| Adventurous
Shopping In Chile |
| More On
Living In Chile |
| by Jon Steele |
| October
2005
If you’re
on my mailing list, then you’ve already received this article and this
is rehash, but if not then sit back and get some inside knowledge about
shopping……Chilean style.
If you're one
of those types of people who likes to walk on the wild side and off the
beaten path when shopping then the "Persa" (pronounced, pare-sah) in Santiago
could just be the adventure you have been looking for.
Several
weeks ago, I was in need of a very specific part to repair a friend’s computer. |
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| I had gone
all over Santiago, or so it seemed and every place I went to kept telling
me that to obtain a hard to find part I had to go to the "Persa". After
all the years I have lived in Santiago I had never heard of this Persa
and had no idea what it was, but I was determined to find out.
So one Saturday
afternoon I struck out to this Persa after getting directions from a close
friend. For starters, I can tell you it's basically a two block long flea
market filled with the most incredible of things. The streets are closed
and filled with tons of people walking about looking for deals. There are
large warehouse like buildings that house indoor shops. If you're a
treasure hunter then the Persa is your dream, you can find just about anything
imaginable if you look hard enough.
You can
buy pets, socks, dvd's, art, furniture, shoes, clothes, makeup, watches,
luggage, perfume, bikes, computer stuff, military surplus, stereos, game
systems, books, auto parts, music cd's and so much more.
There's some
etiquette or rules of the game you have to observe when at the Persa. |
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| First off,
for the ladies who may be reading this article, I highly advise you to
NOT carry a purse. I repeat DO NOT CARRY A PURSE. Many of the people who
are at the Persa are not there to shop for goods; many are there to get
YOUR goods.
So be careful,
purse snatchers abound. It's best to simply put some cash in your front
pocket. If you are a man and carry a wallet, and you just don’t feel manly
without it then it's best to put your wallet in your front pocket, making
it near impossible for a pickpocket to rob you. The best option is to just
not carry a wallet but again it's your choice.
Never pull
out a wad of cash when you're paying for anything at the Persa. There are
"spotters" around everywhere that are there to see who has what and
who looks to be the best and easiest potential target for robbing. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| I can tell
you now; you will see many things at the Persa that I like to call, "on
the fringe". Things "on the fringe" are items that may be illegal in nature
or questionable at best. The basic rule of thumb is..........don't ask,
don't tell. When I said you can find or buy just about anything at the
Persa I wasn't exaggerating at all.
In fact
it's a running joke all over Santiago that if your car stereo is stolen
on Thursday, you can go to the Persa and buy it back on Saturday.
Of course
there are just as many legitimate items also there to be obtained. In fact
thePersa is one of the best places in town to buy furniture. Handmade cabinets,
bedroom furnishings and living room furniture sets, all of the highest
quality at the most reasonable prices are available.
There's one
whole warehouse sized building that has nothing but furniture. Mattresses,
desks, couches and more in various colors and styles waiting for your perusal
can be found in the main furniture warehouse. |
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| You can
furnish your entire house or apartment at the Persa and all for much better
prices than you would find at regular department stores.
Be sure of
what you want when shopping for things at the Persa, there is no return
policy, and just because you found a vendor selling one day does not mean
he will be in the same place or spot the next time.
This is
one of the things that makes the Persa so much fun, it's like treasure
hunting............you have no idea what you will find or where .......
If you're someone
who's an eBay aficionado, and this is a great way to sustain your income
while living abroad, you can easily find so many treasures that can be
resold on eBay for a much higher profit. |
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Offshore
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| Ok, so
you’re sitting there no doubt thinking if they’re such great items to resell
on eBay then how come the vendors themselves are not doing this already?
Well the fact is, we all know to set up an eBay seller's account you have
to have a credit card. Almost all who operate booths or shops at the Persa
deal strictly in cash. Very few of the shop owners have a credit card to
be able to setup a seller's account on eBay, and at this particular time
there is no alternative for those outside of the U.S. without credit cards
that would allow them to be able to set up an account. So many items
that would be eBay worthy in Chile in fact never make it to eBay because
of this reason, and most vendors just rely on the weekly sales of their
wares to sustain them.
Thus, for
an eBay savvy person, the Persa can supply you with the necessary trinkets
and items to put on eBay to keep a steady income stream into your pocket.
Besides the
great shopping, and excitement of the street, you can also get good eats.
There are little restaurants sprinkled all throughout the Persa, especially
in the indoor warehouses. There is even one indoor cafe where you can
be serenaded by guitar whilst you enjoy your food. Imagine a semi romantic
experience while in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the shopping
frenzy.
As a word of
caution, do not buy anything from any street sellers. Now a street seller
is someone who is basically walking down the street with some item for
sale like say, a digital camera. He will tell you that he is trying
to get up some money to buy food for his starving hungry children at home.
He will make you a deal that will seem out of this world, but in reality,
you are about to get scammed or robbed. Many of these street sellers
prey strictly on tourists, so be careful at all times. Besides that, there
is nothing you can find on the streets that you would not find in many
of the other shops and booths anyways, so don't chance it.
Keep your eyes
moving at all times, and if you are a female it's best to go with someone
rather than alone. Remember to not carry a purse and never flash any cash.
If you follow these simple street survival rules you should be ok.
If you choose
to drive, then lock all belongings into the trunk of your car and park
in a paid for lot, which is more advisable than parking on the street.
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This is all
just common sense, and mild terror aside, the Persa is a playground of
fun. Like a carnival but for good deals. There is much to see and do. It's
opened on Saturday and Sunday, and things usually wind down about 6pm maybe
a bit later depending, but that's plenty of time to find a good deal, get
a bite to eat and soak up so much ambience and observe the characters that
this place attracts.
Don't worry
about how to get there, ask anyone and they will be able to tell you, or
you can just jump into any city cab and tell the cabbie you want to go
to the Persa. They all know the way, and it's a short ride since most
Chilean cabbies drive like they are qualifying for the Pole Position for
a formula race.
If you see
me some place down there on any Saturday, say hello and buy me lunch.........after
all you would not know about this gem of a spot if I did not tell you!
Hahhaaaa
The following
is a list of articles that Jon has written for the magazine:
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