Haggling and Bartering

Being in a haggling situation can be challenging, intimidating, competitive, scary, or fun…it just depends on your personality and the personality of the person you are bartering with. First of all, you need to know where it is appropriate to haggle.  If you are in a store with closed walls and a door, you do not haggle.  Their prices are their prices.  But if the goods for sale are outside in an open-air area, haggling is generally acceptable and expected. 

Most of the haggling I have done was overseas, but it can certainly be done here in the U. S. The first time I was in a situation to haggle, I didn’t.  I was in Florence and thought 10 euros for a beautiful scarf was reasonable and I gladly paid it.  But when my mother got the same scarf for 5 euros with a little haggling on my father’s part, I began to learn to how to survive in the world of haggling.  There are so many strategies to use when haggling.  Here are a few.

1.     Offer half the price – This is generally a good starting point.  The seller generally prices merchandise high, expecting to barter.  Our tour guide in Europe gave us the guideline of starting with half the asking price and going from there. 

2.     Do NOT show how much you really want something – If the seller knows you want his item, he is less likely to come down much in price, knowing you will buy it anyway.  Act like you want a different color or size that he doesn’t have and that you would have to ‘settle’ for the one he has.  He may come down in price more to ‘convince’ you that the one he has would make you happy.

3.     Be prepared to walk away  - And do it…convincingly.  Leave and walk away at a good pace so he knows you made up your mind not to buy it.  Nine times out of ten the seller will come after you once you are a distance away.  For that one time he doesn’t, you can always circle around, go back, and pay what he wanted.  So you have nothing to lose by trying the walk away tactic.

The first time we were in Europe with our sons, we were at the San Lorenzo market in Florence.  We had gone over these strategies with our boys and they were set lose to try their hand at bartering.  Our younger son, who was 12 at the time, haggled someone down from 5 euros to 4 for a wallet.  You thought he won the lottery with how happy he was, but when you think about it, it was a 20% savings.  It was a job well done for the first time out.

A few years later, when I was on a student tour in the same city of Florence, I was looking for one of the many gypsy women who roam the streets and sell those scarves.  The afternoon wore on with our activities and visits, and time was running out.  I could not find one of them.  We were all gathered and walking towards where our bus had parked, which was away from the center of Florence.  Suddenly, I spotted one of the women.  I grabbed a 20 euro bill from my wallet and ran over to her.  I came upon her so quickly that I startled her.  I was pretty aggressive and showed her the 20 euro bill.  Then I had her attention for sure.  I rapidly selected four or five scarves, I really don’t remember which number it was, handed her the bill, then caught up to the end of the line of students.  I don’t know if she knew what hit her, but I got a great deal and left Florence with my shopping list completed.

You can also barter services for goods or services for services.  In the past, I have done this.  I created and maintained the website for two businesses in exchange for private pitching lessons for my son.  Years ago, that is how people survived; exchanging services for services, or goods.

Some people just don’t feel comfortable haggling or bartering, so they pay full price.  That is fine.  But these practices are part of the culture in many places and they can be fun, albeit intimidating.  I would love to hear some of your haggling or bartering stories.