How to Shop at Ukay-Ukays

Ladies perk up and go gaga for sale season in malls today! But still, nothing screams good bargain like ukay-ukays do!

A lot of good ukay-ukay stores have been popping everywhere in the Metro. It's not like before when most of the good finds can only be seen as a tourist attraction in Baguio; when scoring a decent piece is like finding a needle in a hay stack.

There are reasons why ukay-ukay is becoming a fast trend today. Uniqueness for one! Try buying a shirt there and you would have a 99% guarantee of not knowing anyone who has the same shirt as yours. Another is all pieces are vintage. If you're looking for that old school kick to add to your style, ukay-ukay is the place to be! You'll find trends that are not sold in boutiques and department stores anymore.

But most importantly, it's thrifty! The most obvious reason why we shop in ukay-ukay and should be our main drive! If you want to have a successful ukay-ukay shopping spree, this should be our mindset: we shop here to save money!

Shopping in ukay-ukay can get pretty intimidating, especially to first timers. There's a lot of racks and stacks of clothes presented in a very unattractive way. Good pieces would look ugly piled with sacks of clothes. Some people would loose interest upon seeing this sight. On the other extreme, some go impulsive and buy almost everything they lay eyes on upon knowing they're cheap. Both behaviors are discouraged. To have the best ukay shopping spree ever, check out these pointers:

Bring alcohol/sanitizer. Ukay-ukays are not the most hygienic places; most of the items are mildly covered with dust (emphasis on "mildy", this shouldn't freak you out). You might wanna dab on alcohol on your hands and body after ransacking and trying out items there.

Look kawawa -seriously. They'll be hesitant to give you discounts if you pose around in gucci's and channel's. If possible, dress as a squatter. The more pathetic you look the bigger the discount they'd be willing to give. This means no speaking in English/Taglish too (you know why).

Set a standard. Don't buy something that will soon fall apaaart- duh! You should know how to identify good quality. Check for holes, tears, stains, etc before spending. Also, make sure the item fits you well.

Hesitation is encouraged. If you grabbed on something decent but you feel like there might be something better, drop it! You will find something better, if not leave and go to another ukay-ukay. Don't settle, be satisfied.

Dig into those mountains of clothes. Don't get intimidated by the clutter and chaos of ukay-ukay. Their items are intentionally arranged and presented that way. It's the sales ladies' way of concealing their favorite pieces they ought to keep themselves from customers.

Have your large bills changed first. Again, how can you look kawawa if you parade one thousand peso bills in front of them.

Put on your poker face. Don't let the sales lady know how you would die for that bag. Show no emotion, or else she'd be hesitant to give you a discount.

Be best friends with the sales ladies. The chummier you get with them, the bigger the discounts they give. Leave them your number so they can update you when the new arrivals come. It never hurts to expand your circle of friends!

Keep in mind these pointers and I guarantee you'll have the best ukay-ukay shopping experience ever!