Gringo :
Touristic Information.
S H O P P I I N !. construstionclosn
Only a Few Tips on Revolution Avenue & Bargaining in General & Warning About Illegal Items & Sex.
To start with, it must be mentioned that on Revolution Avenue or nearby you can find everything from the cheap and tawdry to the suave and sophisticated. High-pressure souvenir hole-in-the-walls stand only a few doors from smooth, more expensive stores with collector-quality items. But you are on your own telling the difference between one quality and another.
For example: Mexico is one of the world's leading sources of gold and silver, and its jewelers are among the world's finest, and quite of few of them make honest livings in Tijuana providing good jewelry. BUT We kid you not: cheap silver and weakest gold-plate are there, along with hand-made exquisite jewelry of true value. You Need to KNOW what you Want and HOW to judge quality. Do you know the difference between gold-wash, gold-filled, 10 karat, 14 karat, 18 and 23? Do you know what .925 silver is?
Then of course there is that simple, basic rule: Don't Buy ANYTHING unless you Really Want It. And BARGAIN! They ain't going to sell it to you for a bad price -- they know. You need to know how much you are willing to pay, and stick to it. So maybe you won't get it? *Sniff sniff*
Who are we kidding? They'll sell it to you. You will come to an agreement. But if you want X and they say they don't like your price and offer you Y but you don't want Y, you want X, hey, say NO No no I want X and I won't pay your price. Make them come down. Then you go up. Haggle haggle haggle.
Of course, in some stores -- like Sanborn's at 8th & Revo, a big chain ruled by corporate types -- the prices are fixed. Oh well. But that means you can go there and check out some of the finer collectables, and have an idea of the kind of price you will want to beat in the galleries down the street.
Remember -- no one is going to sell you anything for a price they don't think is worthwhile, so no matter how hard you bargain, when you finally come to an agreement, it's good for both buyer and seller.
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Getting Around
Busses /
Taxis
Walking
Bicycling
Disabled
Leaving Town
Things to See.
Revolution Avenue.
Eating
Movies
Museums/Galleries
Markets/Swap Meets
Shopping Malls
SHOPPING!
Drinking
Buying Liquor
Baja California wine
Cigarettes
Customs/Border
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One reasonable rule: don't buy anything you don't want. Depend on your own desires, not anyone else's. Simple, but effective. Sellers can be quite pushy, but so can you, eh? It's all a game. They want to sell, you want to buy. Don't get upset. Search for that place where you strike a balance/bargain.
Always stay safe. Don't take money out until you have agreed on a price and it's been wrapped up or bagged. AND Keep your Eyes open during wrapping, yes, keep your eye on what you bought so it doesn't get switched, but never, ever imply that anyone would ever do such a thing. Just be "listo" (or "lista" lady) -- on top of it, ready for anything. For vendors to have made a sale to a cautious, careful, choosy buyer is very good for their self-esteem, eh?
But REMEMBER: ALWAYS Be Polite. Smile and say thank you, no, or thank you, yes.
OH, Yes, don't forget: some things ARE Illegal to take back to the States. Fireworks, Cuban Cigars, etc. Don't try to take them back. Smoke your cigar there.
If you are going to the Farmacias for drugs legal in Mexico, well, that's one thing. IF You Intend to take them back to the States, well, make sure about the legality and Take Your Prescription in case the U.S. customs asks. This web page is sanitized for your hygenic safety.
AND (as if anyone should need to be reminded) Cocaine and Marijuana and all their little dressed-up friends are Very VERY ILLEGAL in Mexico, too, and you WILL Get un-Righteously SCREWED every which-way and back again IF You Mess With THEM! Quite possibly the person who offers to sell you anything like that will quickly turn you over to the police in order to make his "living" and protect his own butt, too.
However, to change the subject, prostitution and same-sex are not illegal in Mexico, BUT doing it with anyone under 18 IS not only Bad but Illegal. 'Nuff'sed. Don't forget condoms -- available at any farmacia.
Copyright 2001 Daniel Charles Thomas; email = thomas@masinternet.zzn.com