As well as a permanent flea market – Les Encants – Barcelona has a different market on almost every weekend, with prices ranging from the higher end (Palo Alto, Barcelona Vintage Market) to the flea market prices where you can find some real bargains (El Flea Fleadonia, El Rastro de la Virgen), so a some vocabulary for haggling might be useful for the next time you’re out picking up a bargain!
Asking questions
Buenos días ¿cuánto cuesta esto? Hello, how much is this?
¿Dónde se elabora? Where is it made?
¿Que antigüedad tiene? How old is it?
¿Podrías envolverlo de regalo? Can you gift-wrap it?
¿Está hecho a mano? Is it handmade?
¿Funciona bien? Does it work?
Bartering
Regatear, negociar – to barter, tonegotiate
Es demasiado caro – It’s too expensive
¡Vaya timo! – What a rip off!
Te doy la mitad del precio – I’ll give you half the price
No me parece tan barato – It doesn’t seem that cheap to me
No tengo suficiente dinero – I don’t have enough money
Agreeing on a price
Me parece razonable – That seems reasonable
¿Bueno, acordamos un precio? – So we’ve agreed a price?
Le doy dos euros – I’ll give you two euros
Cinco euros es lo máximo que le ofrezco – Five euros is the most I’m offering
Our favourite secondhand market, El Flea, is held on the second Sunday of each month at Plaça Blanquerna (nearest metro Drassanes), so head down and practise your newly acquired bartering skills!
