Originally posted by X:
quote:
Originally posted by catskilleagle:
I learned about haggling from my stepdad who loved going to flea markets and garage sales. Whenever I showed him something good I got for five bucks at a flea market, he'd say he would've gotten it for three.
Jess
Ha! Love it. I do think it’s a mentality thing.
My wife and I went to a jewellers the other day to look at something. Not terribly expensive that it would be a ‘big’ sale the seller would heavily discount in order close, but not so inexpensive that it would be rude to negotiate on price. My wife asked if there was any movement on price? Lady helping said ‘no’ outright. I returned a couple hours later on my own, I said if I could get 8% off (working towards a round number) it was a done deal. She gave me 10%.
As Jess has said, in some environments it is more accepted than others and there are always lots of variables. Did the seller respond to me more? Did the return visit make us look less like time-wasters? Did the length on time between visits (rather than say 15 minutes) make us look keen but not desperate to buy? Were they having a slow day? Was the fact they’d had the piece for a year motivate them to shift it?
The item, the timing and the approach is everything.
Funnily enough that same day, on eBay I put in a £20 best offer on a card up at £27 from a set that came out nearly 10 years ago. The seller has come back at £25. Not terribly exciting.
I could counter, or I might go with another seller that has a different variation of the same for BIN £20.
Regardless, if I except the counter I have still saved a couple quid and I don’t think anyone has been insulted by the experience.
