Sketch Artist
At around Broadyway and 42nd in Times Square, Paige and I ran across a group of Chinese sketch artists who were sitting on the sidewalk trying to hustle you into buying either a caricature (ONLY FIVE DOLLAH!) or a realistic rendering of your face (EIGHTY DOLLAH!). Much to my surprise, THIS was the New York souvenir that Paige could not possibly live without. “Please, Mom! Please!”
If you stop in front of any them for even 1 second, you will be bombarded by one or ten of them trying to get you to sit down. I chose the guy who did a rendering of Miley Cyrus’s face. It looked just like her. Good enough for Miley. Good enough for Paige.
Me: “We’d like to get a sketch done, please.”
Artist: “EIGHTY-DOLLAH, look just like your daughter!”
Me: “No-way. Too much.”
Artist: “Okay, for you forty dollah. Asian discount.”
Me: “I don’t even have twenty dollars to spend on this.”
Artist: “Okay … FIFTEEN DOLLAH! FIFTEEN DOLLAH! You cannot get better.”
Paige: “Moooommmmm.”
Me: “Fine. Fifteen dollars. I’ll wait right here.”
Fifteen minutes later he was done with the sketch. He started putting it in a mat with a plastic sheet to “protect drawing.” Initially, I thought – That’s so nice! He’s framing it for me and now I won’t have to worry about taking it on the plane. I should really pay $20 for this.
I felt a bit sheepish for haggling him down so much.
Artist: “Okay. Fifteen dollah for picture. Forty dollah for frame. You pay me Fifty-five.”
Any guilt I was feeling, quickly dissapated.
Me: “I don’t think so.”
Artist: “Protect picture. Look very nice.”
Me: “No way. Thirty dollars and that’s it.”
Artist: “Look how beautiful I draw.”
Me: “Yes it is beautiful, you did a good job. Thirty dollars.”
Artist: “Okay. Thirty-five dollah.”
Me: “Thirty or you can take it out of the frame.”
Artist: “Okay.”
I paid my thirty dollars and walked away feeling a bit proud of myself for not entirely getting hoodwinked. Paige was completely mortified, of course.
******
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15 Responses to “Sketch Artist”
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Ah hahahahahahahaha!! OMG, if I were in my teens with my mom like Paige, I’d be mortified too but now.. I’m the mom and I say, HOYEAH Giyen!! I’m freakin amazed with your bargaining skills. LOL! Love the ‘asian discount’ part. I’d never have thought to bargain down, I’d have probably just walked away with a disappointed kid but now.. hm.. mortify my kid AND walk away with a bargain! That’s priceless…
ChantaleP´s last [type] ..just in time for b2s!
Good job with the haggling! My brother and I had one of those moments in DC when we were around 10 or 12 years old and just HAD to have a sketch. I think my parents hung them up for a year then when we moved they never got them out again- they were never as thrilled as my brother and I were
I totally want to frame it, but Paige keeps it hidden in her room. She would be completely embarrassed if I actually hung it in the living room!
Awesome story – the best part is the “Asian discount”. Love it.
Something I learned about street vendors in NYC is to avoid eye contact. The second you make eye contact, you’re toast. They will haggle until they get you to make the purchase. However, this is a case of a worthwhile street vendor purchase — the picture looks so much like Paige. And I agree with that “Asian discount” bit. You couldn’t have asked for better blog material.
I am wondering why I don’t get the Asian discount at the place where I get my kimchee. *sigh*
He really did do a good job, didn’t he. I don’t regret getting it at all.
Hey, I’m proud of you for haggling! And actually – it is really beautiful. Your daughter is so lovely – he really did a nice job!
Well, at least *someone* is proud of me for haggling. : ) Other *people* are completely mortified and think that I am embarrassing. I am not naming names.
Awesome.
That was fantastic! The only thing that could make it better would be for you to vlog it, so we can watch you act it out!
Renee´s last [type] ..Reflections – June and July 2010
So true! Everything is blog fodder!
I have a charcoal sketch of my youthful shelf to remind me of my first trip to Florence (uh, decades ago). I unearthed it the other day, and realized he had really drawn me as John Travolta, sans the white disco suit.
tom | tall clover farm´s last [type] ..Freezing Berries and Rocket Science
You are much hotter than John Travolta. Just sayin.
Good for You for not being taken advantage of.
Thanks! I usually don’t haggle, but we are in a recession people!