Bird market chirps with discount fever<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Discount fever is flying high in the bird market
\non Jl. Pramuka, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Traders say they are offering 10 to 20 percent discounts on
\nparticular species every Sunday during the month-long Jakarta
\nGreat Sales '97.<\/p>\n
A diverse menagerie of birds, including imports from Hong
\nKong, the Netherlands and South Korea, are available in the
\nmarket, located on a two-hectare plot of land behind Pasar
\nPramuka. Prices range from below Rp 10,000 to millions of rupiah.<\/p>\n
\"This perkutut won a contest recently and costs Rp 5 million,\"
\na trader said as he held up a small turtledove prized for its
\nbeautiful warbling.<\/p>\n
Sarbo, 60, the coordinator of bird sellers at the market, said
\nthe Jakarta Great Sales '97 is a good way to promote the bird
\nmarket, adding that the alluring discounts have attracted huge
\ncrowds. Prospective buyers come from all walks of life, including
\npublic figures and even a cabinet minister, he said.<\/p>\n
He said all traders offered across-the-board 20 percent
\ndiscounts for birds priced above Rp 50,000 like poksai, cicakrawa
\n(yellow-crowned bulbul) huami and perkutut. Smaller discounts are
\noffered for those at lower prices.<\/p>\n
\"Don't worry, we won't cheat you,\" said the man, assuring that
\nthe traders didn't mark up the prices before affixing discounts.<\/p>\n
Pramuka regulars will be pleased as they can get good
\nbargains. But those less familiar with the ways and wiles of the
\nmarket might respond with frowns of puzzlement as the birds do
\nnot carry any price tags.<\/p>\n
\"How can we know that we have already got a discount as there
\nare no fixed prices?\" said Dony, a government official who
\naccompanied friends to the market last week.<\/p>\n
A resident of the nearby Paseban subdistrict went to market
\nwith hopes that he could buy a poksai at a big discount.<\/p>\n
\"I decided not to buy the poksai after learning that such
\nbirds are so expensive -- Rp 100,000 each,\" the father of three
\nsaid. He finally bought a kutilang (magpie robin) for Rp 15,000.
\n\"I would prefer to spend the money for the poksai on my kids'
\nschool bags.\"<\/p>\n
Yanto, a trader, believes that birds fanciers won't regret
\nspending hefty sums of money on their coveted favorites.<\/p>\n
\"They can choose whatever they like. If they don't have much
\nmoney they can also buy a couple of parakeets for only Rp 5,000,\"
\nsaid Yanto, who has run his business at the market for more than
\n10 years.<\/p>\n
\"We really have given discounts,\" he added. \"If you know birds,
\nyou'll know that we have done this for our customers every Sunday
\nduring the event.\" (03)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bird-market-chirps-with-discount-fever-1447893297",
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