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March 24, 2008

Free drinks with overpriced DVD's at Taikang Rd Oscar Club

Filed under:Places to shop for stuff, My Shanghai Tourist Survival Guide—fay@March 24th, 2008

I went over to Taikang Rd over the weekend and friends tipped me off to the old Ka De's reincarnation: Oscar Club. Ka De Club was the original mega underground DVD shop on JinXian Rd a few years back. They had stores on Zhenning Rd and DaGu Rd also but after some kind of crack down, they changed their name. I haven't been to this one at all, since I was pretty happy w/ my Dagu Rd shop. The first thing we noticed was that the shop offered FREE cokes, bottled water, AND beer (ok, just some Sapporo light), no purchase necessary. The funny thing is that not a lot of people seemed to have noticed the sign or the frig, which was standing right at the entrance. I guess people were in a rush to go to the inner room to check out the new DVD's.

Oscar's selection is still pretty extensive, but with so many other look-alike shops, it's no longer that impressive to me. More over, it's by far the most expensive expat-oriented shop I've seen --- $8 for DVD and $16 for DVD-9. Darn! I'd give them that if they categorize by some scheme or had on-line ordering and free delivery service or something. I guess it goes to pay for the free drinks we had at the door...

For cheaper DVD's, find a reliable shop near where you live (so you could return your defective discs) or try my favorite shops.

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Tags: DVDs, Taikang Rd

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March 18, 2008

Knock-offs, fakes, copies - where do you buy them post-Xiang Yang Market

Filed under:Places to shop for stuff, My Shanghai Tourist Survival Guide—fay@March 18th, 2008

When the famous (infamous) Xiang Yang market shut its door back in June, 2006, local and tourists alike lost their must-visit shopping mecca that had been around since 2000. What remains are the streetside peddlers holding worn-out catalog cards who promise nice fake LV's, Gucci's, and Rolexes.

So where do you find the stuff you still want to buy now (ok, no moral judgements here)? The vendors are now much more discreet and don't flaunt the really good AAA stuff in plain sight. For top brand bags, try the little shops along ChangLe Rd and XinLe Rd, between XiangYang Rd and Shannxi Rd. Befriend the shop owners by buying a few pieces first, and then they might bring out the really nice ones. They don't come cheap considering they're fakes --- prices range in the thousand(s) of kuai-- but the materials they use are much better than what you'd see on the street. I prefer bags without blatant logos that can stand on its design and materials. You can also pick up "brandname" shoes, sun glasses, and clothing that make you wonder whether they are leaks from the real factories.

For electronics, luggages, and more casual fashion items, head for Taobao Mall (580 Nanjing West Rd near ChengDu NorthRd). The clean and modern mall is a much more pleasant place to shop than Xiang Yang market. Ironically, all the shops have a sign out front that says that everything they sell are authentic... Here, you tend to find 2nd tier/niche brands whose legal powers are not as strong as the top brands.

Another bunch of shops migrated to the underground shopping mall at PuDong's Science and Tech Musuem (Subway Line 2). I find the items, both clothing and souvenirs, very attractive here and if you go on the weekdays when there's less traffic, you might be able to bargain harder (although some people also told me that if you go on the weekdays, you'd be the target for ALL shop owners). There's also a row of restaurants next to the shopping mall for you to grab a bite after you're done.

You can also check out QiPu Rd Wholesale Clothing Market, which is near Subway line 8's QuFu Rd station. You can find trendy styles here and for cheaper, but the quality tends to be lower than the two places above. Inspect items carefully before you buy.

A word on bargaining --- the old rule of thumb is to counter offer at 70% off and make the deal around 50% off, but the vendors can outsmart you by opening at even higher prices. To gain upperhand is to be walk away from things when the price isn't what you want. Remember, these items are sold at more than one shop!!

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Quality Movie DVD shopping in Pudong

Filed under:Places to shop for stuff, My Shanghai Tourist Survival Guide—fay@March 18th, 2008

The other day, my friend who can speak Shanghainese took me to the shop where he usually picks up his stash of DVDs. I have always heard about DVD's being cheaper in Pudong but was always too lazy to go over the water and stuck with my Dagu Rd shop.

We went to a non-descript building near the Yaohan 八佰伴 at 1271 Pudong Nan Lu called "Rong Fu Deparment Store" 融富百货商场. The entire building is full of little shop/stalls peddling all kinds of wares. We went straight to the 3rd floor, stall B15, where Lady Pan's shop is. It's dinky shop, much like an old record shop, with rows and rows and DVD's not organized in any particular order. Everyone there was intently flipping through the DVD jackets, looking for those hidden treasures to bring home.

My friend claims that he goes through 20 movies per week, so always picks out a ton of stuff and is a favorite customer there. He's also a walking IMDB and served as a movie title translator for Lady Pan. I found Qatsi Trilogy, Baraka/Chronos, and an Ang Lee collection, which even contains "Xiao Yu" 少女小渔, a movie he co-produced but not directed. Most of the discs were DVD 9 format, the higher quality one, and it worked to be around $7-8RMB/movie.

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September 24, 2007

Feidan - tiny shop that's got all the imported groceries you need

Filed under:Places to shop for stuff, My Shanghai Tourist Survival Guide—fay@September 24th, 2007

The owner of Feidan (it means a "flying egg" in Chinese) is a master at selecting his merchandise. With a shop that's less than 20 sq meters (the Dagu Rd store is bigger), he managed to stock the shelves with desirable products from all over the world. From jars of jams, pickles, and olives, to cans of illy coffee, pates, to boxes of cereals, pastas, and cake mixes, to bottles of branded mineral waters, you can find pretty much everything you need last-minute to gather ingredients for your exotic recipe. They also added a fresh produce section, so you can also get a small selection of veggies, dairy, cheeses, and meat. They also carry baguette sticks and croissants, and pita breads, in addition to regular toast breads. The prices are comparable to those at City Super (they have opened a similar concept satellite shop on ChangDe Rd near Beijing Rd but don't have as nice a selection of products), considering it saves a trip for people living around the area. I think it takes a foodie to open a shop like this and a foodie to appreciate the value of having such a shop around.

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August 20, 2007

DVDs - bring home the entire HBO collections

Filed under:Places to shop for stuff—fay@August 20th, 2007

Yes, you can get them everywhere on the street but it's hard to check the quality. That's why I've been taking my guests to Movie Star, a DVD shop on DaGu Rd that carry everything you might want. From the latest movies to HBO hit shows and classic collections by famed directors, they have the nice box sets which are perfect as gifts for friends who will love you for getting them. The staff will tell you whether the version is a good one --- just ask. You can also bring back any defective ones for an exchange. They can also find anything for you, even if you can't remember the movie titles --- just tell them about the plot and they will dig it out! They are not the cheapest but I'd recommend this place if you want some quality guarantee. Round out your visit to DaGu Rd with dinner and a massage after you get the DVD's.

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