Discount Diamond Bracelet
Q.We made some purchases on St.Maartin and St.Thomas. G is skeptical wheather or not we got a deal. R says yes. On St.Maartin G purchases an Olympus camera--30 minutes of bargaining, haggling, bluffing--the whole nine yards. After going to the mat with the merchant--the final price $265. Next island St.Thomas G walks in and the first walkin price without drawing blood, for the exact camera $250. (Olympus Stylus Zoom 38-140 Deluxe Date & Kit with Remote) Back home in NY the same camera can be had for $250, at a discount merchant. We saved the tax but that is about all. R purchases a 2 carrot diamond tennis bracelet in St.Maartin and is afraid to price it out in St.Thomas. The camera can be compared to prices home because it has a model number. Jewelry is different, how can you know if you have gotten a bargain or gotten taken--the quality is subjective unless you get a profession appraisel. R likes to think she got a great bargain on the bracelet, G does not want to find out. What have been some others' experiences with Caribbean "bargains."
A.The only real bargains are to be found in the USA in the discount stores. IMO, some of the best Caribbean bargains are herbs, spices, and genuine Mexican vanilla. My husband has purchased a couple of watches at Grand Cayman; he mostly saved on the sales tax. I bought a diamond ring for 7K, and after we got home I got a written appraisal for the insurance, and it appraised at 11.5K. Have found through the years that good bargains on jewelry can be found on St.Marteen if you haggle, much better than in St.Thomas in recent years. Actually much lewelry can be easily compared since it it almost all manufactored now adays versus hand made so exact same pieces are readily found locally in US. Afew years back purchased a nugget bracelet and a pearl bracelet $450 total for both pieces. Upon returning home found the pearl bracelet in a local Service Merchandise on sale for $750 alone. Electronics are another story. Have not seen any bargains for electronics on the islands and you must check warranty information as well. Many electronic items are not covered by warranty in US as they are Europeon market or some such. I think they call it white market or something similar? Either way cameras and the like that I have price checked were generally comparable in price to those found at local discount stores in US. As is always the case, if you are looking for certain items you should spend the time researching prices at home so you know what the real pricing is. I have had no problem with quality of jewelry purchased in so far as being weight and quality as indicated.
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