February 5, 2006
Ukay-Ukay Tips
1. Look simple. If you can look poor, better. Dress comfortably.
2. Do not speak English at all costs. You will soon realize that things cost more if you speak English or speak Tagalog with a twang. Pretend to be mute if you belong to the latter category.
3. Bring lots of change. Do not pay using large bills. It would be to your disadvantage if you appear to have lots of money. This will also make you less “hot” in the eyes of some bad elements in society.
4. Have lots and lots of patience. Browse through all racks. You might miss out on a great item if you don’t.
5. Bring a large plastic or shopping bag. You can stash your paid items here so both your hands are free to browse through the racks or grab items.
6. Buy items on the spot. Chances are they might not be there the next time you come back.
7. Do not make the mistake of asking if they have sizes.
8. Grab items you want and do not let go till you get to the cashier even if you are unsure about them. The moment you let go of an item, somebody might just be waiting in the wings to grab it and when that happens…sigh…let go. Never get into a fight with somebody over an item that you let go of earlier. In the ukay-ukay world just like in normal retail, once you let go its up for grabs. It is an integral part of shopping etiquette.
9. Bargain, bargain, bargain! P10 is still P10 – good enough for a lot of things.
Happy ukay-ukay!
February 17th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
Hi, I don’t remember how but I stumbled into your site.
I don’t really go to ukay-ukays (or shop in general), no thanks to my overwhelming sloth, but this is an interesting read. Items one and two cracked me up but they do contain great wisdom.
Anyway, may you have more ukay-ukay purchases (and blog posts) to come. =D
April 12th, 2006 at 7:07 pm
Great tips! they can only come from an avid shopping fanatic:)
April 26th, 2006 at 5:12 am
i looovvveee your site. finally, a real deal filipina fashionista. is there any way i could subscribe to your webby articles? or can i publish some of your articles in my blog? i’m just beginning writing “marketable” blog items that people would like to read. i promise that i will recognize you. please e-mail me
July 17th, 2006 at 9:39 am
hi…thanx for the tips they were really great.. i just have a problem i’ve been wanting to go to cubao to shop at the ukay-ukay haven (as they call it) but i don’t know where the exact location is.. i heard that there’s this place in cubao where there’s a great deal of ukay ukay it’s like a building full of ukay ukay stuffs and some are even branded but i don’t know how to get there can you kindly tell me where the exact location is… thanx i’ll be waiting for your reply…
April 13th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Test fit the item you want to buy. Sometimes you may buy the item only to find out that the fit is not okay on you. Example are jeans. The waist might be right, but the leg styling is not right for you. It may be too tight or too loose when tried on.
Learn to have an eye for quality. There are fakes out there. The tendency is for you to grab an item that has a popular brand. But inspecting the worksmanship, it may show that it’s a poor copy of the original.
April 13th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
There are defects which are repairable and there are defects which puts the item on permanent damage. Broken or loose seams on the underarms, sides or hems can easily be repaired. But tears especially on the neck area, visible fading and permanent stains are nearly impossible to correct. But of course for a great bargain you could try your luck and hope something can be done to the defect.
I bought an unused Timberland nubuck leather bag. Originally it was offered for P500. But it had dark water marks all over and so I got it for P150. I can’t get the marks off by washing. But last resort, I sandpapered it. After waxing, it looked perfect!
June 27th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
very good, shoppingera. i couldn’t have said it better myself, since i am a self-confessed Ukay Ukay Queen from the 90s. keep it up.
August 13th, 2007 at 12:36 am
i really wanted to try buying on an ukay ukay but i don’t know where to go? i mean i wanted to go to an ukay ukay but the decent one. do you know the best ukay ukay in town? thanks
October 24th, 2007 at 5:20 am
Cool Blog. Can you tell me where the ukay ukays are in cubao? how to get there from edsa?
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:49 am
hi! i love your tips i wouldn’t have put it to better words! but just like everybody else here, i am soo lost on where to look for nice ukay places! i neeed your help! pls PM me or post here on where exactly we can find these in cubao! thanks!
March 16th, 2009 at 1:15 am
Ang a-arte naman ng karamihan sa mga tao dito.ka-asar!
May 14th, 2009 at 1:06 am
Hmmmm that’s cool.