TRAVELING EDITION: TIPS OF BARGAINING INDONESIAN SOUVENIRS IN TOURIST SITES

bargaining process, picture by: www.kamera-digital.com

In the major tourist sites throughout Indonesia, visitors will easily find many merchants, selling local souvenir, and other Indonesian typical ones. Unfortunately, most of the local merchants sell goods or souvenirs at a too-high price. Although, their goods can still be negotiable, these high prices make it difficult for us to know the real price.

We certainly do not want to pay too high for the actual goods which are cheaper, but we also do not want to underestimate the work of these souvenirs at a too-low price. In addition, we also do not want to be long in the bargaining process, considering our very limited time in each visit. Here are some bargaining tips you can practice when visiting tourist sites in Indonesia:

1.  Usually souvenir merchants offer twice or three times higher price than its actual. For that, try to offer goods or souvenirs with a third of the price offered.

2.  If it is not successful of getting the souvenir, probably the merchants use double-price technique so that bargaining half of the price offered to be your second alternative.

3.   Examine the goods we will buy and imagine what price we will sell it if we are a souvenir seller. 

4.  If you want to make sure the price of a souvenir, first visit shops that sell souvenirs alike and see the price tag on it. Generally the price of goods sold around is the same or even cheaper than the price at the store.

5.  Ask other visitors, particularly Indonesian visitors and ask what should be a fair price for the souvenirs that you like.

6.  Remember that the merchants do not want to bear the loss. For that, each bargaining which is approved by the souvenir merchants, meaning the price of these goods below the price you requested.

7.  Use words of praise to the souvenir sellers so they will be touched by your words. Remember, Indonesian people really like bargaining and keep firm in offering goods, so do not expect you'll have plenty of time for such activities if you do not immediately set a certain price. For this, a word of praise is proven to shorten the process.

Last but not least, in order to truly represent the tourist attraction you visit, try to buy the most unique souvenirs because some souvenirs in Indonesia today are foreign-made, especially China. Local souvenir are generally handicrafts ones because they are the real work of the surrounding people. Therefore, be focus in choosing a typical Indonesian souvenirs when visiting Indonesia.