Germany and Europe Shopping Tips

2008-11-20T11:50:00.000-08:00

By: Yollie and Dan Bunag

www.ProfitsandProsperityPartners.com
www.ProfitsandProsperityPartners.com/ipcinstantcash/

This is a continuation from my previous blog, as the page was getting quite lengthy.

Aloha! As I have promised, let’s explore the fun in shopping! Hmm…where do we start? Do we begin with grocery, crystals, chandeliers, Lladros, Hummels, porcelains, Nao’s, Swarovski or flea markets shopping?

If you love bargains and antiques don’t go to the shops yet, but explore the flea markets first. As the saying goes, somebody else’s junk is somebody else treasure. I believe in that because I was able to purchase a lot of collectibles. There are flea markets in every country, so ask in any information booth or counter. Sometimes they move around and in different times, but the one in Frankfurt, Germany, they are open every Saturday yearlong and it’s big. I suggest taking the train or bus and bring a heavy duty pull cart with you because parking is near impossible, unless you arrive very early. Always bargain, if they won’t profit, no matter what, they won’t accommodate you. Walk around first, check and compare prices if you see similar items and try to bargain especially when it’s near closing time. Most of the vendors don’t want to bring their stuff back home. Some of them even offer them free rather carry them back. I encountered several funny moments while shopping on flea markets. Before flying here in Hawaii, I went to the nearest flea market to see what I can buy. I saw this antique frame with a print out picture. It’s about 3ft wide and 1&1/2 ft. long. I asked the guy how much and he wanted 18 euro. I was calculating how much it cost in dollars when he told me to give him 15 euro. Then again I was thinking if I should still bargain or just pay for it. Suddenly he asked for 12 euro and since I did not readily grab the offer and with a heavy heart he told me just to give him $10.00. My, oh my, that’s an offer of a lifetime, so I paid him joyfully but when I carried it, it was so heavy! My daughter, 7- year old at that time, was complaining, but we managed to make it and load it in our car. I recalled the old man next to the vendor asking me how much I paid and he was surprised that I got it at that price because the frame alone was from 1920’s and he even showed me a smaller version of an antique frame which he wanted at the very least, 25 deustchemarks (DM). Jackpot! This was before the euro.

Bargaining is a must in any flea market. Sometimes if you’re very persistent, they will just asked for a little bit for profit. On one occasion, I saw this antique candleholders (made from pewters) and a mirror, so I asked the price. The vendor wanted 35 euro each but I was bargaining for 20. He was a little bit annoyed so I left. But I really wanted them so I went back. He still did not want to budge so I left again. My heart was set on buying them so when I went back the third time, his friend was watching the table. I bargained again, offered to buy all three, and asked if he would accept 60DM? He finally agreed. Later on, I found out those candleholders and mirror were priced in the antique shops for 65DM each. What a bargain! It pays to look around and haggle with the prices. I would say haggling is an art and a skill you can learn. Sometimes, you’ll get ugly stares especially if you asked for half price, but hey sometimes it works! Think about William Shatner's--the Negotiator ads when you bargain. If the vendors won’t make a profit, they wouldn’t budge anyway. I love buying paintings and I got most of mine at half the price. Ask for a lower amount and if that doesn’t work, asked them to meet halfway of what they want. It works like magic.

When I was in Sweden, I went to an antique shop (not enough time to go far since we were on a cruise ship) and I accidentally knocked a painting with my hand. I asked the lady how much since the price was posted on the other side of the oil painting. She quoted 65 sek (Swedish krona) and somehow I exclaimed "what!" aloud. I was amazed because $1 equals to 7 sek at that time and for me that was real bargain! She thought that it was expensive for me so she asked for only 55 sek. The Korean lady whom I have met in the cruise ship was right in front of the painting and she was so disappointed that she did not see it first. Guess it was my luck! I was also fortunate to land some blue cobalt jars and vases with 20 karat gold designs. Those were considered very collectible items in Europe. If the sales people don’t want to lower their prices, asked for the antique shop owner and tell them that you’ll pay cash. Always be friendly and smile a lot because that’s what will attract them to accommodate you. The owners always have the final say, so go directly to them. For example, I was able to buy an Italian wall décor (priced $120 on military base) for the equivalent of $70 when I went directly to the supplier. I met the Italian guy when I was browsing around his shop and made friendly conversation with him and he told me if I saw some Italian stuff that I like, let him know so that he would tell me whether I was being overcharged or not. It so happened that his son was the supplier and offered me the discount. If you're bargain hunting, ask around where the nearest flea market or shops are. If you’re driving, it pays to have a GPS (because there’s so many one way street; missing your turn will bring you to a maze). Otherwise, ride the bus or take the train. It’s worth the time and effort.

Now, if you’re planning to buy chandeliers or crystals, go for the 24% lead. Anything lower than that, the quality is not very good. Shop around, compare prices but if you want to shop and sightsee, take the tours offered by ITT (for military) or travel agents. Unless you meet some friends who can guide you, shopping tours offer the best ways to go shopping. The Czech Republic is famous for chandeliers (they are price reasonably), but instead of going to Prague, I personally preferred Karlovy Vary. This town is just so nice, people are friendly and they’ll try to give you the best price. Don’t buy stuff yet on the first store you visit, go to a few more and you’ll see that the prices are getting lower. I bought my coffee mugs in a store about midway in the shopping town and I paid 1/3 of the price posted on the first stores. Tourist guides even give discount offers from different stores, especially if you're looking for chandeliers. The bigger shops offer a variety of style and sizes, and more agreeable to offer discounts on chandeliers. Always bring the right currency because they don’t accept dollars and sometimes the exchange rate is lower. Ask the guide to stop the bus as soon as you enter the country because those bohemian crystals being sold by the side roads are a lot cheaper than in stores. Yes, they are slightly imperfect, but unless you're a pro you won't notice. Always run your fingers around the mouth of the vases or glasses, it should create a musical sound. Tap them with your finger, the sound should be a longer ‘ting’ for crystals and hollow for glass.

Don’t forget your heavy duty pull cart because it’s hard to carry your purchases and it can carry 2 big chandeliers and more space for your other bags. Tours often stop in a designated hotel, so from there, you’ll start shopping. Don’t forget your cameras and video. You’ll pass a lot of scenic spots. If you’re already lugging a lot of items, you might as well walk back to the hotel, ride the local bus (free for those in a tour bus) and they’ll bring you to where they're park and put everything in the bus. Ride the local bus again and it will take you back to the hotel and start all over again or until you give up. My friends and I did this three times, but we’re already so tired, so the fourth time from the hotel, we took a taxi and just did jewelry shopping and leisurely walks on the way back. It’s good to be prepared because all the people in the bus did not bring pull carts except for us. Our bus mates had difficulty carrying their purchases. Swarovski chandelier is the best but of course you pay the price. If you can afford it why not?! It got 33% lead so it glitters when the light hits the crystals. I personally like the teardrops style. Sometimes you’ll see cheaper prices in another country but check the tax first. If they accept VAT (value added tax) form, go for it otherwise, you’ll be surprise how much the taxes are in Europe. In Germany, you can use VAT forms. If you’re in the military, buy your VAT forms on base or on post and 4 people can use one form. If you’re a tourist, they will let you fill out a form and they will mail your refund tax Some shops do better and give you your VAT refund right away. When we bought our Volvo in Sweden, they gave us back all the taxes we paid on our purchases before we disembarked the cruise ship. It pays to have knowledge. Don't be afraid to be adventurous. If you’re not shopping big items, I recommend buying souvenirs that has the name of the places you’ve been like mugs, glasses, trinkets, key chains, plates or anything that will remind you of the place. I guess this is all for now and until next time. Be sure to check back again for the next adventure!

If you found some of the tips and information on this blog useful, please visit our websites at: www.ProfitsandProsperityPartners.com and www.profitsandprosperitypartners.com/ipcinstantcash/

European Shopping Tips

Germany and Europe Shopping Tips