I love a good haggle. It’s been too long. Last time was in a market in Ubud, Bali. I got some mixed spice and a chili, all for the equivalent of 3 pence. Shameless.
The recession is back and it’s biting with bared teeth and it’s a shame we’re too British and polite to be any good at it. I think this should change.
In some cultures it’s impolite not to haggle, in fact it’s expected of you. Then again so is burping at dinner. In some places that fits in perfectly with the cultural milieu. Some rules, as they say, are there for a reason.
We can’t be prissy about these things, though. Times are hard and we’ve got to get the best prices we can. The sales won’t last forever.
Here are some of my best tips for haggling:
1) Stand your ground. Go in there with a firm conviction about how much money you want to spend and stick to it. Do this even in the face of bewildered looks and suppressed shop assistant laughter. You need the tenaciousness of a rabid rottweiler.
2) It’s easier to get discounts on bulk buys. If you’re a regular customer of an independent retailer you’re likely get some sort of bulk buy discount. Indulge in some polite small talk before dropping the bombshell of a discount on an purchase.
3) If you want a discount get the luxury products - sly discounts are dished out much more readily on expensive goods.
4) If something’s tarnished or slightly damaged - ask for a discount. You’re likely to get at least something off.
5) Market stalls are a gold mine for haggling. Go just before they close, when the traders are looking to get rid of their stock for the day, and give them some banter. It’s all part of the game.
When we haggle it’s a big neon sign saying we’re living beyond our means. We don’t want those around us to know that we have less money than we’re letting on, hence the ensuing embarrassment.
Instead, think of haggling as being on a par with the great British entrepreneurial spirit and where would this great country of ours be without that?
