Tips on Bargaining

One of my fears when traveling to the developing world is bargaining for souvenirs. One of these days I am determined to master and feel comfortable with this art form. The vendors must love me as I'm usually one of those suckers that pays the asking price (within reason, that is). When the asking price is $2.00 for a T-shirt, it doesn't feel right to get the price down when it already seems ridiculously low. But then again, I am probably disappointing the shop owners since bargaining is an expected custom and a way of life in many places. Every country has their own traditions for bargaining, my favourite being in Turkey where the shop owners always give you a little cup of tea. That was the one place where I felt comfortable bargaining, for some reason sitting down and having tea with the shop owners put me at ease. I left the Grand Bazaar with an assortment of spices, dishes, musical instruments, pillowcases, chess sets and jewelery. Anyways, I thought I would relay some tips to make your future bargaining experiences fun and easy:

1) Remember to smile and remain friendly. Don't argue or get angry with the vendors.
2) Don't take it seriously and have fun with it. Remember what is your savings is another person's shortage.
3) Unless you know the price of the item involved, always try to have the seller make the first offer.
4) A good rule of thumb is to offer 1/2 of the asking price, and then negotiate from there.
5) If you are not interested in an item, don't start bargaining for the sake of it. Once you start bargaining and agree on a price, you are expected to make the purchase.
6) Don’t pass up something you really like because the seller will not come down in price. The item may be unique and difficult to find elsewhere.

This isn't related to bargaining, but in my travels, I learned to use the phrase "maybe later" carefully. While in Vietnam several of the rickshaw drivers kept asking my friend and I if we wanted a ride, when we said no, they would reply with "maybe later". We would then agree and say yes "maybe later". In the city of Hue, the one rickshaw driver who we muttered "maybe later" to made it his job to find us everyday (and the city is not that small, over 1 million people) and ask if we wanted a ride. We finally gave in to his persistence, as it was just too hard to resist...not to mention the fact we were impressed that he could keep seeking us out in a city of 1 million people. We ended up just touring around the city for the fun of it, but at least we made the rickshaw driver happy.

Happy shopping,
Meghan