Hi Gatherers, I wanted to share another excerpt from my new book "Garage Sale America" with you. I will be posting an excerpt each week leading up to my live chat in the Ask The Author group on Tuesday, May 29, from 1-3pm ET.
10 Steps to Getting a Good Deal on Anything:
1. Build a relationship with the seller. A little humor goes a long way.
2. Make a reasonable offer based on what you know you can pay. (Offering $1 on an item priced $20 is insulting and will probably cause ill will.)
3. After getting a feel for the pricing structure, gather your items before asking the seller for a group price.
4. Keep your poker face on.
5. Decide what you can live without before you negotiate.
6. Ask for the seller’s best price or ask “Would you take x?” rather than insulting the seller’s price or saying, “I can get it elsewhere for less.”
7. Negotiate a compromise; for example, if you have $100 in your pocket and the “best price” is $125, ask if that would work.
8. If the seller insists on $125, show your money and ask what your $100 could buy.
9. Hope the dealer sees the cash in hand and says, “You can have it for a hundred bucks.”
10. Either pay the agreed on price, dump the less desired items, or be prepared to walk away.
(copyright 2007, Bruce Littlefield, reprinted with permission from Harper Collins)
I look forward to speaking with all of you during my live chat on Gather.com, Tuesday May 29, from 1-3pm ET. You can find the chat at asktheauthor.gather.com
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Comments: 17
I hope you remind us again before the Chat.
i LOVE bargaining with street vendors... i got the best stuff in mexico... amazing carved animal masks... did a whole wall in them. i do NOT like street vendors who start following you and harassing you because you DIDN'T buy their stuff! which happened in a country that i won't mention because i have dear friends from that country and it shouldn't reflect on the country... BUT i will say if you're on an island and you're being followed by crazed vendors, know how to swim! hahaha.
I went to a yard sale last weekend. The lady had five lighted houses. My mothe collects them and I knew she did not have these ones. The price on them were $5.00 each. It was late in the day so I figured she was ready to get rid of them at a cheaprer price. I offered her $15. for all 5. She accepted and i saved myself $10. over her original price.
I'm going to have to share my big score of last Saturday with Gather.........so will be writing an article soon.
Thanks again, Bruce. I love your style!
Bruce Littlefield on The Today Show, video of him, May 26 2007