My Granddaddy, a car salesman at one time, always bargained for a better deal. “Set price” signs translated to him as “here’s a real challenge”. He was the one who took me to buy my first car, as a learning experience. He told me that that one trip would teach me everything I needed to know about haggling. He was very close to being right. Now, since my lessons were watch and learn, I have found this article put out by ApartmentTherapy.com to teach you the basics for bargaining.
1. All prices are negotiable — Welcome to a whole new world of buying! It’s probably not worth your time to haggle a 29 cent banana down to an even quarter, but when you’re in the market for big ticket home items that you can almost afford, it’s so worth it to give bargaining a shot. Remember, most business would rather sell something with a slight discount than nothing at all.
2. Be polite — No one wants to do buisness with an inflexible jerk or someone who feels enititled to get their way no matter what. Bargaining is all about finding common ground — the sweet spot where what you can both leave happy.
3. Loyalty counts — If you’re a regular customer, your chances of scoring a discount increase exponentially. After all, it’s worth the seller’s while to keep you happy and spending your dollars in their establishment.
4. Buy in bulk — Spending more at once will also increase the chances that the seller will be open to discussing a discount. Try saying something like, “I’d love to furnish my whole living room today, would you be able to give me 10% off my total if I buy these three pieces?” Then smile!
5. Snap up the floor model — There are certain costs to doing business, and they include sacrificing one item for people to try before they buy. The floor model may be well-loved or it may be practically pristine, either way, the store can’t sell it at full price. Asking to see floor models from previous collections could get you significant savings (up to 50%) and help the store clear out valuable storage space. Win win! Expect minor wear and tear, but remember to carefully check your score for any major damage because a floor model sale is almost never returnable.
At the end of the day, it’s about getting the best you can with the money you have (and not blowing that budget), so take a risk and ask away. You have nothing to lose.
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