Shopping the World
One of the best things about global travel is the shopping. Every country has its own specialties, such as gold in the Middle East, leather in Argentina or Italy, watches in Hong Kong, and local art in most countries. It is great fun (and at times a bit frustrating) to shop in a market unlike your own. The sights, the sounds, the textures— the entire experience is different in some fashion or anothBeing er, including the transaction itself.
Whether you’re buying as an investment or for the sheer pleasure of acquiring interesting trinkets, you will most likely be taken a little advantage of. Those who insist they “got the best” of a local merchant are fooling themselves or have involved a local to negotiate/buy for them. But if you like what you’ve got and feel you paid a fair price, there’s no reason to get angry or frustrated or to feel insulted.
Half the fun is negotiating—at least, that’s the position most merchants around the world seem to take. The following are some tips on what to buy from those who’ve shopped the world over . . . with a few standing pieces of advice:
1. Know the quality and value (at least to you) of what you are buying before you purchase.
2. Keep in mind that bargaining in many parts of the world includes drinking tea or coffee with the merchants—and not paying the first price offered.
3. Use cash for better bargaining power, and prepare a quick cheat sheet of equivalent values in increments, such as 50 worth of the local currency (or be able to mentally calculate currency conversions quickly) so you don’t overpay in the heat of the deal.
4. Know the laws pertaining to the nature and quantity of merchandise that you are allowed to leave the country with, especially those on removing antiques and objects of historic or cultural importance.
Related posts:
- Shopping the World (3) You rarely regret what you buy, but you’ll remember forever...
- Shopping the World (2) Above all, enjoy yourself, for shopping around the world is...
- Enjoying the Experience and Traveling Have fun! Living in a new country brings with it...
- Get Into Your Kid World: Get Their Heart The children moved constantly, chewing and chatting. Arne’s son told...