When I first heard we were going to the "Silk Market" to shop, I envisioned this outdoor bazaar, a hogpodge of vendors setting up camp wherever they could find space selling anything and everything, like something straight out of Arabian Nights. But no. The Silk Street Market is, in actuality a huge, multi-story mega mall of sorts. Sure, there are hundreds of vendors, each with their own section and selling their own items, but they all wear the same uniform so that they are easily identifiable, and they split the floors according to the type of items you want. First floor is silk and cashmere, second is apparel, third is arts & crafts, and so on. It's like being in a legitimate superstore- they even post a kind of "satisfaction guarantee" (although it's vaguely worded- not much of a guarantee). There's stores selling Polo, Louis Vuitton, Playstations, Rolexes, etc.
Oh, except none of it, literally none of it, is real. The Silk Market is like the megaplex of fake brand name apparel and rip off items. Which is fine for a lot of items like clothes and sunglasses and stuff like that, because the quality can actually be pretty good. They even "rate" the ripped off item according to how well the fake is made, and if you really know your stuff, you can ask the vendor what category of rip off it falls into (A, B, C....) But while I would buy a Polo or a watch or a chess set or whatever, I have no idea what people are thinking when I see them buying fake iPhones from these vendors. Seriously, how long are those things gonna last, if they even turn on at all?
Of course, in selling these rip off items the vendors try to sufficiently rip you off. If you look like a dumb foreigner, they will start out at nearly 15-20 times the actual price they would normally sell it for. Dave described going through the Silk Markets as going to war. Walking down the aisles, I felt more like I was swatting flies. Vendors constantly got in your face, followed you, grabbed your arm, anything to buy them just enough time to make eye contact, show you an item, and attempt to convince you that you really need it.
The easiest way to fend off vendors, ironically, was with a subtly convincing "ni hao," or "wo bu xuyao, xiexie" ("I don't need it, thanks"). Whenever I threw out these lines, it seemed to them that I knew Chinese well and thus that I knew how obnoxiously high their asking prices would be. Usually, throwing out the phrases just shut them up (again, kind of like swatting flies).
It also helped having two Asians (Dave and Alyssa) with us. Whenever we would "go in for the kill" or start up a bargain on an item, we could consult with them as to how much something was really worth or how much they would pay. They even haggled for us occasionally in Chinese, which really frustrated the vendors. You could literally almost see their faces slip into annoyance whenever Alyssa would come up next to me, examine the pair of Oakleys I was looking at, and shoot some Chinese at the vendor about how ridiculous the price was and how I shouldn't pay more than 20 RMB for it (3$). Because if you're from Beijing, you know how the system works and what items generally sell for, so the vendors have much tougher of a time ripping you off with local friends around.
Ryan was especially good at bargaining. He bought a fRolex from a lady who initially offered over 2000RMB/ 300$ for one and instantly stated that he would pay no more than 150RMB/20$. She knocked her price in half, then in half again fairly quickly, but whenever she tried to get him to raise his offer he started playing mind games with her, telling her how cheaply made the watch was, lowering his asking price, etc. It was very amusing and satisfying to see him get his watch in the end for 150RMB.
This is a really long post, so I'll condense my final thoughts into some bullet points on bargaining:
1- If you see a calculator anywhere near the seller, it means you can bargain, even if their are prices stuck on the items. Calculator= haggle.
2- Polos should cost no more than 30RMB/ 4.50$.
3- If your asking price gets rejected and they don't offer to come down anymore, then just walk away. Walking away does 1 of 2 things. Either they jump back to you and quickly slash their price, or it at least gives you a better sense of what something is worth. You can then go to another store with the same item, offer a bit higher, and see if they'll come down with the price.
4- Another trick is to say someone offered you the same item at another store for X price. That usually cuts out a lot of the initial crap where they give you "huge discounts," which many even acknowledge how ridiculous their starting price is (I said, "no way!" to an offer once, and she replied with a laugh, "of course 'no way'!")
5- The most important one: know your asking price, and if they won't sell for within 5RMB of that price, don't bother. If something is worth that much to you then don't be coaxed into paying anymore if they try and make you feel guilty or make your asking price seem ridiculous. It's even best to give yourself some breathing room and start a little lower than what you are willing to pay, so that you can come up a little bit and pretend to play their game.
That's all for now. Bargaining is extremely fun, occasionally annoying, and usually exciting....
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