Shopping in Beijing is a lot more entertaining than in the States. While prices are fixed in the U.S., in Beijing there's a sort of gamesmanship involved in the purchase of souvenirs. We went to the HongQiao Pearl Market on Friday, which was a new experience for me. The volume of things for sale at the market was overwhelming, with eight floors of colorful goods to buy. Alex, a veteran of the market, first bargained expertly for a laser pointer, bringing the asking price down 100 yuan. We walked all around the electronics floor bargaining for items. The sellers will always start the price high, hoping you will accept the price at face value and buy right off the bat. The buyer pitches next to nothing. The sellers will always say "final price" each time a new price is suggested, but they will always lower it more. The key seems to be a sense of indifference to the product at hand. Sometimes you have to walk away from the table once or twice to get the bargain you're looking for. Unfortunately, the sellers are desperate for your business. I went over to look at an item on a table, picking it up to look at it. The woman at the table began to bargain with me but I didn't really want to buy it. She began grabbing my arm and pulling me back. Ari and I finally pulled away and moved on, but it was difficult to realize that the woman depended on such sales for her well being. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed the introduction to the shopping experience in Beijing and am looking forward to more in Shanghai later in the week.
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