AlumCreek3
Member
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2009
- Messages
- 20
Hi all,
I posted previously in the long (and very useful) thread in this forum Helping hand in the Philippines. I realized, belatedly, in that long of a thread it is easy to get lost so I thought I would try one more to the point.
Background: My wife is in Manila this week for the first time for business. She was told by one of her staff who is traveling with her that Manila is a nice place to buy pearls, in particular at Greenhills. A client of hers also suggested a wholesaler (I do not know the name yet) as a good source. So I started doing my homework and I learned a lot from this site about Greenhills and Manila/Philippines pearls:
* The pearls for sale at Greenhill are almost all imported cultivated freshwater pearls from China.
* If a vendor says they are selling South Seas Pearls, especially golden, they are very likely dyed Chinese pearls.
* If a vendor says the pearls are Baby South Seas Pearls they are likely fine quality fresh water pearls.
To prepare her a bit for her first purchase I bought her the book The Pearl Book: The Definitive Buying Guide : How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Pearls, which we both read. I also sent along with her a loupe with its own light.
For right now my wife just wants to be able to buy something nice for herself that we would not have bought at it's US price stateside. She has a budget of $300 US. Small potatoes by many of your standards from the sounds of it, but it's a start
So my questions are:
* Should she just avoid Greenhills and go to the wholesaler?
* If she does buy from Greenhills, are all of the pearls "rejects" from China, or are there actually some nice ones.
* Can anything nice be purchased for $300? (And does anyone have a reference price from their experiences there that might help us know if she is getting a decent deal).
* In your experience is there a suggested target % of price to go for when negotiating? I saw on another thread that one person recommended (in China) to offer 10% of the asking price with the goal being to pay 30% of the initial asking price. I have not heard, or used, such a precise bartering methodology before, but if there is a general trend for a price range to meet at in the Philippines which is good for both parties I would love to hear it!
Thanks in advance! She is heading over there in about six hours so if you have any advice that would be wonderful. They will have a male escort/driver accompanying them if that helps with bartering?
Thanks!
Joe
I posted previously in the long (and very useful) thread in this forum Helping hand in the Philippines. I realized, belatedly, in that long of a thread it is easy to get lost so I thought I would try one more to the point.
Background: My wife is in Manila this week for the first time for business. She was told by one of her staff who is traveling with her that Manila is a nice place to buy pearls, in particular at Greenhills. A client of hers also suggested a wholesaler (I do not know the name yet) as a good source. So I started doing my homework and I learned a lot from this site about Greenhills and Manila/Philippines pearls:
* The pearls for sale at Greenhill are almost all imported cultivated freshwater pearls from China.
* If a vendor says they are selling South Seas Pearls, especially golden, they are very likely dyed Chinese pearls.
* If a vendor says the pearls are Baby South Seas Pearls they are likely fine quality fresh water pearls.
To prepare her a bit for her first purchase I bought her the book The Pearl Book: The Definitive Buying Guide : How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Pearls, which we both read. I also sent along with her a loupe with its own light.
For right now my wife just wants to be able to buy something nice for herself that we would not have bought at it's US price stateside. She has a budget of $300 US. Small potatoes by many of your standards from the sounds of it, but it's a start
So my questions are:
* Should she just avoid Greenhills and go to the wholesaler?
* If she does buy from Greenhills, are all of the pearls "rejects" from China, or are there actually some nice ones.
* Can anything nice be purchased for $300? (And does anyone have a reference price from their experiences there that might help us know if she is getting a decent deal).
* In your experience is there a suggested target % of price to go for when negotiating? I saw on another thread that one person recommended (in China) to offer 10% of the asking price with the goal being to pay 30% of the initial asking price. I have not heard, or used, such a precise bartering methodology before, but if there is a general trend for a price range to meet at in the Philippines which is good for both parties I would love to hear it!
Thanks in advance! She is heading over there in about six hours so if you have any advice that would be wonderful. They will have a male escort/driver accompanying them if that helps with bartering?
Thanks!
Joe
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