In places all over the world, from the pottery stalls of Oaxaca to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, bargaining is a time-honored tradition. Though the specifics may vary, with some shopkeepers conducting their negotiations calmly over tea, and others shouting prices wildly from doorways, the founding principles are the same the world over. Negotiations in marketplaces and food stalls are culturally meaningful experiences, and little compares to the satisfaction of a well-bargained deal. After a rash of souvenir-buying across five continents, I’ve collected several key pieces of advice for the novice bargainer.
Know the exchange rate. Really know it. One extra decimal point can make a big difference in how great of a deal you’ve negotiated. It also saves you the embarrassment of quibbling over what amounts to a few pennies. The difference between a thousand Korean wan and two thousand sounds pretty substantial, but it’s only about a dollar. Don’t be the person that walks away from a deal over fifty cents, carried away in the heat of the moment. At the same time, when we’re talking about the difference of a few dollars, try and find that balance between striking a good deal and having a little compassion. The difference between what $5 means to you, and what it means to the person you’re dealing with, might be pretty significant.
Decide in advance what a particular item is worth to you. If you really love something, you’ll be inclined to pay more for it. And hey, you’re on vacation, and you deserve nice things. So let’s imagine that you are strolling around a marketplace in Mexico and you spot a sombrero that you cannot imagine returning home without. Before you ask how much it costs, think about how much it’s worth to you. If it will bring you $26 of happiness, offer $20 and negotiate up from there. But don’t get dragged in to paying $30 because remember, you don’t love it that much. I guarantee you you’ll find the sombrero of your dreams somewhere else.
Try walking away. Chances are the shopkeeper won’t let you get very far, at least not without a last ditch effort to meet you in the middle, price-wise. Very rarely is the final offer truly the final offer, and literally walking away during negotiations can be the best way to indicate your seriousness regarding your upper limit.
Shop around a little before you buy. I always buy souvenirs at the end of a trip, a strategy which so far has served me well. Most importantly, it prevents me from impulse buying the first neat-looking carving or paper weight I come across. Tiny alabaster pyramid? I’ll take three! The end of my trip is also the time when I’ll have actual extra money, not money I hope I won’t need for something critical, like that last cab to the airport or that exit visa no one ever accounts for. Finally, you’ll have enough experience in a given city to know how much something should cost you. You’ll have stayed in hotels, eaten at nice and not-so-nice restaurants, and taken cabs. Every expense is an extra data point in determining whether or not that carpet salesman is really offering you the deal of the century.
Go for the discount. There are lots of reasons – legitimate or goofy – to ask for a discount. If you’re purchasing two or three things instead of one, for example. Or if you’re paying in cash instead of with a credit card for a particularly pricey item. In some places, particularly those with weaker currencies, a deal conducted in dollars will earn you a very favorable exchange rate. Do none of those reasons apply to your particularly shopping experience? Fear not. Sometimes the more absurd your discount request is, the more favorable the response. Worst case scenario, the only thing you’ll elicit is a laugh.
Ask a local how much something should cost you. This applies more to experiences, like car rentals and cab rides, which are often negotiable, than it does to souvenirs or other commodities. During our recent trip to Mexico, for example, we needed to take a taxi from the bus station to our hotel in the city center. We asked the woman operating the snack stand how much we should pay, and she give us a ballpark figure. When we hailed a cab and he quoted us double the amount we were expecting, we knew enough to refuse. When the driver realized that we had done a little research, his rates became much more reasonable. The individual working at the front desk of your hotel is an excellent resource for this kind of question.
Bargaining, like anything else, is a skill. The more practice you get, the less intimidating an experience it will be. The first few times may be a little rocky, and you may still overpay for the odd ceramic candle holder or specialty coffee mug every now and then – everyone does. However, it’s an experience worth the occasional discomfort. Marketplaces are often the cultural heart of a city, meeting places for individuals of all walks of life where all types of commodities, from household goods to handicrafts, are on display. Haggling over clay pots or woven baskets or a carton of oranges is a fundamentally authentic experience that yes, may at times be a little scary, but helps break down the barriers between the you and the culture you’re visiting. I promise that even if you’re negotiations somehow go awry, always a distinct possibility, you’ll still spend less money than you would at the airport gift shop, and you’ll have a great story.
Let’s be fearless,
Jen