Went to the fake market market at the Science and Technology Museum today to do some tablecloth and table runner shopping for Sue who is returning to NZ for Christmas and doesn’t have time to shop. 
I always get lost and am never able to revisit the same shops each time. So each time I have to build a relationship with a new shopkeeper.
I am soooo fed up of bartering. It’s so draining and it’s just a game you have to play to buy things. And whatever price I agree on, I always feel that I’ve been ripped off. Mind you, the last shop I went to today was so angry about the price we agreed on (less than 1/3 of the original price) that she refused to wrap the stuff up and threw it into a black bag. I didn’t build a very good relationship with her. She told me not to come back! Maybe I didn’t get ripped off at thsi shop!
I kept thinking “She wouldn’t sell it to me if she wasn’t making a profit”.
p.s. this photo is of a fight I saw between the police and a woman as I left the market. The first I noticed was lots of people running. I followed them to see why all the panic thinking there may be a fire or something but everyone was running towards a fight to have a better look.
A lady in a shop at that market told me I was "not welcome in China – go back where you come!" She refused to sell me a paint brush stand so I knew I had finally hit on the rock bottom price and went up 2 or 3 shops – upped the price a bit and got my stand for what I believe was a bargain! I am usually (as you know) very generous but, as you, I was just sick of being ripped off!
Cheryl, I have been shopping at the market at the end of bus route 60. As you know it's not a tourist market so I don't even bother bartering. How can I complain about spending less than a cup of coffee on two beautiful calendars. And I got all my xma decs there for 65RMB which is two Starbucks coffees!