I always knew that Starmall EDSA-Shaw is a good place to hunt for bargain items. But it's only…read morerecently that I discovered Japan Selection on the second floor. At first glance, the store looked like just any ordinary thrift shop selling Japan-made goods. Look closer, or better yet get inside, and you will see that they are more than just the usual stocks of cookware, kitchen gadgets, chopsticks, Lucky (or Pocky) biscuit sticks, and whatnots from the land of the rising sun. They sell second-hand appliances on an 'as is, where is' basis. This means they will test the appliance you want to buy in the store. But if it doesn't work later when you bring it home, you can't claim a refund. They also have pre-owned baby strollers and other baby furniture. Heck, they even have used surfboards. What really lured me to the place was the stacks of original Japanese manga comics, many of them are Naruto. I was giddy because my cousin who's learning how to read and write Japanese can now spice up his studies by reading one of his favorite manga/anime series in its original language. Without hesitation, I grabbed three books to buy. Right across the manga section was the used toy shelves. Here, I found countless Ultraman figures, diecast cars, robots, and baby toys. Clumsy me grazed one of the items on a shelf and it fell with a beautiful percussive sound. When I picked it up, I realized that it was a bamboo baby rattle. I bought it for twenty bucks to use as decoration at home. The only downside to Japan Selections is their dusty, topsy-turvy store. If you suffer from asthma, better stay out.

A self-confessed ukay ukay addict dared me to check out this place, saying that I would be shocked…read moreat what they have. I wasn't expecting much. to be honest. I know that some of these thrift shops are better than others, but how much better can one be over the rest? Since I had some time to kill, I decided to give it a shot. Guess what? My ukay ukay junkie was absolutely right. I won't comment on the branded ladies clothes, shoes and bags that she raves about. I admit knowing next to nothing about women's wear and accessories. But I do know enough about men's wear to recognize a bargain when I see one. There were Levi's jeans as well as other brands of denim pants and trousers. The price? An unbelievable three for P100. I had to take a second look at that price tag, but there it was. That comes to P33 per pair of pants, doesn't it? The best thing about denims is that the more worn they look, the more comfortable they feel. Jamzel's Ukay Ukay is a small shop, but man do they have a lot of terrif bargains. They have rubber and leather shoes that all look newish and sell for a low P200 a pair. If you have no qualms about buying and wearing pre-owned clothes, head for this store pronto!

I would never have noticed this place in Quiapo since there is so much going on around you--stalls…read moreof fresh vegetables and fruit and steelware and dried fish and watch your bag! and beads and chains and Wellmanson--and then you just step onto the actual sidewalk for a breather and a break from the beating afternoon sun, look away from the other stalls in the place selling more jewelry and sight the "ukay inside" sign inviting you to come into the 88 Shopping Center. Entering the surprisingly cool, unnervingly perfumed inner caverns of the building you'll find stalls of secondhand clothes of every make and kind, from pants and shirts to shorts and blouses, and all at probably the cheapest price you could get them. A lot of it went for fifty bucks, and some for lower even, and the clothes didn't look half-bad. You have to delve into clothes at ukay every time, and there were a lot of keepers there going for a lot less than you would expect to pay for them! Although the pants went for a little more than they should, I think--P200 and above for denim, though maybe it's because they were men's pants? And because I had to ask for the price instead of seeing it on a sign? Sometimes my somewhat alta facade betrays my desire for cheap things, sadly.

When you've had your taste of ukay, every so often you'll be itching to venture out and ukay new…read moreold stuff, very much like the itching you get after you've tried on several articles of dusty clothes. It's all worth it though, when you find those few things you've worked hard to find among the sea of secondhand somethings you'd had to wade through. This particular building in Anonas houses a good bunch of ukay-ukay stores and has always been one of my go-to places to thrift, after the spots in Cubao had to close and be replaced by the condominium sites. It's really accessible to the Anonas LRT Station and a lot of the stores have air-conditioning, which is great to have when you plan to be covered in grime at the end of the day. Most of them are fashion stores, carrying clothes, bags, and shoes, but a good few would have beddings, toys, and a couple of appliances or books here and there. One of the stores only specialize in toys and collectibles, while its neighbor only housed shoes and bags. It's my personal strategy to go for the least accessible places as they'd probably have cheaper stuff, but most of the stores in the higher floors had a more limited selection, more expensive clothes, and limited air conditioning. One of the stores had tops and dresses that went for almost four hundred bucks, which is hella expensive, but I guess it was because they were pre-chosen designer and branded articles. I guess they were worth a look regardless--no doubt they'd go on sale at some point in time. Still it'd be better to just sift through the bigger stores with more varied, cheaper stuff. Arm yourself with a bottle of water, some wipes, and alcohol, and make your way to Anonas. You're sure to find something here. If not, ask when their next batch of arrivals come in (some might have a text "mailing list" or they'd just give you a mobile number), or ask if they're online. Some of them have legit, updated Facebook pages!

I think one of the things I love about one of my best friends is that despite us having grown up in…read moreprivileged circumstances, she's always been judicious about her spending habits. Now that I'm pushing 30 and making my own money, I understand its value and how hard it is to make it! It's true -- the stuff really does run through your fingers! Having said that, Celina was the one who introduced me to the world of ukay-ukays. If you're a foreigner or you can't understand Tagalog, an ukay-ukay is essentially a thrift store or a flea market for clothing items. Once in awhile, bags or shoes are on sale as well but it's mostly clothing-centered. Anyhoo, the first time that she introduced me to this specific ukay-ukay was in our college days -- so somewhere in the realm of 2006-2008. It can be overwhelming to dig through the thousands of tops, bottoms and dresses available here but if you're patient and persistent, I guarantee that you'll find something to your liking that costs less than P500. 100 percent guaranteed. There are at least 10 ukay-ukay stores in the area so knock yourself out. I think one of the things I love about one of my best friends is that despite us having grown up in privileged circumstances, she's always been judicious about her spending habits. Now that I'm pushing 30 and making my own money, I understand its value and how hard it is to make it! It's true -- the stuff really does run through your fingers! Having said that, Celina was the one who introduced me to the world of ukay-ukays. If you're a foreigner or you can't understand Tagalog, an ukay-ukay is essentially a thrift store or a flea market for clothing items. Once in awhile, bags or shoes are on sale as well but it's mostly clothing-centered. Anyhoo, the first time that she introduced me to this specific ukay-ukay was in our college days -- so somewhere in the realm of 2006-2008. It can be overwhelming to dig through the thousands of tops, bottoms and dresses available here but if you're patient and persistent, I guarantee that you'll find something to your liking that costs less than P500. 100 percent guaranteed. There are at least 10 ukay-ukay stores in the area so knock yourself out.

I entered the Segunda Mana Charity Outlet at the Lacson Underpass in Quiapo not really expecting…read moremuch. It looked a bit sad, to be honest. Where all the other stores were filled with various dry goods, this little store didn't seem to have enough merchandise to sell One of the two staffers manning the store told me that they were operated by the Catholic charity organization known as Caritas. Most, if not all, the products for sale looked new, some even had tags on them. One of them told me that SM donated some of the ladies bags and shoes. These were the items that SM could not sell, so they donated it to this charity. Other smaller companies with generous owners also gave products such as toiletries. Caritas accepts old and new products that can still be sold, so I asked how to donate. They gave me a card which had telephone numbers 564-0205 and 563-9311. These are the numbers to call for any kind soul out there willing to part with their useful stuff. It's for a good cause, because I know that Caritas helps street children, among others. I plan to donate a lot of stuff which I have at home. Segunda Mana will pick them up, sort them out, and distribute them in their outlets. In fact, I will ask all my friends to do the same. This is one charity that quietly does a world of good for those who have less in life. God bless them,

This ukay ukay has very good prices. I like the style of the clothes that they sell here. Whenever…read moreI am here, I end up going home with a few clothes. I have gone here on regular days and sale days. They have 50% off days at the end of the month. You need patience, but it is worth it. Good luck and happy shopping!

Street Market in Manila Philippines…read more This is the largest street market in Manila. When i hear people say "mura" (cheap) I immediately think of Divisoria where you can haggle for the final price. The place is dirty and crowded and hot but it was fun seeing the many vendors and browsing through the many merchandise. We had our cousin come with us and she was the one who haggled for us LoL! I actually found some cool items here including clothing, and knock off "authentic replica" stuff. LoL! We also found a classic mahjong set for mom and a nice embroidered "barong Tagalog" (a traditional Filipino attire) for my brother-in-law for P450 which equals to $8. Oh man, we tried some street food too like corn on the cob, melon juice and Calamansi juice. I could shop and eat here all day. The place is huge. There are banks accessible around if we wanted to exchange currency. All cash here so bring enough. I guarantee you will not leave here empty handed. Review #3289

NIGHT MARKET MORE LIKE NIGHTMARE MARKET!!!! If I could rate…read morethis a zero star, I would the smell was so bad there's little kids running around barefoot and screaming and crying the smell mixed with the food and all the animals makes the smell so bad I was crying from how bad the smell was and from all the loud noises we were stuck there for half an hour, trying to find a way out of this market. Please don't go here at your own risk.

It was so long ago that I gave up my phase in ukay-ukay shopping. I would spend so much money on…read morenew ukay finds it became an epidemic. But now through my commutes and long walks, I have started to notice more and more ukay-ukay shops in the older buildings of Cubao situated along EDSA. Most of the time I walk in and browse for a bit. I find something cute but am usually turned off by its price (Php 80 for used shorts seems absurd to me) because for a time I was ukay queen and I believe I still have it in me to find scores at rock bottom prices. On my way to the MRT, I passed by Passerby and saw a tempting sign Php 25 for their old stock. With only over Php 70 left to get home, I ventured forth. I found a rack with Php 10 dresses but none really caught my eye. That's how I shop now, no longer impulsive but very reflective before buying anything (except beer). So I moved on to the Php25 section with skirts and shorts not expecting anything. Then I found a gorgeous high-waisted white silk skirt with a black tie-dye print and canvas harem pants up to my calves which fit perfectly. All for just Php 50! What a score. Their newer stock can be extremely pricey though so watch out.

Quinta Market is a survivor, and rightly so. This market near the Quiapo underpass used to be one…read moreof the top markets in the City of Manila. Here, all sorts of local and imported goods could be bought at the usually low 'presyong palengke.' I used to go here a couple of decades ago when my kids were still small. It was a nice place to buy toys and all sorts of gifts, while doing my regular marketing as well. Today, most consumers prefer to do their marketing at the supermarkets if only because it's more comfortable, but also because the goods sold are considered to be cleaner and therefore safer. A recent visit to Quinta Market showed that the place has aged a lot, which is to be expected, but there are still some inexpensive items for sale. Plus, the fruit stand just outside the market sells the fruits in season at close to Divisoria prices. This market will very likely survive for many more decades because of its excellent location. There's also available parking space, which can't be said of many public markets out there. And unlike supermarkets, prices at public markets like Quinta aren't exactly fixed. There's still room for some bargaining with the stall owners for their goods.

I was taking a break from recording voice over clips for my work at a nearby recording studio when…read moreI chanced upon this surplus shop along Filmore. Now, I should really stop going to thrift shops because I am very close to developing a habit of picking up cute knick knacks that will eventually make me qualify for an episode of Hoarders: Tea Set Edition. I like styling props for food shoots, and there are no better props than porcelain, ceramic and glass dining and tea sets because they give so much character to the food spreads that I love designing. I am also a sucker for textures and patters, and bamboo mats, woven baskets lacquered serving trays and bento boxes are staples when shooting Japanese or Asian food.Their selection of used glassware, plates, ceramics and kitchen implements are rife of cute pieces that are around P40 apiece. I was able to get a cute wabi sabi Japanese bowl that I have used many times in shoots. If you have the patience to trawl and sort through shelves and shelves of stuff, you may find really unique pieces that you can use when entertaining. The only drawback is that most of the pieces are one-ofs, meaning you can't buy them in a set because some pieces are missing. Here, they also have furniture and used office supplies like shelving units, file cabinets and desks. The goods here are relatively cheap and are in considerably good quality.