So You Want A Deal, Hmm? (Part One)
03.18.07 By Deanna DahlsadAfter spending years of my life buying and selling antiques and collectibles (mom and dad started us off young!), I’ve learned a few things about getting the best deals you can — without ticking-off those selling. Today and Monday I’ll be sharing a few of these negotiating tips.
(This series is dedicated to Collin and the others like him who are unsure how to get a deal without offending a dealer or seller.)
#1 Carry Small Bills & Carry Them Separately. It’s harder to dicker prices when you have a wad of large bills. Stuff a single dollar bill and a five dollar bill in one pocket and carry the rest of your bills in the other pocket — better yet, have your spouse or friend carry the single and you the five. This way when you say you’ve only got $5 left for that item, you won’t look like a louse when you fumble through your roll of tens when it’s time to pay. (As soon as you get out of eyesight, replace that five from your roll, and repeat with the next seller.)
#2 Buy in Bulk. The easiest way to negotiate your deal is by buying more than one item from the same seller.
Bring your armful of goodies up to the cash-out area and ask them, “What’s the best you can do on all this?” You’ll need to know ahead of time what the sticker-total is — not just so you know you’re getting a deal, but often the seller will ask you not just what the total is, but what your offer is and you should be prepared to have the ball back in your court quickly. It goes a little something like this:
You walk up with a bundle of vintage linens for which the price stickers add up to $20.50 and ask, “What’s the best you can do on all of this?”
The seller may reply, “Well how much have you got there?” in which case you reply,
“$20.50.”
Or the seller may reply with, “Well, what’ll you give me for it?” To which you reply with your ideal amount, say $15. (Never less than half — that’s insulting.) If you’re lucky the seller will agree or say, “How about $18?” Either way, it’s a deal.
If they should say no, and they may, or their offer is too high (and even if it’s not ‘too high’ but you think you can bring the price down), nod and start to walk away. As you walk away, begin sorting through each piece, re-evaluating what you hold. Sometimes this is all the incentive they need to start negotiating with you again. If they don’t bite, then seriously look at what you’ve got and decide if it’s the right price. (This is an excellent way to keep with your spending budget too.)
You can also work this as a couple in a slightly different manner.
This is especially good to do at yard sales and flea markets when you’d entertain taking all of a box or set of items. I can’t tell you how many times hubby has bent over the albums and I’ve sighed (one of my well-rehearsed sighs) and in a voice I’m sure can be heard by the folks running the sale said, “How much longer are you going to dig through all of those?” Then, before hubby can really say anything, either I will say, “How much if we take the whole box an he can sort through it at home?” or the owners, fearing he will be nagged into leaving without buying anything, will offer him a price for the box. In either case, often another box of records comes to our house for just $5.
Bulk discounts can work even at antique shops. (Though then you really need to be sure it’s all from the same dealer, and it’s best to try this on a weekday or a day that’s not too busy.) If you keep your bulk discount within 10-20% you just may get lucky. Also note that since the dealer may not be available, the person working in the store may need to call the dealer to ask about the discount. If this is the case, you should have quite a few items &/or a total over $50 (totals of more than $100 are your best bet) and be prepared to have to wait for a call back. (Many stores will hold items a day or two until they get an answer from the dealer.)
In all of these scenarios what motivates the seller is a big purchase — either in dollars and cents or in a large amount of items they don’t need to pack up again. Everybody wins.
More tips on Monday!
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Article Tags: , bargain, bulk, Deal, discount, negotiate================
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April 26th, 2007 at 4:02 am
[...] When at auctions or estate sales, don’t hesitate to ask if you can get a bulk discount. Offer to buy all the cards for one lower-per-card price and even if you have postcards in poor condition, in areas you are not interested in, or even duplicates, that’s OK. You can re-sell or trade those with another collector. (And if they are really damaged, even folks who create altered art may be interested!) [...]
March 10th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
[...] More tips on negotiating — continued from Part One. [...]