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Written by Super User

Category: Shopping

Published: 03 September 2014

Hits: 8728

Details

Written by Super User

Category: Shopping

Published: 03 September 2014

Hits: 8568

Mexico is one of the world's leading producers of silver. Fine sterling jewelry, in original designs for both men and women, is available at stores in all three border cities. Sterling items in Mexico are so pure that they can be up to 95% silver and will be stamped accordingly. Prices on most items will be about half of those stateside.

High-demand items are necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings in pure sterling or set with onyx, lapis, malachite or turquoise stones. For men, cufflinks, belt buckles, card cases and money clips are popular. Also hot are silver bead necklaces and chokers in all sizes, widths and lengths.

Prices run about $90 for a 24-inch sterling bead necklace, $75 for a half-inch-wide I.D. bracelet, $100 for a lapis-and-silver bracelet and about $50 for a silver-plated wine goblet. While hard bargaining is not the norm at upscale jewelry stores, you should always ask for a discount and may get up to 25%, depending on the slowness of the season.

In addition to the real stuff, you'll come across street vendors carrying enormous cases of "sort-of silver" necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings. (You won't have to look for them; they'll find you.) As long as you bargain hard and remember that the jewelry on the street isn't pure silver, but alpaca (a mixture of copper, tin and silver), you can make some great buys and have fun cruising the trays. Try to pay about half the vendor's first asking price, less if you really like to bargain. What's a fair price? Whatever the piece is worth to you for a year of wear.

Insider Tips

How do you tell real sterling from fake? In Mexico, all sterling, by law, must be stamped 0.925, which is the legal percent of silver required. It also must carry the word "Mexico," along with the tax identification number of the company and the initials of the city of origin (for example, Tc for Taxco). Even the tiniest charm must carry all four of these verifying marks, and they do in the shops of reputable dealers and designers.

Approximately 95% of the "silver" on the street, in mercado stalls and Avenida Revolucion sidewalk shops is fake, even though the sellers swear it's real, bite it, hold lighters under it and even show you a 0.925 stamp on larger pieces. Only real silver will carry all four identifying marks, but vendors figure that even savvy tourists aren't that savvy.

So, unless you are in an upscale shop that deals exclusively in silver and better jewelry, assume everything else is fake. Which is fine. Pay accordingly (which means a pittance), and plan to throw the fake piece away when the thin coating of silver wears off.

Best Shops In Tijuana

Jorge Espinosa has been one of most respected names in fine silver for decades in Tijuana. A superb designer in both silver and gold, Espinosa's prices are extremely fair, and he's built up a solid following of Americans. His shop carries a wide selection of original jewelry, along with frames, jewelry boxes, belt buckles and money clips. Located in the Ciros arcade, on the east side of Avenida Revolucion between Fifth and Sixth streets. Call 011-52-66-850705.

Los Castillo is one of Mexico's most reputable names in sterling, with large shops in Tijuana's Bazar de Mexico and three others in Ensenada. Each shop carries famed Taxco designer Antonio Castillo's work. While no custom design work is done in Baja California, the shops do carry a wide selection of high-quality jewelry for men and women, along with other items, all priced very fairly. A 10% to 15% discount is usually given for cash sales. Located in the front of Bazar de Mexico at Av. Revolucion and Seventh street. Call 011-52- 66-384691.

Best Shops in Rosarito

Baja Jewels is a well-respected outlet for fine silver jewelry and gems, and designer Enrique Orozco is known for his spectacular original creations in pendants, pins and rings. Look for large amethysts in knockout settings. Located in the Rosarito Beach Hotel shopping arcade at the south end of town.

Best Shops in Ensenada

Los Castillo (see above) has three shops on Avenida Lopez Mateos - located at No. 656 and 815 and in Bazar Ramirez. Call the main store in Ensenada at 011-52-617-83963.

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Written by Super User

Category: Shopping

Published: 03 September 2014

Hits: 8964

Baskets, Blankets and Rugs

The numerous Indian peoples of Mexico create marvels of beauty with their centuries-old weaving skills.

From beautiful Zapotec Indian wall hangings and rugs woven by villagers from Oaxaca, to colorful hammocks of hemp and cotton made in Merida, to baskets of every kind and blankets of every pattern, these handmade treasures are among Mexico's best buys.

At Pier 1, an unadorned, 18-inch open basket costs around $25. Across the border, heavy-duty, lidded baskets, up to 36 inches tall, 20 inches in diameter and tough enough to store kids' toys or firewood, can be picked up for $5. Four dollars will get you a big, beautiful, woven beach or diaper bag, embossed with colorful straw flowers. In Old Town, coarse-cotton, striped Mexican blankets are priced from $9.95 to $11.95. South of the border, they are sold at almost every street corner and shop for $4.99. These blankets are lively and colorful enough to use as area rugs, accent pieces, tablecloths and furniture throws, and sturdy enough to line Fido's bed or double as car seat covers and beach blankets. Bargain hard for these and buy a bunch on every trip across the border.

Heavy-duty hammocks for two can be had for $8 in every color; even sturdier hammocks, with wooden end pieces, run $12 to $15 in single or double width.

Insider Tips

Bargaining for blankets is always better when you buy two or more and wherever there is competition close by. If many stalls or shops are within earshot of each other, and all carry large selections of blankets and wall hangings, bargaining is a breeze.

Best City to Shop

Basket selection is best in Rosarito at the curio and pottery shops at the south end of town. Hammocks are most plentiful in Rosarito's main-street mercado. The best selection of Zapotec rugs and wall hangings, along with the best blanket selections, are found in the multiple shops and stalls of Tijuana's underground Pasaje Gomez, on Avenida Revolucion, between Third and Fourth streets; in Rosarito's mercado; and in Bazar Ramirez on Avenida Lopez Mateos in Ensenada. Wovenware is universally bargainable.

Prices in Mexico will vary with fluctuations in the peso. All prices on bargainable items quoted above are after bargaining. The law of supply and demand does apply in the border area. As tourists' tastes change, inventory will vary at shops that cross-sell or feature items from different categories. Specialty or one-of-a-kind items mentioned above may not always be available.

Pottery

From walls of smiling ceramic suns to rows of fierce cement lions that will guard your gates, Rosarito is the only place to fill up your garden, your yard, your hearth or your patio for a pittance.

Pots R Us is the nickname locals have given to the mile-long row of pottery shops on the Old Road, just south of town.

Here you'll find an absolutely mind-boggling selection of pots, patio hibachis, gardenware, statuary, cementware and curios.

Don't even think about shopping for clay crocodiles, frog crocks or dolphin fountains in Tijuana or Ensenada. Pottery runs toward the gaudy in Tijuana (who wants a garden urn that glitters?) and toward the ho-hum in Ensenada. There's little selection in either city and, therefore, no bargaining clout. But bargains abound in Rosarito, and bargaining is definitely expected.

In San Diego, an unadorned, 24-inch cement birdbath can carry a price tag of $65. In Rosarito, a better-quality birdbath, with a cherub centerpiece, is just $20. A 36-inch clay patio furnace, which can be bargained down as low as $20 at Rosarito's Pancho's (if you're making other purchases), is a nonbargainable $65 or more in Old Town.

Insider Tips

Most Rosarito pottery shops carry similar merchandise and are owned by members of two extended families. If you can't find something at one place, ask and they'll probably send you to a cousin just down the street. The best bargaining strategy is to browse a place, ask pricing questions as you go, mentally tally up everything you want and ask for the best price if you buy it all there. You should get at least 20% off for multiple-item buys.

Best Shops in Rosarito

Pancho's and Consuelo's offer just about every shape and size of funky clay or cement animal that can hold a plant or function as a fountain. Pancho's is consistently one of the fairest dealers in the field and will take the time to explain why a 6-inch Oaxacan pot costs $5 while a 24-inch Rosarito pot may only cost only $4. These two shops are located side by side on the east side of Rosarito's main street near the north end of town. Call 011-52-661-20101.

Curios Tizoc, like others along pottery row, has a veritable farm field of pots and statuary from which to pick. A scalloped 30-inch-wide fountain with base is just $40. A 24-inch stone lion is just $10. Two-tone ceramic suns are $8, and smaller suns run between $3 and $5. Prices and selection are good at this establishment just south of town, and the atmosphere is low-key. Located just south of Rosarito, on the Old Road.

Virgo Mexican Art, also on pottery row, is a good combo stop. There's a full selection of gardenware outside and reasonably priced furniture and crafts inside. Virgo is usually a great place to bargain for pigskin furniture. Located just south of Rosarito, on the Old Road. Call 011-52-661-22357.

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Written by Super User

Category: Shopping

Published: 03 September 2014

Hits: 8671

From a full-length lambskin coat or hip-length jacket to a crocodile wallet or bulls-neck boots, you'll find fine leather throughout the border area. Whether planning a large or small purchase, expect to pay 30% to 50% less than you would stateside.

Hottest items currently are copies of Versace jackets for men, belted jackets for women, laptop briefcases, NFL team jackets and of course, boots. Top-quality wallets and passport cases, in calf or lambskin, are perennial sellers at $10 to $18.

Prices on all-leather team jackets vary by type of leather, size, style and complexity of design, but generally run $200 to $320 vs. $1,200 for the same jacket in Vegas and $1,000 in catalogs. Bargain hard for these. The starting price can easily drop $100. Regular men's and women's lambskin jackets, which would retail for about $400 stateside, run as low as $120.

Kids leather and suede jackets run between $30 and $60, depending on size and skin. Great bargains are toddler and children's suede vests, lined with sheepskin and sold for about $10.

Boots are exceptional buys, in every skin from alligator to ostrich, and are generally about half of stateside prices. Most popular are bulls-neck, at a savings of about $40 a pair, and lizard and snakeskin at significantly more. At the top of the line, ostrich boots, in every conceivable color, run $250 vs. $500 stateside.

Throughout the border area you'll also find an almost overwhelming array of leather purses, backpacks, wallets, tooled belts, camera and video cases, briefcases and luggage in a variety of colors, skins and styles.

Particularly good buys are the 30-inch, all-leather airline carry-on bags, seen everywhere, in every hue. They sell for an average of $20 but can be found for as little as $12 in patchwork colors. Check to make sure they are double-stitched and have sturdy zippers.

Insider Tips

Patchwork is always the best leather bargain because it uses the small, leftover pieces from other items. A well-made patchwork fanny pack might run $5; a backpack $12. A highly styled woman's jacket that looks like a jeweled mosaic of suedes and leathers would be fairly priced at around $60. The selection is enormous everywhere.

Best City to Shop

Tijuana is the leather capital of Mexico. The selection is vast, the competition fierce and bargaining is great. Cruise Avenida Revolucion in Tijuana and Boulevard Lopez Mateos in Ensenada for the best variety in all-leather items and boots. Skip Rosarito for leather, except for smaller items - such as video-camera cases, backpacks, fanny packs and purses - found in the mercado and curio shops. The mercado is your best bet in Rosarito because of its concentrated comparative-shopping area and its friendly and easy bargaining atmosphere.

Best Shops in Tijuana

Sasson Leather Factory is boot-freak heaven, with so many styles, colors and skins that indecisive types might have an anxiety attack. Ask owner Raquel Sasson anything about leather. She's funny, fair and knowledgeable. Along with a wide variety of men's and women's jackets, Sasson will also copy any leather jacket ($200 vs. $1,300 stateside), will custom-design jackets and boots and will ship, insured. The workmanship is top-quality, and no illegal skins are sold. Located on the east side of the street, three doors from the corner of Avenida Revolucion and Third. The Leather Factory in the Pasaje Revolucion arcade is team-jacket headquarters, along with having a terrific selection of regular leather jackets in all styles. Jackets can be made to order here in four hours. Ask gregarious owner Pepe Ortiz to do his famous lighter or nitric-acid tricks to distinguish real leather from vinyl or 14-karat gold from fake. Located midblock on Avenida Revolucion, between Third and Fourth on the east side of the street.

Hernando's Curios has an excellent selection of purses and briefcases, along with a bit of everything else. Prices on laptop briefcases vary by the number of compartments, size, type of skin and workmanship, but a typical calfskin case with multiple pockets runs about half the price as in the United States. Other calfskin and young bullskin briefcases run $50 to $100 and generally represent a 45% savings. Ask for Enrique. Hernando's is the first shop on the left at the foot of the stairs in underground Pasaje Gomez arcade. The arcade is on the east side of Avenida Revolucion between Third and Fourth. The shop's sign says Leather Factory.

Best Shops in Ensenada

Plaza Bucareli is the place to go for Ensenada's best comparative leather shopping, with a half-dozen specialty stores all in one mini-arcade. From hundreds of leather hats to shoes, purses, boots and even saddles, the selection and bargaining are great here. Located at Avenida Lopez Mateos and Macheros, next to the Leather House.

Maribel Leather Shop has the most extensive variety of wearable leather in town, from jackets and pants to team jackets, hats, belts and even chaps. Prices are fair here; team jackets, for example, start at $165. In addition to the usual multicolor team jackets, Maribel's also carries a classier version in two-tone, beige-and-brown suede. While you're here, check out the fascinating collection of knives, sabers and other strange, James Bond-type instruments in Maribel's front window. Located at Avenidas Lopez Mateos and Macheros, next to the Leather House in Plaza Bucareli. Call 011-52- 617-81055.

El Escorial Leather House, a landmark for navigation on Avenida Lopez Mateos, is a must-stop for any Ensenada shopper. While the store no longer carries upscale leather items, owner Rocio Guerra is the straightest shooter in town and will generously take time to tell you all the insider secrets of the city, from the best places to shop for any kind of merchandise to the best place to find a clean bathroom. The shop now carries the biggest selection of quality Mexican sandals, along with 5,000 T-shirts. Even if you're not in the market for either, stop for an information fix from this delightful woman. The Leather House is the prominent white building on the corner of Avenidas Lopez Mateos and Macheros. Call 011-52-617-40332.

Sonora Leather Shop, which looks like a hole in the wall from the street, is actually purse paradise, with one of the largest selections in the entire border area. Besides all the usual leather items, the shop also carries riding gear, a wide variety of holsters and rifle cases, great leather caps and Stetsons, and a lot more. Bargain hard here, and totally ignore the owner's high-pressure pushiness. Located at Avenidas Lopez Mateos and Macheros, across from the Leather House. Call 011-52-617-82671.