Shanghai's Antique Market

We had heard about the markets in China before coming here and I must say I was intimidated about trying to buy something there. Now, I am ready to go back and try to get some good deals! Yesterday Tim & Laurel took us to the antique market and we got to watch them in action as they haggled and bargained with each vendor, walking away with merchandise for only a fraction of the price. Joe, Audrey and I were thoroughly impressed! It was so much fun listening to them speak the language- they are officially locals in our eyes! Here's a rundown of what the markets are like...
There's rows of booths lining the streets for several blocks. The moment you show interest in someone's stuff, they of course approach you. Tim & Laurel did all of their bargaining in Chinese but filled us in on what was being said. First you ask how much something is. For instance, a dragon statue we bought started at 90 RMB (about $12.85) and of course they say, "Cheapest," in English, and go on to explain in Chinese that so-and-so down the street sells it for 120RMB. You act shocked at this high price,shaking your head. They then say, "You offer." Laurel & Tim explained that this is where different bargaining techniques come into play. Laurel tries the "I'll stand here patiently all day until you come down" approach. We tried offering less than what we were willing to pay to start with- 15RMB (just over $1). They are exasperated! You have offended them and their ancestors! They try to make you feel embarrassed for such a low offer. They go down, you come up, and this goes on for awhile. They say a price that is their final final offer (in the dragon statue's case, 30RMB). So you say no and just walk away. The point here is just to show that you're not willing to pay any more. They most likely will chase you down or shout out, ok! And you pay your final offer, 25RMB, or $3.50 in our case. Once you get the hang of it, it's lots of fun! And for those of us who don't speak Chinese, each vendor has a handheld calculator where they punch in their RMB price, then give it to you and you type in your offer. Fun!