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SINGAPORE: Second-hand goods dealers in Singapore are feeling the pinch from the recession.
Vendors in one of the country's largest flea markets in Sungei Road have had to slash already-low prices even further, as customers drive a hard bargain.
"The Beatles record, last time you can sell for S$25, now S$4," said a vendor.
Sales at the Sungei Road so-called "Thieves Market", where some 500 vendors gather, have fallen by 20 per cent after the Lunar New Year.
A stall which sells high-end second-hand cameras, usually for S$200 to S$300 a piece, has had to reduce the price to S$150.
The price war has seen some dealers close stalls indefinitely.
And, the recent rainy weather has not helped the trade here.
Some vendors are considering asking the government to let them extend their operating hours, by allowing them to open for business at 11am instead of 1pm.
Currently, the stalls are allowed to operate daily till 7pm.
- CNA/ir
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