I will be in Spain for 2 weeks at end of September. What are some things that are a good deal to buy there? Also approximate prices would be helpful. And where(store)to buy.

Thank you so much
Ranman

Here are some ideas:

Food/drink category: wine (all prices), saffron, turron (a few dollars each), locally made pastries and cheeses, sausages, (watch out for customs on your way back!)

Ceramics: all prices. Best - and cheaper - to buy what they make locally. Each region has its own style. Madrid sells a lot of ceramics made in Talavera de la Reina. If you can, go there, and tour the factories. Very interesting. If you have a car, go on to the little town of Puente del Arzobispo, where the ceramics are exquisite. I recommend the de las Heras factory there.

Embroidery: Best place for embroidered tablecloths, bread sacks and mantónes (shawls) is the little town of Lagartera (just past Talavera de la Reina also). I bought a stunning huge hand-embroidered mantón there about 8 years ago for 10,000 ptas. Probably a bit more now, but there's a good exchange rate, too. They cost more than double that in Madrid.

Leather goods - look around.

From Toledo, the beautiful gold damascene work (all prices - prices are the same in Madrid as Toledo); swords, knives, etc...

In Madrid, the best places to see what's available are the souvenir deprtments of el Corte Ingles stores (on Castellano, metro Nuevos Ministerios; on Princesa, Metro Argüelles; and Gran Via/Sol, metro Callao or Sol). The shops across the street from the Prado museum also have an extensive selection. The prices are a bit higher than if you buy locally, but you may want to check them out to get an idea of what is available. I feel like I'm forgetting something... but I hope that can get you started.

The rastro in Madrid had a lot of cool things but I couldn't get them to bargen with me so I had to pay the asking price for the things I wanted. If your intrested in anything sharp like me, I would defanatly head for toledo. I came home with a 3' sword. It only cost me a little over 2 mil (pts). Buy postcards with pictures of places you've been. Pictures don't always turn out the way you expect! I also came back with a lot of little cheap stuff to give away to family and friends. Stock up on kinder bars while your there though because I haven't seen them back here in the states.

If you go to los toros, you can have a bullfight poster made up with your name as one of the toreros - don't know how much they cost now.

If you are into backpacking, there's a store called Ventiscas that specializes in outdoor stuff. There are three in the Madrid area, all across from malls (centros comercios). Last week I bought myself a 35-liter backpack for 5,300 pesetas (at the one across from the mall in Barrio Pilar - north central Madrid). In April I bought my son a 50-liter backpack at the Ventiscas store in Bilbao (Casco Viejo) for 7,950 pesetas: good quality, good price.

[This message has been edited by Eddie (edited 09-22-2000).]

They make those posters of the matadors with your name on them in plaza mayor. I think they cost over a mill pts. though. They also have them of flaminco dancers.