Off on our routine 40-minute walk to our favourite coffee shop last Saturday morning, 15 minutes in and my husband says, ‘Wait a minute, let’s check out this big yard sale’. Uh-oh, what can I say, but, ‘OK, let’s go’.
He was checking out a fascinating item – a little pewter collectible. He asked, ‘How much is this doggie in the basket?’ The seller responded; he responded back – then the dickering started. You probably have heard or witnessed the familiar ‘he says… she says…’ dialogue if you’ve ever been to yard or garage sales. You probably have haggled yourself. I think dickering or haggling is an art and a skill. It’s a skill that my dear husband has been trying to teach me. He tells me it never hurts to try or ask and you may receive it. We’re talking about collectibles here so it is worth asking nicely or politely. Besides, he says, what’s the worst thing that can happen?
To make the story short, we came home from our walk grinning from ear to ear. Why not? We had our exercise, ate a healthy breakfast, had savings in our pocket and a shorter Christmas list. I also came home with a couple of trinkets bought for $.50 and $1.00 each.
I used to cringe when his wrangling tactics start; I was afraid I would hear a rude or unkindly response from the other party; but now I find it interesting. As a matter of fact we just came back from our sort of ‘staycation’ in a not far away small town where we picked up two fancy and intricately carved walking canes. Honestly, his hobby is really not that bad because we also picked out two brand new items as gifts when we were gallivanting. It was equivalent to a ‘two for the price of one deal’ had we bought them from a department store.
Hubby collects mainly rare coins but he started this obsession for out-of-the ordinary walking canes or walking sticks last year. I laughed out loud when he said he is going to use a different cane each day of the week when he gets older- reserving the fanciest one for his Sunday walk in the park.
We’re visiting Australia next month and I’m starting to wonder if the Aussies are into dickering. We’ll soon find out when we visit their trash and treasure markets. I’ll have my Christmas list handy. As for the haggling, I’d rather be a spectator and leave the ‘dirty’ work to my hubby.
{ 5 comments }
I love to haggle, discuss, barter, dicker etc to buy anything from a
car to a belt.
I found the key is don’t fall in love with the item your buying and do your homework and be willing to walk away.
One time I was buying rental return car from a dealer we agreed upon price and I let him know that would include all costs.(ie the admin fee he wanted $175.00) They lost the deal because they would not move on the admin fee. Go figure $25,000 car and would not move on the $175.00n I walked!!!!.lol.
Rob and Duke
You made me smile. Your comments are ‘right on’. As long as hubby is with me I don’t mind watching the exercise and my $dollars.
That being said, it can be hard to get deals at any store other than medium to small ones. There is absolutely no empowerment in larger chains.
When you DO deal with a big retailer, do ask for free shipping or installation for furniture etc., And or something like that. Often they can’t haggle, but you can usually save on the delivery if it means you’ll walk away from spending two thousand dollars.
If you’re buying a sofa/loveseat/television and the whole kit and caboodle. you just say, “Oh and this will all be delivered free right?” Make it known that it’s – that way, or the highway.
Odds are they will if you are spending enough.
Smaller stores, especially mom and pop stores will do it for clothes etc, and especially if you make them a regular store you buy from. Once they get to know you, the sweet deals get even better.
Sadly, buying out of country for vacations is an ABSOLUTE MUST. You save the HST and provincial taxes. I never book a vacation in Canada anymore, and save all taxes!
At the end of the day, the dollars in your pockets will affect your life far more dramatically than the shoe lady who thought you were cheap for asking for a deal.
My wife is the bargain hunter in our home —recently when travelling through the back roads of Quebec, we stopped at a yard sale. The “seller” evenually offered my wife $1.00 to take some trinket off his hands! It was all in good fun and there was an exchange of funds but not in my wife’s direction.No question about it–someone else’ throw aways can be another person’s treasure or at very least “pleasure” !
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