The answer is simple. Cut down on the Starbucks calories and buy luxury the economical way – in the thrift shops, otherwise known in this country as ukay-ukay. Although ukay-ukay shops are everywhere now, the best place to find second-hand designer merchandise is where it all began – in Baguio City. With P4,500 (roughly 28 venti-sized frapuccinos) you can get yourself a couple of secondhand designer bags and clothing pieces that are still in excellent condition. Not a bad way to spend at all.
SkyWorld Building: Located along Session Road, the building looks just like every other building in the street so keep your eyes peeled.
Bayanihan Building: The Bayanihan building is right across Burnham Park and is just a stone’s throw away from McDonald’s (the one near the overpass by the Maharlika Market.) Most of the great items can be found at the first floor and are already pre-selected. Most shop owners in this building are knowledgeable when it comes to designer labels, so don’t be surprised if prices in this building are steeper. One space in particular (the one beside the bakery on the first floor) carries a lot of Vivienne Westwood, Prada and other originals.
Abanao Street: The cheapest of the three hotspots, Abanao Street is also located near Maharlika. The street is lined with thrift stores that sell heaps of bags and apparel in balikbayan boxes with items costing as low as P20 for a wool coat and P50 for a Le Coq Sportif bag.
•The uglier you look, the better. The number one die-if-you-break-it rule when bargain-hunting in the ukay-ukay mega centers of Baguio is: don’t look as if you could purchase the entire building – let alone Session road. Wear ratty jogging pants, a stinky pair of Ked’s sneakers you haven’t touched since your high school PE class and that favorite oversized hole-y tee you stole from your ex-boyfriend five years ago. The point is, why would little miss shopkeeper give you a discount if you look like a million bucks?
•Don’t even bother lugging a bag around with you. Stick to something more convenient such as a belt bag. Trust me, after making the rounds in all the fab ukay-ukay spots, carrying a gazillion plastic bags stuffed with secondhand finds along with your regular-sized tote or handbag is pure and absolute hell. And hey, belt bags aren’t exactly the most hideous accessories on the face of the planet (at least, not anymore) – Le Sportsac has a bunch of them in fabulous prints – and you can find a bunch of them in Baguio. But really, sticking to a plain old wallet or coin purse that’s small enough to fit inside your pocket is still the best way to go.
•Never buy the first thing you see. Chances are you’ll find something better. Take a leisurely look around first. If you fall in love with a piece, ask the person in charge if you can have it reserved (and they do normally allow this) and come back to pick it up when you’re absolutely sure.
•Turn on the charm. Slash the price in half! Easier said than done. But it really does work, like magic! When you spot an item you like, bargain immediately and ask for a 50-percent discount. You may have to put up a wee bit of a fight, but if you’re persistent enough, you may get an even better deal. If you’re buying more than one piece, that automatically gives you more bargaining power, too. And it is true that putting on the I’m-walking-away-because-your-prices-are-too-high act after haggling actually does work in the Philippines. Do this and your main problem will shift to how to get rid of the shopkeeper.
•And puh-leeeze… do your research. It helps to be able to distinguish the fakes from the real thing. If you’re not a label connoisseur, head over to the nearest Internet café and go online to check out the collections of more obscure brands (as what some of us did. The last thing you want is a Westwood bag in a style that doesn’t really exist – and yeah, fake Westwoods have been known to exist in Korea so you never know if they’ve landed on our Third World shores). And if you want to hunt for more popular labels, ask an expert to teach you how to differentiate an original LV speedy from a triple class A Bangkok knockoff – you can usually tell by the lining, the size, the handle drop and the hardware. Also, never ask the shopkeeper if their goods are original! Of course they’ll say yes. Duh!
•Be hygienic. Okay, secondhand stuff is great. In fact, it’s more than great, it’s fabulous – as long as the stuff we’re talking about is bags, scarves, stoles, RTW merchandise and the accessories and trinkets you can find in the little ukay-ukay shops that seem to infest the city. I mean, who wouldn’t jump for joy over a Prada top or a Chanel bag in excellent condition – at a maximum estimated cost of P1,250 each? But of course, you have to draw the line somewhere – meaning the really ratty stuff that looks like it’s contaminated with enough germs to send you to a doctor’s office. Shoes are a great example. Even if you happen to find Manolos, forget about ’em. You don’t need a fungal infection (a.k.a. athlete’s foot).