Marketing 101, Silver Shops Taxco.

One of the baffling things I have yet to figure out is how Mexican merchants can make a living selling the exact same thing?

I'm not talking about one or two stores.

Like 10 or 20 all located in a two or three block area.

There are no free cappuccinos to entice you to spend your pesos. No magazines, no candies in a silver dish, no bottles of water, no light upbeat jazz playing on a stereo system, nada.....

Some stores have a cute young clerkette, but that is the exception.
Usually it's a short middle to old age man with several gold (not silver) chains around his neck dressed in a polyester leisure suit. Dark, and lime green seem to be this years recalled fashion colors.

You do remember leisure suits don't you?

The items that are displayed in the window, showcases, tables and walls are all the same. They were made from the same hand of the artisans colony, probably located in some underground bunker with one sole radio playing scratchy distorted too loud music.

The items vary from earrings made from silver wire, to little sombreros in a dozen or so sizes. They have a size for every budget.

Then there is the snazzy necklace that has beautiful silver paddles starting from small to large which would take up the whole upper breastplate of your favorite senora. Sort of looks like a medieval armor plate or armadillo skin.

Then there are the round silver dealy-bobs which resemble silver pearls that are strung on some cheap string designed to fall apart and roll down to places unknown.

Lots of silver.
Tons of silver.
Lots of stores.
Too many stores.

It would be different if they were a little more specialized.
Lets have a store of silver torturing devices. Finger screws, neck harnesses and of course some nice silver handcuffs. Keys optional.

Maybe for the medical fetishists, one for surgical instruments. A silver bone saw or a hand bone drill perhaps.

For me , I would buy something from the silver tools store. I've always wanted a nice silver tipped hammer. I've always been told that silver has medicinal healing qualities. I need that a lot especially when I whack my finger with the end of the hammer.

A nice sharp silver knife would be good too, for the times I pry something with it, never on a sound surface and see the knife blade slip off the intended target jabbing my hand instead.

But no, all is see is useless bobbles and trinkets to adorn some body, picked in a hurry, probably to appease some guilt from some recent misdeed.

Lots of these stores are owned by the same owner or family. Kind of like the silver cartel.

So what does the merchant have to offer at his store that you will not see at the store down the street.
A different color leisure suit, that's all I can think.........