Copy Market in Shanghai

As Jesse mentioned in previous his blog, my visa was expired for three months and I had to pay USD500. In addition to that, I went to Shanghai four times to apply a new visa (counseling, physical exam etc.). Yesterday was my last day. I will finally get a new visa on next Tuesday.

The visa administration office is at a subway station “Science and Technology Museum” in Pudong where the famous Shangyang Copy market moved. I shopped around every time after the visa applications.

You can find any copied good. LeSportsac bags are everywhere. Abercrombie & Fitch clothing seems a hottest copy. I saw a local woman negotiated a Nike shoes from RMB300 till RMB80. I asked the vender I want to buy the same shoes. She told me that price is not available for me. I kept negotiated. Finally she agreed to give me the same price. Then I tried on the shoes. Oh My God! That Nike shoes doesn’t even have a value of RMB30. I told her I rather pay RMB800 to buy a real. She tried to convince me Adidas shoes is much better quality. I paid RMB120 for FAKE Adidas shoes. (by the way, the Adidas shoes were fine for a week…) When I came back to Suzhou, every my friends say I paid too much for fake.

I bought an Abercrombie & Fitch sweater. It had a real price tag “USD49”. I told a vender I would pay RMB80. She didn’t agree. She needed at leastRMB120. I stepped out the store. She chased me all way and finally gave me the price I wanted. The sweater was totally good buy. It is very cute.

I bought another sweater supposed to be an Italian famous brand. I don’t care the name brand. I thought the sweater looked pretty. The original price RMB160 went down to RMB60. I thought it was good buy too. When I came back to home, I looked at it more carefully. The end of sleeves and bottom weren’t stitched. The yarn keeps coming out. One winning and one lost.

I bought a ton of Akiva’s Winter sweat shirts and pants. He is growing tall. He cannot wear his clothes from last year. They were all made for exports. Local clothes for boys are always in gray, black and brown. That is what Chinese people think what are boy’s colors. Akiva is a bright boy. He should wear fun color clothes. These clothes are Outlet clothes. It is OK quality but there have some small problems. Somehow quality controllers/checkers always have some way to sell these clothes in the back door.

I bought a police car, ambulance, and police tow track. They were fine for a month, but their wheels came off. Jesse often tells me I should stop buying made in China toys (the type for only-China market).

Oh…another thing unrelated to shopping. While in Shanghai I was on subway at 8 am, there was a grandma and grandson sitting on chair. The train was crowded by commuters. Every time the grandson excited to see trucks or bridge out side of window. He screamed. The commuters were all smiling at him (In Japan, salary man would frowned at him to be quiet). I was happy to see how Chinese people are friendly to kids. Then the grandson told the grandma “Pee!” She opened his legs. The crowd around him stepped away. She went “pee ro, pee ro, pee ro”. He peed on the floor. No one said anything. At the next stop more people got in and stepped on his pee.