I am not good at haggling…unless I feel like I am getting ripped off. Then, I will spend hours negotiating a deal that the sales person didn’t even think was possible. I am cheap. Or rather frugal. I just don’t understand why people don’t list the actual price of an item instead of chasing me down the street after I walk away from the “below cost, final offer.” But, I do realize that that is part of the charm of shopping the streets of Mexico so, I went to La Bufadora Market armed with a loaded wallet and my best poker face.
I couldn’t have been happier when the sexy Kandy Kruise, AKA 24-hour party boat, ported in Ensenada. I needed a break from whooping it up and was ready for some shopping therapy. We decided to take a $19.99 excursion to La Bufadora, a Mexican flea market and I was anxious to see what bargains were to be had.
Upon arrival, La Bufadora was bustling with shoppers. Save some haggling deals for me. There were booths as far as the eye could see.
I ogled some haggling worthy turqoise jewelry, almost ready to make an offer, but then remembered that I haven’t even rotated my earrings for 7 years. What makes me think this would be a good purchase?
I walked by the shoes at La Bufadora. Who doesn’t need a good pair of leathers sandals? But, I looked down at my $9.99 black flip-flops that have gotten me through the entire summer. They still had some tread left to spare. I quickly bypassed the piles of straw hats since I brought a fedora with me and had to carry it in my lap on the plane.
There was definitely no room on this lap for a sombrero.
I rushed past the knock-off bags, envisioning myself in handcuffs in a foreign jail. It was not pretty.
Hmm…these items left me bewildered. Those masks reminded me of a something a WWE wrestler would sport, but these were pint size for children. The blow fish wasn’t so bad, it was the creepy fanged fish directly behind it that has haunted me for days.
What caught my attention in a good way was this young girls braids. Her mother had done them for her and it was pure sweetness. But, “getting braids done by her mother” was not for sale. I asked.
What I ended up purchasing was one bottle of Tempranillo wine claimed to have been made in Ensenada. And there was no haggling. At all. He said $10, I said okay. But, that was after I made him prove that he was the actual wine maker by showing me his license.
Have you been haggling at a market in a different country? What for?
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I tried haggling in NYC for a fake handbag, and the response I got was "Get out of my face."
That’s exactly what I am afraid of, trying to negotiate for something that is non-negotiable!
Very cool.. some great pictures here
Thanks!
I've been to La Bufadora (which means "the snout"–did you see the ocean shooting through the blowhole?). Mexico is amazing for the array of handmade items–leather, woodcarving, ceramics, guitars, jewelry, and, yes, liquors. Each region seems to specialize in some beautiful handicraft. I've seen the artesans sit at their booths making stuff so fine it would make me blind.
I do haggle, but sometimes, with something very fine, I just pay the first price, too. Glad you enjoyed the market. Try the one in Oaxaca City.
Kate (www.wanderingnotlost.org)
I did see the blow hole (post on that to follow)! It was pretty neat & a great way to end my shopping experience!