The "Dirt Market"

 

My first trip to the dirt market was with my friend Amber.  We stopped at an "optometrist" I think???, where she had been before for glasses, in order for her to get her eyes checked again.  As she was picking out new glasses, it donned on me that I haven't had my eyes checked in years, and my "up close" vision isn't great anymore.  So I had her check me too.  For the bifocal glasses (I'm feeling old and I should never have made fun of my parents!) and the eye exam, it was only $50!

 

Right around the corner from the optometrist was the dirt market.  What a fun place!  Lots of old antiques and new items for sale in little stores, out on blankets on the ground, from inside large fold up armoire type cabinets, etc.

 

I was a bit overwhelmed at the quantity of stuff, and didn't really have anything in particular that I was looking for except some copper horses that I had seen at the "Junk Man's" place.  So I just kind of took it all in.  The dirt market is definitely somewhere you have to visit multiple times to really see it all!

After taking it all in for a bit, I decided to start showing a picture of the horses I had seen at the Junk Man, to see if anyone knew which part of the market I could find them, if any vendor had them.  I was pointed to a certain direction.  After some time, and not seeing them, I asked someone again if they knew where I could find the horses.  Basically the picture did the talking, along with Amber.  Again, we were pointed in a certain direction.  Finally, after asking a third group of people, they said that they had some.  But they weren't there.  They had to go get them.  That put a little pressure on me then to take the negotiating seriously.  They came back with the exact ones I was looking for!

Basically, these ladies and I went back and forth 3 or 4 times with their offer followed by my offer.  They started at over 6,800 rmb, and went down to the "pengyou" (friend) price of 3800rmb.  That was quite a drop, but still too much for me, especially since I had just started shopping and I'm not in a rush with us being here for four years.  I called Briant to make sure that it was ok and that he liked them.  Luckily he did, and he was fine with anything, but I didn't want to pay $700.  Long story short, after I walked away a few times and I saw angry faces and got the cut throat sign from one of the ladies saying that it was the absolute lowest she would go, I got them for 2600 rmb, about $400.  While waiting for the ladies to go get them in the first place, I actually found two other vendors selling ones similar, and they wouldn't budge on their prices of about 3800 rmb EACH.  So when all was said and done, I felt pretty good about my purchase and the price!

Walnuts are everywhere--large and small.  The small ones, nuts still in their shells, are made into bracelets and necklaces, and the large ones are sold in pairs.

They also sell two large walnuts together.  I see men all the time with their hands behind their backs, moving the walnuts around in their hands.  You can also find people rubbing the walnuts with their fingers. I asked Thomas' foot Dr. that speaks English what the deal is with the walnuts.  He said that moving them around in their hands is good for hand strength and maybe preventing arthritis.  He said that religiously, the nuts remind them of Buddah and his teachings.  As they move the nuts around in their hands, they're thinking of him.  And then he said, "But mostly, we just play with the nuts and rub them with the oils from our hands and fingers so they get darker.  We like a darker color."

Some cool money and old coins and old communist paraphernalia.

 

Selling old communist propaganda.

             I think the dirt market is one of my favorite places to shop now.  I went home and placed my horses on a dresser in our bedroom.  Bri loves them and I love them...success.  And he wanted to make a trip to the dirt market, so we headed there that weekend with the whole family.

       

I love pottery!  I would fill a whole room just with fun pottery if I could!And of course there's bronze and other metal lions and dragons.

 

I love these handmade puppets!Thomas' feet started hurting (ongoing issue with his bone bruising and orthotics), so his sweet sisters carried him.

 

The workers are there all day, so I found some trying to catch naps when they could.  ;)

Across the street from the market was a noodle place.  It was a little different from what everyone thought it would be, but the kids gobbled it up, and passed on the quail eggs for me to have something to eat.

 

Of course Briant brought his handy dandy mini salt and pepper shaker that actually holds salt and garlic powder for those times of need. ;)

 

The place was crawling with locals.  This picture was actually taken after the lunch rush.  It was crazy for the first twenty minutes we were there trying to order.