Upon returning from Turkey, most of my friends wanted to hear all about the great shopping and the amazing finds that (surely) I found at all of the bazaars. Well, I’m very sorry to report, I didn’t fare so well in the shopping department.
The reason was a combination of the following:
- fact that we were always in more touristy places
- the salespeople were quite aggressive (maybe due to reason above)
- I don’t do well in aggressive sales situation
So, there you have it. I didn’t get much bazaar shopping done because I’m a bit of a wuss. In fact, it took me two trips to The Grand Bazaar before I could buy anything.
1. Go later in the day
My first time at The Grand Bazaar I tried getting there around opening time to avoid crowds. The second time I went in later which meant:
- more people shopping (so the shopkeepers couldn’t focus on just one shopper)
- shopkeepers were nearing the end of the day so they were a bit more no-nonsense. I hit the jackpot with some vendors that were very nicely and sincerely like “…this is the price. It is what it is.”
2. If you can, take a day or two to shop around in advance
Because I had already looked at things a few days in advance and knew what I wanted, when I finally braved the bazaar, I knew enough to know I was getting fair prices.
3. Bargain, but don’t insult
The guide book says that you should expect to pay at least 30% less than the starting price. That said, I was in a stall where some tourists were almost tauntingly bargaining with the shopkeeper. I could see he was not amused and tried to be mindful when my “negotiations” came up next. Long story short, he ended up being a wonderful man who told me many things about how the bazaar works AND introduced me to the shopkeeper next door with a Turkish intro which seemed to go something like “…serious customer, don’t mess around ” because that vendor then gave me rock bottom pricing.
{all images homestilo}
Loooooove your bazaar finds Santa. How spectacular. Happy Thursday.
Haha, I’d probably be the same way. I’m not a fan of the aggressive selling.
Santa, I am SO bad at bargaining that I’m afraid to go to bazaars. It’s the conflict, even if friendly, that I don’t like being a part of in any way at all. I wouldn’t have returned with anything either, sadly
I’ve never been to a bazaar, but I’m definitely pinning this post in the hopes that I do some day. It really sounds scary and overwhelming, but quite the incredible experience as well.
I too am so bad at haggling. It is just not something I’m used to. Love that blanket or scarf, the colour is so pretty.
Thank you Leena- it’s actually a Turkish towel
You may not have found much but I love what you actually brought home. The towel looks so soft and I love the colors.
I don’t like aggressive sales people but I do love bargaining and a lot of times have accidentally worked my way down to prices I didn’t think could happen. My favorite phrase for starting is, “Can you do any better than this?”. It’s non-confrontational or insulting and gets things going. Your tips are good though and it’s nice to know how low to start without being offensive.
OOh, I am so bad at ‘bargaining’ as well, esp when prices seem so low already, hubby jokes that when I like something I want to give vendors more money for having such a great item 🙂 I can’t hustle in NY either, even for sunglasses at a vendor cart – I pay full price 🙂
.. oh and I love the finds you got at the bazaar! And it always pays to be polite. Treat peeps how u want to be treated, right !
Just came across this post! Did I miss any other Turkey-related ones?