Where to shop for secondhand items in Jakarta
At some point, used items can be interesting and highly sought after, especially when it is difficult to find a new version of a product in a store.
Here are five kinds of hot secondhand products that have special locations in the capital city.
Vintage items
Antique lovers will be familiar with a row of shops selling vintage products on Jl. Surabaya, Menteng, Central Jakarta.
The flea market, established in the 1960s, offers various antique items, ranging from furniture, electronics, cutlery and musical instruments to rare books.
You can find random old items like phonograph records, brass irons, diving helmets, cameras, woks and chandeliers.
Just like other flea markets, you can bargain here. However, it takes a good eye and artfulness to score something good at a low price.
An old functioning radio, for example, is tagged Rp 2.5 million (US$192.50) to Rp 3 million. However, the price can be lower if you’re a smart bargainer. Another tip for shopping here is not hesitating to ask about the details of items because the sellers may not tell you if you do not ask.
Secondhand clothes
Jakartans can find imported used clothes on the third floor of Metro Atom shopping center in Pasar Baru and in Blok III Pasar Senen, both in Central Jakarta.
Elisa Martina, 23, a regular customer, said she liked to shop at both places for cheap vintage apparel of good design and quality.
“Aside from their vintage design, I like used clothes because they are cheap and long lasting,” she said.
Sellers at both places claim their products come from various countries, such as South Korea, Japan, Singapore and the US.
Products in Metro Atom are relatively more expensive than those at Pasar Senen because they have been re-treated and are better displayed in air-conditioned premises. The apparel ranges from wedding gowns, tuxedos, casual and office wear and winter coats to shoes and branded bags. Prices start from Rp 5,000 (40 US cents) to Rp 2 million. Metro Atom is open every day from 10 a.m. to about 6 p.m.
Meanwhile, Pasar Senen offers similar products to Metro Atom but in a non-air-conditioned area.
Used car engines and spare parts
The number of four-wheeled vehicles in Jakarta keeps increasing every year, making the automotive business, including used car engines and spare parts, lucrative.
Car owners looking for used engines and spare parts to upgrade their vehicles can visit popular centers, such as Asem Reges spare parts market in Sawah Besar and spare parts center in Kemayoran, both in Central Jakarta, as well as stores selling used engines like Dua Sekawan Motor in Joglo, West Jakarta, and Berkah Motor Workshop in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.
Dua Sekawan Motor owner, Agus, who is also called Pak Haji, said his customers came from various areas in the country.
“Here, we sell used engines, particularly from Singapore and Japan,” he said.
He said many of his customers were also vehicle modification buffs who wanted to upgrade their automobiles but at a low price.
Bookworms’ heavenly hole
For all bookworms out there, a secondhand book market in the basement of Blok M Square shopping mall in South Jakarta can be a treasures trove.
The market — consisting of dozens of small stalls — offers novels, comics, encyclopedias, dictionaries, holy books, magazines and other things for customers of various ages. Several vendors in the market also sell books in English, Dutch and French.
There are also two stalls that specialize in antique books that offer the first edition of Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s the Buru Quartet as well as The Beatles: BBC Archives book. The prices range from Rp 5,000 (40 US cents) — for a secondhand magazine or a comic book — to Rp 15 million for a set of antique books.
Blok M Square is within walking distance of the Blok M Transjakarta bus terminal and opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Gadget craze
People looking for various new and secondhand gadgets usually go to ITC Roxy Mas, which is located at Jl. KH Hasyim Ashari No. 125 in Central Jakarta.
The four-story mall’s three stories house hundreds of stalls that sell gadgets, mostly cell phones and their spare parts and accessories, leaving the last floor a food court.
Customers can buy gadgets retail or wholesale. They can also sell their gadgets to the vendors and order particular ones. Bargaining is allowed here, with some counters accepting payment by debit or credit card.
Some vendors also offer technical services. Most of the stalls in the mall open at 11 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. They are open seven days a week, with peak business on weekends.
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