Trade Secrets

Trade Secrets
New Indian Express

One would find Sunday Bazaar somewhere around K.R Market, probably called Old Chickpet area, Or more specifically Maumul Pet. It doesn’t matter anyway, because once you make it somewhere around there, you are most certain to spot the crowded-confused main streets and alleys, out of breath for all the activity.

It sure doesn’t feel like a Sunday here. But if one is the do-it-yourself variety, one wouldn’t mind a little hustle-bustle in return for what all lies to be found in this old style market.

For those who assemble things from scratch as a serious hobby, be it cycles or computers, this is the place to visit especially if one has their bargaining skills well-honed. One can get everything from bolts, screw drivers, electric drills, bicycle parts, bike batteries, chains, motherboards, CD roms, CD writers, monitors, mini TVs, DVDs, watches, car stereos and speakers, disk man, laptops, LCD screens, kitchen appliances, bulbs, tubes, computer speakers and the list is really endless.

One might be lucky to get their hands on brands like Sony, Hewlett Packard, Intel, IBM. Also spotted there was the rare record players one doesn’t get to see around anymore.

Apart from that one can buy kitchen vessels, clothes and household utility items like stoves, hot plates, racks etc. The stuff may not be top quality as most of it is second hand or stolen but the “leveller” is the throw-away prices that one isn’t likely to find else where in the city.

The thing to bank upon is one’s instincts as there is no guaranteeing whether what you buy actually works satisfactorily or works at all or for that matter whether one would find the same shop on the next Sunday, especially when most of it is on roads. There is no price range to negotiate within- only games and strategies employed to get at that win win situation. One might also want to hold on to that wallet rather dearly.

For once, one has got to suspend the fuss about the heat, the noise or being shoved and walk through the streets lined with the bedraggled shops and the street displays, just soaking up the flea market feel.