Still looking for that perfect outfit without breaking your budget? Want designer stuff for half its original price?

No need to go to some fancy schmancy botique or fly off to Milan or Paris for an original Ferregamo or Versace fix... You might be able to find that perfect trench coat or knee high boots to satiate the fashionista in you without putting a dent on your wallet... If you have an eye (and a nose) for a bargain.

Welcome to the wonderful world of "Ukay2x", the best bargain phenom to hit the country. And any pinoy who hasn't heard of "ukay2x" must be living under a rock. It has become a byword not just for the budget conscious, thrift shopping fashionistas like me but also for the country's preppy society belles with a penchant for imported, branded and one of a kind accessories. And it's no secret that some of society's rich and famous have turned to second hand thrift shops for some cheap, imported treasures, from clothes down to home decor and figurines... :) Hey, who could refuse an original pair of Versace jeans sold for P150 or lower (if you know how to haggle)?

It was only when I reached my 3rd year in college when I was acquainted with surplus garment shopping (or "mangukay" as it's commonly known here) when one of my budget conscious fashionista friends dragged me into one of the stalls she frequented for Roxy Quicksilver or other branded bikini tops for as low as P50. My first purchase from the ukay2x was a plaid, pleated mini skirt (like the ones you see in Gossip Girls) for only P120. A few days after that, I went to some botique and found a similar item sold for P500. And that started my long love affair with "ukay2x".

WHERE DID THIS UKAY CRAZE START?

Ukay ukay ("to rummage" in bisaya), for as long as I could remember, was popularized first in Baguio and Cebu, but contrary to popular belief, Ukay2x didn't start in these 2 so called "cradle of Ukay Ukay". According to the research of Tony Maghirang or Inquirer.net, Ukay2x has its origins in Zamboanga City's flea markets during the 80's where one has to literally make "ukay" for ceramic figurines and home decors, untainted by chips or breaks. There were also book shops where 2nd hand books even has the addresses of its former American owners. It was only in Baguio that selling of second hand clothes, bags and footwear started to break into the market some time later. And nowadays, from the hot and humid, makeshift shacks to air-conditioned quasi botique-like thriftshops, ukay ukay has become as ubiquitous as skinny jeans and Havianas all over the country.

BEST UKAYAN IN DAVAO

Though Cebu and Baguio tops as our ultimate Ukay ukay Mecca, There are still some treasure-troves yet to be discovered right here in our own beloved city. Try checking these places out if you do find a chance to visit Davao for some ultimate bargain hunting:

• Bangkerohan Mallengke(preferably during the wee hours in the morning since the stocks would be new)
• Pinay Big Sister in San Pedro (Best place to find awesome footwear and boots at a ridiculously low price...)
• Baratillo sa Recto (claveria)
• The quasi-botiques near Baratillo sa Recto, still in Claveria- The place is airconditioned, their stuff has been pre-washed and selected. Expect prices here to be a bit bigger than those sold in its non-airconditioned counterparts....
• The series of air-conditioned "ukayan" in Ponciano, fronting PLDT, right beside the Marco Polo hotel.- pre-washed and selected 2nd hand items. might be little pricier than its counterparts in Bangkerohan and Uyanguren.
• Right across Agdao Public Market
• UYANGUREN- the mother of all Ukayans in the city... with stuff from Korea, Japan and anywhere else in the world.

TIPS IN BUYING "UKAY-UKAY" PRODUCTS

• IF you see something you like, buy it right away... or you won't get a 2nd chance as most of the "hot" items in a surplus shops get sold at a blink of an eye...
• Learn to haggle... ask for a discount! Unless you really like the item and you'd buy it at all cost, never buy anything in an ukay ukay stall for its original price.
• Buy stuff buy the bulk. The more you buy, the bigger the discount
• Check for damages and stains. you can ask for a discount for finding a little damage on your item. hehehe...
• don't forget to soak your finds in hot water for a few minutes before thoroughly washing it to get rid of icky yucky microbes and what nots.
• for shoes, it's best you clean the insides with alcohol or any strong, antibac cleaner, spray with lysol or sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda to get rid of whatever microorganism might be residing in your shoes, boots, leather pumps, etc.