You're going to want to buy something when you get here so we'll have a brief look (to begin with) at some of the signature products that Turkey is famous for. Carpets, of course, are all around you from the moment you arrive. It would be crazy to try and put a complete buyers guide up here but we'll have a look at some basic things you ought to know.

First things first. If you buy through a tour guide or 'friend' of the carpet seller you can expect to include 30% commission in the price that you pay. This may sound scandalous but that's the way it is. In Cappadocia for example, many tours will include a visit to a carpet making co-operative, here you'll be offered drinks and maybe a snack, accompanied by a presentation or lecture on carpets.They'll tell you all about natural and artificial dying about the difference between hali and kilim, what sumak work is and lots of other interesting things. They'll show you $5000 carpets and try and sell you a rug for $100. This is often a very enjoyable experience but if you buy at this point you're paying over the odds. If you see something that you really like during one of these visits then it may be worth your while to return later on, without your guide. Alternatively remember how to describe the thing that you liked and look for it elsewhere.This rule also applies to ceramics, leather and anything else you can think of.

The nicest way to buy a carpet, or anything else for that matter, is to take your time, sip your tea and have a chat. If you meet a tradesman who doesn't want to go through this ritual then try the shop next door. Most people are very happy to do this. If you feel harassed or pressured you can make your excuses and leave. Responsible traders know that a happy customer will probably bring more business and will behave appropriately.

Prices? Well, I'd avoid anyone who (as has happened to me in the past) drops the initial price by 75% in the first minute of chatting to you. This, strangely enough doesn't inspire confidence. I'm not a great haggler so I tend to be fairly up front about what I can afford and see what fits the bill. If you relish the game then you'll probably do a lot better than I do. I guess the only really bad thing to do (which applies anywhere) is to agree on a price and then renege later.

We'll be looking in more detail at the ins and outs of carpet purchasing sometime in the spring but in the meantime there's lots of information available in the form of books and articles. You can probably pop into your local library (oh yes, books) and find more about carpets in a day than you'd find on the web in a week of asking Jeeves.

There are lots of other things you can buy here. Copper, Brass, Ceramics, Spices, Leather, Meerschaum and tassly things. We'll get around to them, hopefully before you do. It's usually a good idea to go to the source where possible. That means Eskisehir for Meerschaum, Avanos in Cappadocia for earthenware. This isn't always practical of course. A word about leather. The price differential that used to exist has pretty much disappeared and you wont find leather as cheap as it used to be. You can still find jackets and bags of a very high quality if you look around so all is not lost.