Bargaining

Unless you go to a large, chain store, prices in China are a little more fluid. If you can bargain well, items may be cheaper. If you’re a foreigner, items may be more expensive.  Well, actually, that’s always the case.

I took some American friends shopping this week. They were leaving China after about 8 months here, so they wanted to buy gifts for family and friends back home. Their Chinese is limited, so I gave them a hand. We went to a market that has a lot of jia de, or fake, jade and jewelery, and hand-made crafts, such as kites. I thought I was doing great, saving 70 RMB in one shop, almost 100 RMB at another. But later my girlfriend still told me that we over-paid (and in her typical evil way, laughed at me in front of my friends.)

So, I’ve developed some rules for shopping at markets.

1. If you buy a lot at one time, you can get a larger discount on individual prices.
2. Ask for a price, then immediately offer 15% of that price.  If they counter with an offer, then great.  If not…
3. Don’t be afraid to walk out of the store.  In a market, there are dozens of similar stores selling the same crap.  Sometimes they follow after you and agree to the price.
4. Just don’t care.  You’re bargaining over mere dollars.  You wouldn’t give a damn back home, so just have fun, and if you don’t get the price you want, then go somewhere else.

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