Do you buy from street vendors?

Hi Mjcookie, You are right, it is from OUR Philippines! You see all sorts of vendors on the streets. Although they are abundant in some places, there are also places that seem to be "unexplored" or "refrained" by these vendors. This maybe because these are restricted or market isn't just as brisk as others. They really sell items which we often find to be very much of use. A former co-worker who is Chinese and whose family owns an electrical store says she buys from the sidewalk vendors and bought ribbons and small items for Christmas decorations (that was Christmas time) because she feels for them. She said she thinks that they should earn something for the day to have something to eat.

Sometimes it's morality versus legality. These people are just doing their jobs to provide food for their families, and because of that I don't care whether they're into something illegal or not. The police sometimes can be very cold and cruel, but then they're also just doing their jobs just like the vendors.

It is more on the efforts to earn in order to live. Most of these people are making ends meet. It would be praiseworthy of them not to have resorted in stealing or snatching as some lazy people do. I still consider them earning it through "clean" ways though illegal because of the areas that they occupy.

Yes, I don't think there is wrong in buying from them. In a way, we are helping them because most people buy from big stores. I have bought cheap items from them. Some are even still in use and they must be of good quality.

Of course not. I always find same items being sold in a certain area for street vendors and in a department store we always visit every week. There is really a disparity in the price. It is always higher when you buy from big department stores. Most of these items are clothes which almost always are of same brand.

yeah, and it also doesn't mean that when we buy from the store it is more qualitative, because very often the street vendors and the sellers in the shops buy from the same place!

Hi HansonFan, Yes, sometimes we find some items from street vendors that we don't find in department stores. I have never gone outside my country but I have heard lots of stories from friends who have. Some people go to Hongkong or China and purchase cheap items there and sell in the Philippines. They sometimes time their trips when these countries have "bargain sales" going. It saves them a lot especially that they can buy in bulk with really low, low price. Thanks for sharing. Have a nice day!

Hi Dorannmwin, Yes, you are like my co-worker in the past. She said she buys things from the street vendors so that they can earn for the day. Most people buy from department stores and they are left with very few sales for the day. These street vendors sell varied items which are very functional, yes. We find small items which we regularly use at home. There are items which are of good quality, too. And these come out cheaper than other sources.

Hi Triplejazzm, I am sorry for the long overdue response. While it is true that some of the street vendors sell very low quality items, I had, in fact, bought few items which, up to now, are still of use to me. It is true that we expose ourselves to pickpockets or snatchers on the side of the road to look at items displayed by vendors. If for very important reasons it brings me to walking through these areas, I make sure that everything that I bring, most especially money, is safely kept. I think I have grown used to that in our place which made me keep personal safety measures.

Hi Joseline0568, That is a common scenario in our country. There are city ordinances that prohibit them from selling anywhere. There are designated places for them. The problem with the street vendors, they usually display their wares where people are many like in churches and near government offices. This surely adds to the congestion of the place, especially in a church. If they sell on designated places, they are subjected to small ordinance tax.

Hi Thebestmom, That is really true. The street vendors sell cheap items but sometimes the same items are also found in the department store. Some department store owners buy from another Asian country and most of the wares the street vendors sell are from that Asian country, too. When I have lots of extra time, I go to these stalls or just browse items displayed in the sidewalk by street vendors. Always, I find some items that are very useful and durable. I can save because these are cheap.

Hi Bellis, While these street vendors sell cheap and a wide variety of usable items, there are certain things that still we choose to buy from stores. Fairs and festivals may be a good source of good buys, too. We also have fairs here. They are mostly agri-fairs and they sell lots of produce from the farm. It is really very good to buy from them because aside from cheap, they are very fresh.

Hi 23uday, It comes cheap from street vendors most of the time. Like department stores, there are items which are of low quality and some of good quality that they sell. It really needs careful scrutiny of the item you are going to purchase. The vegetables sold by street vendors are really cheaper than in the supermarkets. They also are fresher having come from the mountain areas and sold directly in wet markets and along the streets.

Hi Daliaj, Yes, there are things which we opt to buy from department stores rather than street vendors. There may be low quality items that they sell but you still can find some quality products in their display. I can attest to that. Unlike you, I try to bargain for the price. I know for a fact that there are street vendors who, at first, quotes you a very high price. If I really have time, I go from vendor to vendor and compare their prices. That way, I can already tell the price range of an item and I can choose where to buy from. Thanks and have a nice day!

Hi Jahernandzrivas, We find some nice things sold by these street vendors. And it is cheaper. The street vendors here have become part of the city life. I even have observed that a smaller department store displays some of their products just outside their store, setting up tables beside the street vendors. Some people find it easy to buy from street vendors and do not take time to go inside. It is annoying to go inside some department stores, the salesladies follow you everywhere.

Hi Bewitched13, Absolutely right! We can never make a bargain for items sold in the malls or department stores. There are times though that they have these "bargain sales" where we enjoy good cuts off the regular price. It only needs one's careful scrutiny of an item to be able to choose the good quality. Some of these street vendors may even offer to replace your items if these do not work well. But sometimes, we can no longer see them where you found them previously, lol. We save a lot by buying from these street vendors. With our purchase, they earn something.

Hi Coolsudan, Speaking of quality and price, we can really compare this between department stores and street vendors. We cannot really say that if a thing is expensive, it is of good quality. Both department stores and street vendors have good quality products and low ones sold in their display. It is for the seller to examine and choose carefully before buying.

He Aznyellow, I am in the Philippines. There are lots of cheap items sold on the streets and in department stores which come from China. There are lots and lots of them that people crowd in these little stores or sometimes in the sidewalk. DVDs are so cheap. Sometimes there are even 30 or more movies in one DVD and it only costs us P40 (that is only about $1 = exchange rate now is $1 = P45). The copies are good. Sometimes new movies are not yet shown in theaters, these street vendors have their copies already. There is a continuous campaign against DVD pirating here and there are always raids conducted. But these sellers always come back to their areas and continue doing business. It is because people patronize it because it is cheap while watching a movie in malls that costs you about P150 ($3) against a DVD (with 30 or more movies) costing only P40 (less than $1).

Hi Alice_xoxo, It is nice to have that experience. It becomes part of the memories of our travel. Most people even take pictures wherever they go. It is good to get the feel of being "at home" in their place. I am sure there will be lots of stories to tell to friends upon getting back.

Hi Danitykane, We also buy from them. In a way, this helps them in their daily subsistence. We have regular sellers who either go up our offices when we request them or they wait for you to come down after office hours. They usually sell fresh fruits ... grapes, apples, pomelo or mangoes or whatever fruits are in season. Other vendors sell rice and dishes for lunch. Lots of workers patronize them.

Hi Nautilus33, That is true. In these hard times, we need to be wise and practical. Why do we choose to buy twice more expensive when sometimes you get the same item and same quality from street vendors? During Christmas time when we give gifts, it was surely a practical way to buy from these people. They have almost everything cheap to sell and these are not even found in department stores. We know that some department stores buy their wares from the same country as the source of these street vendors. Sometimes there are items that we find to be exactly the same, but is more expensive in malls or stores.

Hi Genericbe, Yes, you are correct. Other countries have their share of street vendors, too. We see these on tv or read from newspapers. Most of us may have the opportunity to travel to other Asian countries where there are lots of them. We buy from them because they are cheap. As we celebrate the feast of our patron saint where I am, there are already lots of stalls rented by sellers from all over the Philippines. They are selling their products from where they are. These stalls are built by the City Government and the sellers rent this for a period of two months. It is really a chance to buy things from other regions, without need of going there.

Hi Lahari, Yes, they are cheap. And they sell almost everything. It is sometimes better to buy from them because vegetables and fruits are fresher. Coming down the building where I work, I see lots of small stalls selling fruits. I choose to buy from them rather than pass by supermarkets where there are lots of people and had to take a ride to get there. It sames me time, effort and money. Oh, yes, sometimes they overprice us. It is always good to bargain --- but not so much because they only have little markup on these items.

Hi Ias_iffat, True, these street vendors have mastered the art of selling. They have become good customer relations "managers" in their own right. They ask you and help you with what you need. They even introduce other items to you. I had experienced buying items from them in the past because of their "sweet talk", hahaha.