Our Local Farmers Market: Barter in the Ultimate Free Market Economy during the month of December The Farmers Market is located in heart of downtown Hilo; attracts customers thanks to local products, these products have made the farmers market become a desirable tourist destination. The farmers market is constantly changing and competing with each other in one of the last examples of a free market economy, which is why I chose this location. Over a period of three days at four different times (6.30 am, 12.00 pm, 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm) during which I will record the cases in which the buyer/shopkeeper in the market attempts to barter or bargain to obtain the best offer. This became important to me because my grandmother would set up her art at the local farmers market and sell it to the public, but the customers never wanted to pay full price. If you've never walked through the farmers market, it's a relatively quiet place under shopkeeper-to-shopkeeper banter even as shopkeepers practice their sales pitch to customers browsing. One can only describe the farmers market as a valley of white plastic tables holding up all the goods people bring. The black canopies provide shade to the network of pedestrians and their valuables, but I don't think it will be nice anyway; even though it is an open market there is higher humidity which makes the fruit more susceptible to pockets of lingering fruit flies/gnats. The products are brought by traders from all over the island, they bring what they sell and sell what they market, once they have sold out or had enough of the day, they pack their bags and go home and prepare for the market of the day next. There are nine hours of operation at the farmers market and that's important because... middle of paper......t of hospitality for a good-hearted consumer. In conclusion, bartering is a lost art form that was practiced and popular in civilizations that valued exchange. During my three days of field research, I found that the principles of bartering and bargaining appear more often with people of lower economic status than with those who can afford the product in its entirety. This is because citizens who have nothing to trade or are short of funds would instead rely on hospitality or persuasion; those with sufficient amounts of currency in the farmers market would not need to think anything of trying to get a better deal. If I had more time/opportunity to explore this question further, I would like to find out if customers are building relationships in order to elicit reciprocity between specific sales moguls on future farmers market visits.