Shopping in Singapore

Shopping in Singapore

A flea market is a place where you can buy cheap goods as well as second hand items. They can be either bought or exchanged for other items. The reason why they are much more popular than regular markets is due to the extreme variety of items you can discover there: small treasures of antiques, curios and knickknacks of all sizes, shapes, times and colors are arranged into little stacks and sold. They may have lost their original luster but these items have never lost their appeal exuding from their quaint designs, silently urging you to keep them as souvenirs.

If you go for shopping in Singapore but have never been to the Thieves Market, you are definitely missing a whole adventure. Located along the Sungei Road, the Thieves Market is the oldest and biggest flea market in Singapore. The name sounds a bit intimidating but there is a story behind it: in the past the flea market on Sungei Road used to sell stolen goods along with used goods and so it soon became infamous as the Thieves Market. There used to be a perennial saying that goes like if you lose something valuable at home then come to the Thieves Market to find it.

After going through ups and downs that brought a negative reputation to this road, the authorities have stepped forward and taken measures to cleanse the flea market. Today it has become a thriving market teeming with street peddlers. You may not hear the mechanical greetings or see forced smiles on their weather beaten faces as they will not mind whether you buy their items or not. The peddlers here represent the very life and blood of a flea market, being worlds apart from the sophisticated ambience you experience at the malls all the time.

The kind of items you find here are overwhelming and not all may appeal to your taste but have patience and indulge in every moment you spend here. You might discover something quite valuable and timeless hidden among those countless items. For example, you can shop for mobile phones, bikes, electric goods, look-alike watches, household items, sports goods, toys and even clothes.