Pricing at wet markets?

[Tanuki]

The wife and I enjoy shopping for fresh foods at the Tiong Bahru market once in awhile. We notices that mostly there are no prices posted, so either you ask or you just find out when it's time to pay. Is there normally a different price for local folks that's cheaper than for us out-of-towners? I know it was that way in Beijing, but here it's all happening so fast at the shops, I'm guessing that everyone's paying the same prices. Anyone have knowledge on this? Just curious.

[martincymru]

I have same problem.
It's a trust me syndrome ........ maybe the govt will make it law to display prices ...... so many other laws here so another one won't make any difference

[Tanuki]

I have same problem.
It's a trust me syndrome ........ maybe the govt will make it law to display prices ...... so many other laws here so another one won't make any difference

Yea there are so many laws that nobody pays attention to any of them. We chuckle at our pool as there are always a pile of ciggy butts right next to the sign saying smoking is banned by law.

[sundaymorningstaple]

All wet markets have Ang Mo tax. You learn to take it in your stride as it's still a heck of a lot cheaper than CS.

Or if you have an asian/local wife, if it's something that you need to inspect (like crabs, for instance, so as not to get white crabs (light - recently molted) I always hovered around two rows behind the wife and after she got a price quoted (local rates) she would give a shout and I would appear and proceed to decimate the bins of all their good crabs. Best backhanded compliment I ever got was being called "just like a Hainanese fish wife!" He was talking to my wife in Malay - him Chinese, the wife Tamil who is fluent in Malay as well.

[Tanuki]

All wet markets have Ang Mo tax. You learn to take it in your stride as it's still a heck of a lot cheaper than CS.

Or if you have an asian/local wife, if it's something that you need to inspect (like crabs, for instance, so as not to get white crabs (light - recently molted) I always hovered around two rows behind the wife and after she got a price quoted (local rates) she would give a shout and I would appear and proceed to decimate the bins of all their good crabs. Best backhanded compliment I ever got was being called "just like a Hainanese fish wife!" He was talking to my wife in Malay - him Chinese, the wife Tamil who is fluent in Malay as well.

Yea, I'm not complaining about it at all, as the prices ARE still pretty good and the quality is very nice there. My wife is Japanese, but she doesn't speak any of the local languages so we're SOL on that part.

Good job on your methods, SMS!

[nakatago]

All wet markets have Ang Mo tax. You learn to take it in your stride as it's still a heck of a lot cheaper than CS.

Or if you have an asian/local wife, if it's something that you need to inspect (like crabs, for instance, so as not to get white crabs (light - recently molted) I always hovered around two rows behind the wife and after she got a price quoted (local rates) she would give a shout and I would appear and proceed to decimate the bins of all their good crabs. Best backhanded compliment I ever got was being called "just like a Hainanese fish wife!" He was talking to my wife in Malay - him Chinese, the wife Tamil who is fluent in Malay as well.

Yea, I'm not complaining about it at all, as the prices ARE still pretty good and the quality is very nice there. My wife is Japanese, but she doesn't speak any of the local languages so we're SOL on that part.

Good job on your methods, SMS!

Just have the wifey learn to copy the local accent, at least for market runs; plenty of local Chinese Singaporeans who don't speak a word of what-passes-as-Mandarin.

[uscate]

I've found that after a year of frequenting the same veggie guy and butcher at Tekka Market that I'm getting a bit of a discount on what I used to pay. Generally this is reflected in giving me a little more of this and that, or having me try something new for free….But no doubt there is an Ang Moh tax!

[Steve1960]

All wet markets have Ang Mo tax. You learn to take it in your stride as it's still a heck of a lot cheaper than CS.

Or if you have an asian/local wife, if it's something that you need to inspect (like crabs, for instance, so as not to get white crabs (light - recently molted) I always hovered around two rows behind the wife and after she got a price quoted (local rates) she would give a shout and I would appear and proceed to decimate the bins of all their good crabs. Best backhanded compliment I ever got was being called "just like a Hainanese fish wife!" He was talking to my wife in Malay - him Chinese, the wife Tamil who is fluent in Malay as well.

^^ this

My wife is Filipina she always does the shopping at the wet market and I wander around with our daughter just looking and taking in the atmosphere.

We went to the local market yesterday and the prices were noticeably higher on some items particularly salmon. The stall holders told my wife its a price hike for Chinese New Year!

[Tanuki]

We went to the local market yesterday and the prices were noticeably higher on some items particularly salmon. The stall holders told my wife its a price hike for Chinese New Year!

Maybe a price hike to fund his CNY trip to Macau...

[Steve1960]

Maybe a price hike to fund his CNY trip to Macau...

Possibly but we checked several stalls and they had all hiked the price on salmon in particular.

[ScoobyDoes]

My wife actively tells me to stay back, and has done for years - including the years we spent in HK - if we need anything from oranges/grapes to batteries or anything that doesn't come with a pricing label on it.

Just yesterday I needed a battery for my car key and got her to find one whilst I got a haircut.....every little helps, right?

It's not a Singapore thing, it's a 'colonies' type thing.