yew ke hern hui chien xhia ! ( Meaning - Bastard, this tourist sure knows how to bargain ! ) I smiled and asked in Chinese," Kang chai ni zhai suo she mo?" ( Just now, what did you say?) He looked at me with his mouth opened wide as if a thousand flies could fly in," Ni huey zhiang hua yi ?" ( You can speak Chinese ?) and he continued, " Hern tui pu chie ! ( Very sorry!) . Wo men yea shi zhong guo ren ma.( We are Chinese also). I laughed and paid him the money. A short distance away, my wife asked me, " Do you smoke?" I answered, " No, why ? " With the lighter in my hand, I cursed myself, " What the h*ll do I need this lighter for? She laughed all the way to the hotel. Well, at least, I could give it to my dad. That was the first time bargaining that I did and I learnt it the hilarious way !

Lessons To be Learnt from Bargaining

1. Never look interested on the things you like to buy( 2) Take your time to choose, let the seller wait and sweat..he may cursed you under his breath 3) Ask for the price in an uninteresting manner with your eyes piercing his and smiling. 4) if the price quoted is high, just smile and say," Xie Xie " and walk off. 5) if he call you back, and reduce the price, you reduce slightly more.and see his expression and you smile waiting for his counter offer. If he agrees, you buy it. If not, you walk off to other stall. ( Once you have agreed on the price, please buy it or else you will be hearing a lot of swearing words in Chinese shot at you. Of course, you may turn a deaf ear or you do not know what he's swearing about in the chinese language. Believe me, it is not nice to hear it and people nearby will stare at you !) The rule of the thumb is the price of the goods are about 20-30 % of the asking price. So, don't get slaughtered out there when you buy things. This bargaining does not APPLY to shops in exclusive places or shopping centres.

So, you guys out there shopping should take it easy and don't trade puhhhhnches in the end ! rEMEBER, YOU DO NOT WANT TO PAY FOR LOW QUALITY GOODS AT a high price and neither can you pay for the goods that are of high quality for a low price. Nothing in this world is free, please do remember this. Just enjoy it in a friendly manner and don't take it too seriously. You don't want to create a scene there, do you ? HAPPY SHOPPING AND GOOD LUCK IN YOUR BARGAINS ! If you do not agree to the price as high as The Oriental Pearl Tower, just decline politely with a SMILE and say, Thank you. Never buy things you feel that you have the obligation to do so sine after so much haggling( Unless of course, they point a gun at your head) Be careful as salivas might be traded freely during the bargaining session. Don't get a heart attack and land yourself in hospital ( Worst, you may die in a foreign land) while bargaining as it's not worth it! Take it in an easy carefree stride.