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By Root 713 0

Walk (Click here) in Kowloon Tong. The best hunting grounds for warehouse sales and factory extras are generally in Tsim Sha Tsui at the eastern end of Granville Rd (Click here); check out Austin Ave and Chatham Rd South as well. On Hong Kong Island, Jardine’s Bazaar ( Map) in Causeway Bay has low-cost garments and there are several sample shops and places to pick up cheap jeans in Lee Garden Rd. The street markets on Temple St ( Click here) in Yau Ma Tei and Tung Choi St (Click here) in Mong Kok have the cheapest clothes. You may also try Li Yuen St East and Li Yuen St West ( Click here), two narrow alleyways linking Des Voeux Rd Central with Queen’s Rd Central. They are a jumble of inexpensive clothing, handbags, backpacks and costume jewellery.

Although many people still frequent Hong Kong’s tailors, getting a suit or dress made is no longer a great bargain. Remember that you usually get what you pay for. Most tailors will require a 50% nonrefundable deposit, and the more fittings you have, the better the result.

Computers

Hong Kong is a popular, competitively priced place to buy personal computers. Most people buy their computers in Kowloon, where there are loads of centres selling computers and related equipment. There’s a much greater choice and prices are lower, but ‘caveat emptor’ is the phrase to bear in mind as you browse. Hong Kong Island does have a couple of reasonable computer arcades, including the Wan Chai Computer Centre (Click here).

Gems & Jewellery

The Chinese attribute various magical qualities to jade, including the power to prevent ageing and accidents. The circular disc with a central hole worn around many Hong Kong necks represents heaven in Chinese mythology. The Jade Market ( Click here) in Yau Ma Tei is diverting, but unless you’re knowledgeable about jade, limit yourself to modest purchases.

Hong Kong carries a great range of pearls, and opals are said to be good value. Retail prices for other precious stones are only marginally lower than elsewhere.

The more reputable jewellery-shop chains will issue a certificate that states exactly what you are buying and guarantees that the shop will buy it back at a fair market price.

The only carved ivory products being sold here legally are those that were manufactured before a 1989 ban came into effect or those made of marine ivory. Ivory retailers must have all sorts of documentation to prove where and when the goods were made.

Leather Goods & Luggage

Most of what gets sent to the Hong Kong market from China is export quality, but check carefully because there is still a lot of rubbish on sale. All the big brand names such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci are on display in Hong Kong department stores, and you’ll also find some local vendors in the luggage business. If you’re just looking for a casual bag or daypack, check out Li Yuen St East and Li Yuen St West ( Click here) in Central or Stanley Market ( Click here).

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DEFENSIVE SHOPPING, BLOW BY BLOW

Hong Kong is not a nest of thieves just waiting to rip you off, but pitfalls can strike the uninitiated.

Whatever you are in the market for, always check prices in a few shops before buying. The most common way for shopkeepers in Hong Kong to cheat tourists is to simply overcharge. In the tourist shopping district of Tsim Sha Tsui, you’ll rarely find price tags on anything. Checking prices in several shops therefore becomes essential. But Hong Kong merchants weren’t born yesterday; they know tourists comparison-shop. So staff will often quote a reasonable or even low price on a big-ticket item, only to get the money back by overcharging on accessories.

Spotting overcharging is the easy part, though. Sneakier (but rarer) tricks involve merchants removing vital components that should have been included for free (and demanding more money when you return to the shop to get them). Another tactic is to replace some of the good components with cheap or imitation ones.

Watch out for counterfeit-brand goods. Fake labels on clothes are the most obvious example, but there are fake