It’s the place where dozens of Kyivan hipsters daily scour the piles of clothes to find those items that will make them look unique.
The hipster culture is running
amok all over the world, and while Western Europeans usually have to search
everywhere and pay small fortunes to stand out, Kyiv’s devotees only have to go
one place, where they can get bargains that would make their Western European
counterparts green with envy.
Formed in the early 2000s as
one of the first second-hand markets in Kyiv, the Lesnaya market is
conveniently located just next to the Lisova metro station.
Covering the size of a small
village, the tin huts have piles of second hand clothing from the surplus of
western european consumers.
Here you can find anything
from old Austrian football jerseys to never worn Ralph Lauren shirts, colorful
bags and belts.
Prices range from Hr 10 for
strange-looking t-shirts to Hr 200 for never used winter boots. But getting the
right price depends on your bargaining skills, since much of the clothes don’t
even have price tags.
The merchants are of either
Ukrainian or North African origin, and over the years they appear to have developed
excellent skills in making you pay as much as possible.
You can bargain your way into
hipster heaven at Lesnaya Market by following these 5 bargaining tips.
1. When you see something you simply must have, don’t throw
yourself over it. The vendors/merchants are following your every move, and if
they see that it’s a must have for you, they will make you pay.
2.
Closely
inspect the items you want to buy. Search for cracks and broken joints and
point out any flaws to leverage the price.
3.
Be
confident. If you seem unsure and timid, they will without a doubt insist you
pay a high price.
4.
Don’t
insult the seller and keep a polite tone. If you start off bargaining by
suggesting an extremely low price, chances are they will kick you out of the
shop, and you can kiss that world-class hipster item a long goodbye. Offer at
least 50 percent of the initial price and work the price slowly upwards.
5.
Bring cash. Waving your credit card will most
likely make the sellers hit the ground laughing. The benefit of cash only is
also that you won’t spend more than you brought and it will sharpen your bargaining
needs.
Kyvi
Post staff writer Jesper Larsen can be reached at [email protected].
