The idiom, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, proves quite fitting at the sprawling weekly bazaars that have been a mainstay of many a shopper. But perhaps, the Lighthouse Landa Bazaar is one place where the real meaning of the phrase is evident. What began as a poor man’s shopping paradise in the pre-partition days has eventually evolved into a thriving business. Today, it has become a blessing for the poor and a boon for the rich: a near necessity for those belonging to the lower strata and a place for the well-off to find a few well-chosen, painfully hunted goods if they wish to.

And why not? With the inflation rising to unbelievable levels, it’s no surprise that more are heading towards second-hand shops, particularly when it comes to purchasing winter wear, which is hardly in use for more than a couple of months. With skilled bargaining this is a place where one can pick up second-hand clothes, decent-looking footwear which may last a few seasons, or even stuffed toys for a pittance. Besides, with brand consciousness steeped in mind, this bazaar provides one an opportunity to indulge one’s fantasies to don branded Italian coats and handbags that scream of America — so what if they are slightly used.

“Some of the things, particularly clothes, are of such good quality that all it requires is a good wash or dry cleaning,” says a regular customer at the bazaar, “after that, you can barely tell that it’s a hand-me-down.”

Such is the demand — and supply — of this merchandise that it is imported in containers, bundled and categorised according to their quality. There are several companies in this trade, and the second-hand stock is brought in mainly from the US, UK, Italy, Japan and Korea. The traders of Landa Bazaar buy the goods bundle-wise, meaning that they have to purchase the entire bundle and sort through it.

“Out of the entire bundle — which comprises of hundreds of pieces of whatever merchandise it contains — only 25 per cent is of good quality,” says a shopkeeper; his small shops lined with men’s coats and blazers of assorted worth. The bundles imported from the East, or ‘bales’ as they are called, weigh around a 100 kgs each, whereas those from the West go up to 250 kgs. “We sell what we can as whole, and sell the rest to people who cut the clothes to stitch garments for children, etc.,” he adds.

The dirt-cheap prices are perhaps the biggest propeller of the market. With Rs900 as the asking price of an Italian suede coat — which is up for bargaining — to Italian pumps which are priced around Rs400, it’s little surprise that the market is always teeming with customers. With a little effort, one may even find a denim jacket for as less as Rs150. Stock varies according to season: in winter the market is flooded with leather jackets, coats and blazers, boots, socks, and even mittens of various qualities and accordingly priced. In summer, it’s the schoolbags, handbags, shirts, tops, skirts and jeans that are in demand.

And then there are carpets, rugs, ordinary footwear and toys which remain perennial.

A few shops stand out for their niche clientele. One such shop exhibits wedding gowns bedecked with intricate embroidery and gorgeous bead work — albeit a little crumpled.

“Lady Diana gown for just Rs7,000,” declares the shopkeeper, as he hangs the white gown against himself with a flourish, the train trailing into a mass of lace. A few women out on a wedding shopping excursion examine the gown with a microscopic, trained-for-shopping look, picking out blemishes, as they begin haggling over the quoted price, with the shopkeeper eventually settling for considerably less.

The real trick of the trade at the end of the day is a keen eye to spot good quality stuff out of the plethora that inundates the market, and wily bargaining skills. Negotiating, and that too incessant, is the very art that defines this market, and more-often-than not, one manages to bring down the price to fit within the budget.

At one corner of the road stands a shop overflowing with imported stuffed toys. Women and a few children gather around sorting out the decent-looking ones from the frayed ones. Depending on the condition and size, these toys can be had for as little as Rs50, or perhaps even less and so the business thrives.

“Children are children, and it’s hard for me to me to say no when they ask for toys,” says a young mother, “So shops like these are really helpful and I buy what I can within a certain budget to fulfil their wishes.” Some of the toys, if one hunts carefully, can last for a long time, and all they require is one wash to make them look as good as new.

While the charm of Landa Bazaar lies in its varied second-hand stock, of late, cheap Chinese and Pakistani goods have begun to make inroads as well. Priced a bit higher than the used ones, shopkeepers have managed to establish a regular clientele for these as well. This arrangement particularly suits those customers who come with a limited budget to shop, yet wouldn’t like to be seen in hand-me-downs.

“I don’t believe in buying old stuff, because I feel the quality is not up to the mark,” says Seema, who’s been a regular at the bazaar for seven years, “Goods from China are a welcome change since we now have a larger variety to choose from.” According to some shopkeepers such shops are still few in number, but are gradually becoming more popular and profitable.

But for the hard-core Landa Bazaar goers, the attraction still lies in the good ‘old’ stuff, which will hopefully continue to remain its USP. A trip to the bazaar is an experience in itself, and one should be ready to spend a few bucks — provided one has no hang-ups about using hand-me-downs.