Not this way of doing businesses 生意是這樣做的嗎?

There was a weekend market on Broadway 103 street, near the middle of the Central Park,. Buttery smell of corn and barbecue sauce of chicken kebab fill the air. Candy apple and marshmallow dipped in chocolate not only scratch your sweet tooth but also attract your eyeball.

Yet, we bought little things only. The reason? Vendors did not sound honest and direct on the price. Well the Chinese proverb says "No good man could be Businessman (無奸不成商), but it did not refer to price tags should be shown either ambiguous or hidden. Vendors cut your throat with high price when you ask them how much was the food. A customer asked, the vendor pondered, and responded after few second of calculations, "$5(USD)...for 1." The customer frowned. "$10 for 2"",continued pitching regardless of the frustrations from the customer. "$5 for a fried banana? You gotta be kidding." Seeing customers leave, vendors ended up standing with unsatisfactorily, yet longing for next big fish.

A Bohemian fabric bag which I have seen in China Town were sold in this weekend market. I asked how much are they. "$200 (USD)". This stunned me. An obviously factory made, tourist souvenir product was even more expensive than a Longchamp bag. I straightly walked away. The vendor kept chasing me and ask "How much would you want to pay for?" I can't be bother by these follow-up after a high price is opened. This way of doing business just make me exhausting that I don't even want to look at the goods anymore.

Instead speculating on customers, why can't there just be a fixed prices for transactions? It is not like collectible item like antique or ancient fossil which price is highly determined by buyer's preference. When having eye contact with vendors, they seem to be weighting by judging you on various criteria, tourist or local, which ethic groups you belong to, etc. Does speculatively run a business work? Well, I don't know. But the fluctuation in prices not only makes the accounting complicated but also fuss customers a lot. Appetite was greatly diminished when I acknowledged the vendor is doing all these calculations. It is as if a vampire drink your blood depend on your willingness. "How many times do you want me bite you in the Arteries?" 

These insects are all real.

Food store which had labelled with price are obviously more welcomed :


                                                                        Thailand

                                                                         Chinese

Further links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zwh9dPyidA
Touching insurance commercial of an uneducated mum teaches her daughter in doing business. The daughter later learned about the difference made by price tags in the wet market.