How to cope with hagglers
June 1, 2010 by Michael Alterio
Filed under Featured HowTo, How-To Zone
If you are a shopper and you want advice on how to bargain with vendors at flea markets and swap meets, there are a ton of Web sites with advice for you. To highlight just a few, I. Do. Mean. There. Are. A. TON. Of. Sites. But what about the other side of the selling table? How should vendors handle shoppers who want to bargain, or more to the point, who are too pushy, persistent, or downright pestiferous about it? FleaMarketZone asked four experienced vendors for perspective and advice on how to cope with hagglers.
Cree McCree is a journalist, fashion designer, music critic, and flea market maven. She is the author of Flea Market America, a definitive book for flea market vendors. A 35-year veteran flea market seller, specializing in vintage clothing, she helped launch the Elysian Flea and Broad Flea markets in New Orleans last year.
Haggling at flea markets:
“It’s not like every single vendor haggles. And not every single buyer does it. It’s a traditionally accepted part of the buying and selling paradigm. Haggling is built into it. The vast majority of people aren’t going to haggle, but there are a hard-core few who will, and in the hard core there are always some who are going to be really chintzy. There are certain shoppers who don’t even consider it a true flea market experience unless they talk you down a little bit.”
Advice for vendors:
“I tag everything. I’m a tagger. Customers are more comfortable with that. You have a starting point. I price everything with what I call a built-in bargaining advantage. If I know I need to get $8 for an item, I’ll price it at $10. If somebody starts haggling, then my built-in bargaining percentage works in my favor.”
What to do with rude customers:
“I don’t get angry, I will say, ‘You know, this is a really good deal at $5. If you’re not interested, somebody is going to snap it up later today. If you’re not willing to pay for it, fine, somebody else will be.’ I don’t yell at people. I try to keep it civil. But if somebody really tries to be chintzy, like offering 50 cents for something, I just kind of laugh. It never pays to get belligerent with people, even the jerks. And they’re out there.”
Edna Mirzayan of Edna’s Gifts at Happy’s Flea Market in Roanoke, Va., has been in the jewelry and gift business for 25 years. She has been profiled in The Roanoke Times.
Haggling at flea markets:
“I love bargaining, and so do customers. That’s what they’re there for. That’s the fun part. I’ve been here 25 years, and I enjoy it every day.”
Advice for vendors:
“Of course customers want bargains. That’s why they come to the flea market. So you have to price it somehow so you can give that bargain. If they ask me nicely, ‘would you take any less,’ I do go down on prices. I give them my price. If they don’t like it, I just don’t talk anymore — I just let them walk away.”
What to do with rude customers:
“You will get mad, but you have to be businesspeople. You have to know how to talk to customers. Getting mad and answering them back rudely won’t stop any problem. You can just kill them with the kindness. You might get your price.”
Jennifer Smith of Rosey Little Things has been attending flea markets “since I was a little girl with my mom and Grandma.” She has hosted many garage sales and currently sells vintage glassware, jewelry, and linens at flea markets.
Advice for vendors:
“Depending on the item I will bring it down a bit. I try to price my items to sell. I do occasionally add a couple of dollars to the price anticipating haggling. I will usually only take a bit less because my items are not high-ticket items. When I have high-ticket items there is more wiggle room.”
What to do with rude customers:
“Smile and decline politely and counter back. Have fun and don’t take it personally. Everyone, including myself, wants to get the best deal possible.”
Paul Pachmayer of ParacordPaul.com is a 20-year veteran flea market vendor, selling handcrafted products made of parachute cord, from bracelets and dog collars to rifle slings.
Haggling at flea markets:
“At a flea market, bargaining is to be expected. It’s part of the flea market experience.”
Advice for vendors:
“In general, I start prices low, to the point where they can’t walk away from it. I do get the occasional person who’s going to haggle. And if they’re going to buy more than one article, I may work with them a little bit — depending on what they’re buying, about 15 percent, maybe 20 percent.”
What to do with rude customers:
“People in the past have been really obnoxious, and I say, ‘That’s the way it is. If you don’t like it, there’s the next booth down.’ To go back and forth and get aggravated — because they think they’re going to get a better deal, and they’re not very tactful about it — just isn’t worth it, because you’re already giving a really good bargain at a flea market anyway.”
Photo credit, with thanks: bird dance beat from Flickr.
I run a giant indoor (2 acres inside) and outdoor fleamarket every Saturday and Sunday.
Haggling and touching items (and breaking delicate things) is a built in part of the business. I am very polite and apply a generous helping of humor to every deal however if they are really obnoxious with very insulting offers I usually reply with “I am still sleeping inside and probably going to eat dinner tonight too but if that changes I might consider your anemic offer”
On Hagglers: Note if you are selling new Mdse. at a (True Bargain Price), there’s no need to haggle and customers know that, except for the people that thing its a Free Market not a Flea Market. Example I sell Foster Grant Sunglasses at $5.00@ 2 for $9.00. I post printed signs on all Mdse, my prices cannot be beat by any store, also I offer service which stores need to do like they did years ago. I inspect and remove all tags and clean the glasses for each customer. Every year I get 1-2 people that will ask for a discount on one or 2 pair’s of glasses, my answer is simple do you want a deal how many grosses of glasses do you need. I wholesale in lots only. Their answer is 1 pr. I then say $5.00 like the sign says on the spinners and shut up. Out of 10 people like this 9 will buy the glasses at posted prices the other person losses out end on story.
I will break aprice if it is repeat customer. Otherwise not. If a professional haggler (and they can be spotted) and offer a lower price on a tagged item, I will offer a higher price than what is tagged. The will look at me in suprise. I say if you can change the price so can I I.