A newly married Gypsy couple from the Gypsies tinker minority pose on the roof of a car during a traditional gypsy wedding ceremony at an open-air market for Gypsy brides in the village of Mogila, Bulgaria. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Good looks and virginity may have commanded so far high prices at Bulgaria's Roma bride market, but not any more as the crisis has pushed them further down than ever before.

The tinkers of Thrace, semi-nomadic Roma who in the early 21st century are among the few in Europe hewing to ancient ways, gathered together this August at what is known locally as the "Gypsy bride market" near Bachkovski monastery.

But teenage girls in skimpy outfits and flashing gold on necks, fingers, ears and teeth were fewer, while the negotiated prices – lower than in previous years.

Technically, the young women at this traditional "market" were not for sale. But it is at this fair, held twice each year, that the Kalaidzhi (as the estimated 18,000 Thracian tinkers are known) conduct the complex negotiations on a bride price that traditionally lead to marriage.

This year, for the first time however, the crisis hit both the festive mood and the prices.

"We have been scattered across the whole country, we don't have money for fuel to travel and get together. Many of the youngsters are abroad. It is a poor kind of celebration now," a young man said.

Bargaining has narrowed to between 10,000 and 20,000 levs, well below prices before the crisis, which sometimes skyrocketed to 100,000 levs, the people explained.

Kalaidzhi families usually marry off daughters between the ages of 13 and 20. If the girl is older or "second-hand", the price is as low as 500 lev.

Reports say the families of the young Roma girls are even already offering a leasing option – the first installment of 1000 levs is paid on the spot, the rest – after the wedding.