On some Women’s Travel Group tours we include a street market if it is exciting, local and has good products. Those might be Florence on our Tuscany Cooking/Seeing trip, an organized and both local and tourist market. Or they might b the Sabato market included in our Mexico City trip, the best crafts market in Mexico’s capital. Or finally it might be one of the more upmarket street scenes in Delhi on our India trip. You will never have either enough time or energy to feel you really ‘did it’.
So follow a few rules and do the best you can.
Be nice to vendors, a scowl and ‘it is too expensive’ will get you nowhere. Think about going it alone; you can probably shop faster solo. Just know where and when we all meet up for our transfers.
Decide you want an item, bargain for it in 2 places not adjacent to one another. If both quote the same amount after you bargain, choose one vendor.
Have your cash ready in a smaller zip lock bag so you do not spend time counting out bills and letting the vendor see your money. You can do this after the second visit, put aside what you want to spend, remove 10% of it and present that cast to the vendor.
For quality goods in fine stores, be content with only your VAT back, but remember to ask about VAT before you buy.
It is easier to bargain if you buy multiples of something. Think of gifts as multiples.
Do not fret if someone else gets a better price. This happened to my shoe purchase in Istanbul’s famous souk. Everytime I put on these sparkly ballet slippers, I adore them. And hopefully the lady from NJ who got the cheaper price will adore hers too.
Join us to one of our exotic destinations or to Florence, we are not a shopping group but who doesn’t want to come home with a few goodies? Tips from The Women’s Travel Group.
Send us your bargain hunting strategies!
