There's A Sucker Born Every Minute

I had buyer's remorse the second I handed over my hard-earned Renminbi. I'd bargained her down from 1850 RMB to 800 RMB ($116) for two watches: beautiful replicas of Panerai watches, the watches I've drooled over in many a jewelry store--in Italy and the US. Panerai made watches for the Italian Navy during WWII and now continues to manufacture those same designs. A real Panerai runs about $5000, and these look exactly like them. I knew I hadn't bargained enough, but I just couldn't handle the stressful situation. I'd been wandering the Silk Market for 20 minutes when the salesgirl asked me what kind of watches I like and offered me a catalog. When I came to the Panerai page, I asked if she had any. She had to dig beneath several suitcases to pull out the small red case that held the pretty things I desired. There were sport watches with rubber bands and dressy ones with leather bands, but only about 8 styles total. She started the bargaining process, and soon I was handing over the 800 RMB. She could see the regret in my eyes, I think, and offered me my choice of Mont Blanc pens. I picked out a black one I liked, and then she tried to sell me a "lady watch, for your lady." I told her I was done. I walked away with my gorgeous new watches: one with a caramel leather band and white face, one with blue rubber band and blue face. I'm looking at the blue one now and smiling, because it is so beautiful. I knew how much I'd been suckered, though, when my roommate Adam bargained a Tag Heuer down to 149 RMB ($21.) They say that when you shop at the Silk Market, you should start by offering 20% of their first price. You should feign disinterest by starting to walk away, and the price will drop more quickly. But I just didn't have to patience to deal with the yelling and fighting and I wanted to get out of there. So I paid too much for my knock-off watches. Oh well, I'll wear my $58 fake Panerai as I take the 15-cent subway this week to save the money I would spend on a cab. I'll comfort myself by thinking that surely not many tourists know to ask for the Panerai, and so not everyone on my return flight will be wearing my same watch. At least it was cheaper than the official Beijing 2008 Swatch I was considering at the Olympic store!