Candie: Um, do you have any of those clip on findings in the black metal?
Shop keeper: Yeah, right here.
Candie: ok, I’ll check them out. (there must have been 400 variations on this finding)
Shop-keeper: What size do you want? What color? Black or (no idea what she said here) black? What size? Square or round? Oval or cone? What size? This kind or that kind? What size?
Candie: Uh. I don’t know, I’ll take a look.
Shop-keeper: How many do you want?
Candie: Two. (that much I did know)
Shop keeper: Two?!?! You have to buy 3 dozen. You can either have two for 30 HKD or 3 dozen for 30HKD. You might as well take the 3 dozen.
Candie: Uh, 3 dozen? Ok. (30 HKD is about $3.00ish)
Shop keeper: OK! I’ll start counting.
Candie: I need one of these too (pointing to a different finding).
Shop keeper: You just want one?!?!?! Take two. Go wash your hands.
Candie: ok. thank you.
It was just another day of shopping for findings in Hong Kong. Thankfully the lady let me off the hook with two dozen of the findings and my other latches thrown in–all for 30HKD! She was hilarious. It took a long time to adjust to sifting through and shopping in bulk (not to mention a different language). It’s sort of like the first time you buy a case of mac and cheese from Sam’s Club or Cosco. At first it’s totally bazaar and then after awhile it becomes absolutely normal. I think.
Hi, I’m Candie. I design jewelry and crafts, author books, teach classes and host television programs. I thrive on simple ideas that anyone can achieve. I also love projects made from unexpected materials that stand the test of time. Join me as I lead a creative life! 
Holy crap! I would have been seriously hyperventilating among all those findings. Awesome photos – thanks for sharing them!
Oh my gosh, this made me laugh so hard. This was my experience several times too!
My brother finally got the smart idea that we should ask for samples of items we were interested and get their card with pricing information. This way, I was able to try out several different things and make larger follow up orders later on.
Total sensory overload! That must have been simultaneously fun and scary.
Good job on the negotiations, Ms. Cooper!
xoxo
Ms. Potter
Your exchange with the shopkeeper made me laugh. I haven’t visited HK since 1995, before I started beading. Thinking about all of the sources for great beads and findings there makes me drool…
Oh, those big lots of mac n cheese. But now Costco no longer carries Annie’s Mac! Or findings, either. !!!
Those are huge shelves of so much to choose from. Wow. Too bad you had to spend so much – LOL.