shopping (aka bargaining) in istanbul

(Istanbul, Turkey).  I was only able to spend about 2 days in Istanbul during a Mediterranean Cruise, but I absolutely loved it!  The food, the gorgeous colors, the sights, the shopping!  I definitely have to return and spend some quality time exploring this vibrant city.

Gorgeous display at the Grand Bazaar.

Today, I’m focusing on my experience shopping in Istanbul.  Most people will immediately think of the Grand Bazaar which is an impressively large market filled with arts and crafts, jewelry, carpets, textiles … anything your little heart could desire!  It is so huge and hectic that it can be a bit overwhelming.  Most people only have a couple of hours to spend here, so unless you have specific items you are hunting for, you may as well just go with the flow and enjoy (but note where you should exit, because you do not want to get lost in there).

I definitely enjoyed frolicking through the Grand Bazaar and other shopping areas of Istanbul, but I wanted to share a few tactics which I used to buy my souvenirs.

The main thing is to BARGAIN.  I know it may be difficult for Americans to bargain as it’s a relatively foreign concept here.  We assume the listed price is the price so we normally do not ask for deals or discounts by nature.  Fortunately, the asian part of me takes over whenever I travel and I have learned to bargain, bargain, bargain (ok – not when I’m in a LV or Chanel store – I’m not stupid, after all).  But this skill did take years of practice.  The first time I tried bargaining in Thailand with my best friend, I unilaterally increased my own offer because I “felt bad” about my lowball offer (sigh).  I have since learned to improve my bargaining skills (but I still can in no way compare to my best friend or my dad).  While shopping in Istanbul, I typically did the following:

·       Don't make eye contact or look too interested.  I tried not to make eye contact or inquire about items unless I was actually interested.  I don’t normally do this in any other country, but I noticed that in Turkey, if you indicate any interest, they will be incredibly persistent in getting you to buy.  Merchants would literally follow me down the street, hollering at me to get me to come in or buy stuff.  At first I found it unsettling, but I think it’s just part of how they do business, so I just smiled and tried to be polite while I kept going.

·       Buy in bulk and/or pay in cash.  If I did like something, I considered whether I wanted to buy just one, or multiples.  Obviously you have more bargaining power if you buy in bulk.  Also, I would use cash whenever I could (unless it was for a very expensive item) since it’s easier to negotiate when you can show them actual currency.  I noticed some merchants preferred USD and would give better deals in USD, so I carried different denominations of USD, as well as the local currency.  (Note – they won’t give you change in USD.)

·       Poker face! Ask for the price without seeming too interested. In fact, I showed as little emotion as possible.  It’s like poker - don’t give away your hand.  Be passive, indifferent.  Or sometimes I would feign shock at the price.

·       Take your time.  Meander and wander around and look at other stuff.  

·       Start low.  After some time, I would offer a first price – which was typically slightly less than 50% (unless I’m buying in bulk – in which case, I’ll say, “If I buy 5, can I have it for [X]”?).  They will usually appear pained, shocked, surprised or whatever other emotion they want to express, and offer you another price.  Don’t take that price.  Talk them down.  If they won’t budge, then be prepared to walk away.  

·       Final Offer.  As I walk away, I throw out my best and final price.  but remember if you throw out the last offer and they accept, you can’t renegotiate or renege.  It would be rude.

      I can usually tell if the last price is still too low based on their facial expression/body language.  At this point I will decide if it’s worth it to me to come up in price or just walk away.  Most likely I’ll be able to find something else especially if I’m buying gifts.  But on the rare occasion, that I find something truly unique and/or that I love,  I will just bite the bullet.  I mean, how often am I going to be in Istanbul?  Seriously.

In any case, always be friendly and cordial.  Don’t act like people are out to cheat you.  Shopping in a foreign country should be a fun experience – not adversarial.  

Also, in Turkey, my guide told me that the merchants will offer you apple tea or coffee when you visit their shops and that it’s rude to refuse.  However, after 4 shops, my bladder was ready to burst.  I tried to be as nice as possible refusing my 5^th – 8^th cup of tea, but if anyone has any way to avoid being offensive in this situation, let me know in the comment section.  And yes, I’m already aware that if I didn't go into so many shops I wouldn’t have had to deal with tea overload.

Here are examples of some things I bargained for.

 - Silver bracelet with emerald stones.  I saw this towards the end of my shopping trip so I was only willing to use my last $100 US dollar bill.  It was a very heavy piece and well made.  The merchant wanted the equivalent of $275 USD.  We bargained for a bit.  As I walked away I said I was only willing to use my last $100 US dollar bill because I didn't want to go to the ATM.  He figured I was really going to leave so he accepted my offer.  yay!  For a bracelet like this in the U.S. I would probably have had to spend from $300-$500, so I felt like it was a win!

- Silk turkish rug.  Yes, I was lured into a carpet store and plied with coffee and delicious treats.  Even though I resolved not to buy anything, I ultimately caved.  The rugs were all so lovely and I really wanted one for a souvenir.  They were like works of art!  The salesperson whipped each rug out with a flourish - quite the showman.  I probably saw 40 rugs but only liked this one.  He told me because it was handmade in silk it was more expensive ($1700).  I said I wasn't willing to spend any more than $800.  He said he'd go down to $1200.  He then tried to show me lesser quality rugs but I refused them all.  I wandered around for a while.  As I was about to leave, I said I would only consider the original silk rug I picked.   He went down to $900.  And I (too quickly) offered $850.  And he (too quickly) agreed.  I wish I had stuck to my guns and insisted on $800. But all in all, I love this rug.  It's now framed in my hallway and I'm happy every time I look at it.

There were so many beautiful things to buy as gifts for loved ones.  My favorites were: ceramic tiles, pillowcases, glassware, textiles, jewelry, leather goods and tea.  I also picked up some turkish delight (candy confections) which seemed very popular with my co-workers.  The lanterns and tea sets were gorgeous but too bulky to bring back but there's always next time (they can be shipped, but that can be expensive).

On a side note, there are lots of fake designer handbags and shoes.  They are cheekily advertised as "genuine fakes".  Some were actually quite well-made, but they are obviously not real and that's reflected in the pricing.

If anyone has other tips they use to bargain - please comment below!