By Debby Merickel
The sales pitches rang through the air like firecrackers after a ballgame.
“Everyone buys a carpet after lunch, how about you?”
“I’ve been waiting for you, ever since last night.”
“I can help you spend your money.”
4000 shops. Yikes!
A trip to the famed Kapali Çarsi (in Turkey) was preordained as every morning at breakfast my waiter persistently invited me to visit his “brother’s” carpet shop. Each day I would leave a tip and he would leave a card.
On my last full day I accepted his map and promised to stop by. It would have been easy to get lost in this microcosm of a virtual yellow page book, as supposedly there are some 4000 shops
Shopper’s paradise or nightmare?
This Grand Bazaar is a shopper’s paradise or nightmare depending on the size of your wallet and your determination.
As fate would have it, I ran into my waiter and he led me to Mozaik Carpet where I talked with another “front” man who inquired about my tastes and needs. I had not done my homework and had no clue what a good price was or what constituted a good carpet.
A secret door
They were not in a rush and while the private showroom was in use for another customer, they simply led me down the hall, moved a hanging carpet and a secret door where another display area miraculously appeared with a sofa, hard wood floor and incredible works of carpet art.
Hooking me
I was served tea as they taught me about wool, workmanship, cleaning and of course beautiful areas of Turkey. The “hook” was set. I wouldn’t be leaving without a purchase as I could no longer even ascertain where the door was.
My beautiful 2’ by 3’ wool 20 year old handmade “runner” from the Central Anatolian Region was $175 USD.
Overpaid? So What!
Back home I was told more than once how I overpaid for my prize purchase but like they say in the MasterCard commercial, “The carpet buying experience—priceless. <<
Debby Merickel is putting the finishing touches on her book– a travelogue called “The Misadventures of an Aging Globetrotter.”
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