Jill wrote:^ dfoo, I bought an XBOX game for 7 RMB. Will cost me 10 RMB for a DVD9, is that ok?

Seem expensive for DVD5, and cheap for DVD9. What the hell! The place I normally go is around XuJiaHui. There I get DVD5 for 6 kuai, and DVD9 for 12.

Matthew

Haha, so maybe I got a FAKE DVD9! Oops! So confused now!

BINOCULARS
Any advice on binoculars? Does the quality/price vary signifcantly? I read 15rmb... is this for good ones?

KITE
Also, how much should i pay for a nice kite outside the Science/Tech museum in Pudong?

Hi, this time i was very hard !
2 addidas t-shirts for 70 (begin at 180 one)
1 nike short for 40 (begin at 240 !!!)
Good quality both
Little hint : I you are in Shanghai for a short periode, say that you will come back in 2 days with more money because you just come here by pure hazard with not a lot of money. You can by some things very cheaper ! If you have 500 RMB or more in your pocket find something like "I'm going to a bar with some friend so i need my money but be sure i will come back" ...

Gousse

Kite: with string 20-50 RMB depending on the type.

Here is a hint: don't fly it in Century park

Matthew

Suggest stall no. 26 for the 'good quality fakes' I was referring to - but be prepared to pay more than the usual RMB80 to RMB100 for a bag. The starting price is usually more than RMB500! And it takes a really long time to haggle them down further.

How can you tell the difference between the DVD5 and DVD9 at the market? What can we say to tell them which is the quality. Also does anyone have purchased a full suit?

Purchases in the Market:
2 Full suits (pants and coat): 550RMB each
4 long sleeve work shirts/1 short sleeve shirt: 40RMB each
5 purses (LV, prada, Hermes) 2 wallets (LVs), 1 LV laptop bag: all for 1200 RMB = estimated 150 per bag (counting that the wallets were 1 bag)

dfoo...which stall did you get the kites at?

Bought a small over-the shoulder Coach purse for 80RMB. Very good stitching and zipper quality.

Cousin came from the States and I let him shop there by himself for 2 hours. He came out with a fake watch for 800RMB. Idiot...

I didn't buy a kite in the stall in XiangYang market.

Matthew

I found a great place for much cheaper table linens!!! The top floor of the Chinese market at Yuyuan Bazaar - No. 225, #3f307 Fuyou Shop, Fuyou Road (this is from the biz card), they are called (I think) "Real Silk Scarf". I loathe the whole bargaining process and feel insulted and aggravated when someone gives me an initial price of 20 times the usual price.

So this place had: no hassling at all, and these were the first quoted prices (I paid the quoted price, didn't bother to bargain her down but I'm sure a more patient person could have):

pashmina 12 rmb
table runner 15 rmb
table cloth (I will use as a bed spread / blanket, quite large and lovlier than the usual runner) 65 rmb
pillow cases 10 rmb
those table mats w/chopstick things 24 rmb

Again, these were the first quoted price so I'm sure most people would have gotten it down still, and I didn't buy in bulk, nor did she press me for it.

A much better shopping experience (no english spoken but I managed with my usual mimeing and use of the words "jigga" and "chi chi.")

Also the second to the top floor had loads of sunglasses, I bought one for 20 rmb with only one bargaining transaction.

Can anyone else recomend alternative places for the fake market products? I love getting loads of gifts for my family back home but I increasingly despise the whole xiangyang experience. It was fun once, now I hate all the trouble.

How much should I be paying for one of those stone Buddha heads in the fake market or on Dongtai Road? One about the size of a pommelo. Thanks!

How much are the vendors offering you? If you don't know the best thing is bargain with a few vendors. Make sure you keep whatever price you offer very very low. If they start at 500, offer 25 or whatever (or better yet don't offer at all). After you've bargained with a few of them you should be able to work out more or less the vendors bottom line. This is obviously more difficult if you can only find the goods you want at one vendor.

I'm not sure about the market on Dongtai Rd, the vendors there may not ask such outrageous prices initially.

Regards, Matthew

Hey Miamia11...

I have had a similar experience as dfoo. I go to several, offer outrageously low prices. When I walk away, if they do not call after me, then it was a low price. If they come after me, it was still high. You alter your price a few times and pretty soon you know what is possible.

I also do not haggle. I ask for a price, then I stand there and shake my head for the next 15-20 minutes. They hate it, but I want to get a good price not make them money. Just my advice...

Trip - the low-baller

Hey, the "repeating" strategy. One of my favorites.

yi bai kuai. bu shi, tai gui le. yi bai kaui. <rinse and repeat>

Matthew

Bought top quality Mont Blanc Pen 10 RMB
Vendor then said he paid 2RMB

dfo and trip - thanks for the advice - her starting price on the calculator was 320RMB. What would you guys end up paying? Thanks!

Its hard to say, but I would say no more than 30-50.

Regards, Matthew

Rule of thumb used to be 1/4th asking price... but to compensate for "starting price inflation" due to this rule of thumb, it's now generally 1/8th the asking price.

Fendi bag, good quality: 220 RMB
Polo woman shirt : 30 RMB each
Trolley: 120 RMB
Dior sun glasses : 15 RMB
Nike men sneakers: 120 RMB
Malbororo classic men trousers: 100 RMB

French manicure 15 RMB??? it is a great deal
Polo men shirts: 40 RMB each
DVD : 8 RMB each

dfoo wrote:yup, there is a sucker born every minute. I'll tell you what Baridi, you give me the money and I'll go buy the goods for you and the keep the change? deal?

Matthew

matt, ebay china is my personal shopper, you are over-qualified, buddy!

baudbaud wrote:Dfoo, I vote for you. Sure you can use Baridi's method if you like to be ripped off. Sure at the end when you get ripped off (because once in a while you will) you can say: The price was good for me so it's OK. But if people are willing to help you not getting ripped off, I think the least you could do is to thank them for it and not ... this is why I started this thread;

Baud

i could have been a bit discombobulated, causing the comments sound a bit incoherent on the sunday night i wrote about "anti-bargaining".
if you enjoy bargaining and you can afford the time, yeah go for it.
and baud, good job on starting this thread. saves me bargaining time to check on other sources.


and to be on topic:

brand name key chains, nice ones - 5rmb
dvd9 - 5rmb, bought 30
software - 5rmb
pooh baby shoes - 20rmb
spyder ski jacket with detachable hood - 180 (could be cheaper, but i bought it in january)
console games, any console - 5rmb, bought 10
hugo boss jacket - 100rmb (the buttons are loose and need to be redone)
von dutch trucker hat - 20rmb

as mentioned previously, if you are not looking for knock-off clothes, the best place to look for good design and variety is at qi pu rd. it is dirty but good selection, and cheap! also some old tall buildings at yu yuan have very good selection of small commodities. Make sure you visit the top floors first because that's where it is cheapest.

raf mate, uve been humped in the arse

baridi wrote:


i could have been a bit discombobulated, causing the comments sound a bit incoherent on the sunday night i wrote about "anti-bargaining".
if you enjoy bargaining and you can afford the time, yeah go for it.
and baud, good job on starting this thread. saves me bargaining time to check on other sources.

I feel like king of the hill!!! 11000 views and counting.

Do I get an award, a night of passion anything tangible??

Well PM on where I can come and get my prize

Baud

Got traped in the market today, and the wallet is a little thin. i got:

Tag huer watch - y203.5
4 Lacoste shirts - y180
15 Pashminas - y300
Ferrari and BMW pit crew shirts - y160
Columbia outdoor pants (2) - y180
Taylor made sports bag - y80
Large Northface travel bag - y100
Northface wind stopper - y90

Atleast i didn't get the laowai price for most of my purchases.

Just a quick tip for those thinking about buying a Callaway golf set. There's essentially 3 types (referred to as A, B & C grade by the vendors).

A grade means a genuine shaft and head shipped from Taiwan and assembled in China.
B grade means genuine shaft but fake titanium head from Taiwan and assembled in China.
C grade is fake shaft and fake head (steel) manufactured and assembled in Guangzhou.

Never ever buy the C grades. Heads do and will fly off. B grades are great at the price $1,200 rmb for a full set of the latest Bertha drivers and x-18 clubs, golf bag, covers, travel bag, show bag & cap. I work for one of the foreign embassies and all our defence guys buy in bulk every year in December and only 1 in 30 have complained about the B grades.

A grades are excellent but at a bit over double the price (2,500 rmb), a serious investment for only those seriously into their golf.

Hope it all helps.

Speznjast, where do I buy the golf set ?

custom made reasonable quality white shirt and a pair of trousers at

140 rmb

I took along two of my local Shanghai colleagues who negotiated for me:

Pumas - 60RMB each - bought 2 pairs
Diesel Jeans - 120 RMB each - bought 2 pairs
Northface Windstopper Jacket - 120RMB
Prada Bag - 90 RMB
LV Bag - 110 RMB
Swiss Army Carryon Bag - 180 RMB

Ok, very stupid question from someone who is not living in Shanghai (husband will be there first week in Sept, I may be there next year):

When people say they bought Pumas, or any other brand name, are they real Pumas, etc...or are they fake? I would assume that they are fake, given the name of the market.

So, in other words, is the fake market all fake, or is it real sometimes?

Thanks for all the advice!

Wondering how much i should be paying for the lancome etc tube glosses?

What about the makeup in general? is it fake/seconds? Any advice?