I like visiting street markets at home and overseas. I admit I like to haggle, forever trying to get a cheaper price, unless it is something that has been hand-made locally, or the seller gives me the impression that s/he is struggling with sales. In some countries it is actually expected that you "negotiate" a price. The opportunistic seller will name you the highest, and often absurd, price that he can think of, while you play you roll your eyes and appear to be shocked. And immediately the price goes down. And as you continue with this game, soon you will get a realistic price, and often even a bargain. I love it.
I normally don't spend too much time haggling over prices. My usual approach is this something like this: DENIS: How much? SELLER: X (currency). DENIS (walking away): Mmhhh . . . so that's your final price? SELLER: Wait, wait — DENIS: Would you take [stating lower price] I normally don't act like I need something that much. If the person doing the selling is desperate to make a sale then they'll offer better deals.
Denis nailed it. When you're haggling you should be attempting to make it their choice to lower the price, not yours. This is a psychological strategy for negotiating across the board. People are more likely to be comfortable with an idea if it instead comes from them first.
I always try to haggle. Anything for a bargain. It's easy when you are in your own country. It's another story though when you are in other places. Once they see you are a foreigner, you are a sitting duck. I've tried several times in Hong Kong night markets but I can't seem to strike a good deal. I simply plan my shopping in advance and research thoroughly on where the good bargains are beforehand. I also get inputs from friends who are more experienced and that seems to be half the battle. My only bargaining chip is buying in volume.
I do, but unfortunately, I'm only really up to the task if I'm in the mood, which in most cases, I am not. I'm much more comfortable with just picking out items and paying for them especially if I'm wanting to buy a lot, but if I'm in the mood to scavenge for bargains then I'm most certainly also up for a little haggling. Often, though, I just try and buy multiple items in each shop so the seller will feel better about giving me a significant discount.
Ahh, haggling. One of the greatest experiences the modern consumer so often misses out on. As someone who loves economics, I love haggling because it is a close approximation of perfect price discrimination, where each person pays exactly the price that the item is worth to them as an individual, making it the most efficient method for society. So yes, I haggle.
I hate it. When I went to the Dominic Republic, the group I went with had one day or one trip to a local market. Boy, I was overwhelmed. I wanted a good deal, but I felt guilty for trying to bargain. Plus, I wasn't fluent in the language so it made it harder. I know that I don't want to do it again. Well, maybe, if I was at home, I might give it a try sometime.
