Haggling..

Trent at Simple Dollar and Dawn at Fighting Foreclosure both have articles about haggling that l find very interesting (I'm sorry, l haven't figured out how to link stories, so help me out if you know!). I thought l'd put my 2 cents in.
Haggling is a way of life in many parts of the world. I come from a place where "not" haggling is cause for concern. My older sister is banned from some fabric stores in the market because she refuses to haggle. No matter how much they ask her to pay, she just does and gets on with it. The shopkeepers therefore don't trust her and they won't deal with her, so she usually has to send one of my other sisters to purchase from those stores.. lol! It's a social thing, you as the buyer want to get a good price, the seller always starts off high so they can increase their margin and you're supposed to meet somewhere in the middle and both sides are satisfied.
I have friends with fond recollections of my mother's visits to the U.S. She always shopped for fabric to take back home to make one of a kind outfits. Her favorite saying is always "How many fingers am l holding up?" No matter how much something is, she always starts with such a miniscule amount that l'm always surprised no one ever screams at her. I remember on one of her visits, we went to a shop on Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles and it was run by an old jewish man about her age (mid seventies!). We were the only customers in the store. He fussed over my mom as she picked out several fabrics while l just sat down and watched the show. When it came time to pay finally, the bill was like 2,075 dollars, not including tax! I whipped out the plastic and was about to pay and dreaded what l knew was going to happen! I was hoping she wouldn't haggle since l was the one paying for it..but noooo... My mom starts with the "how many fingers?" She had 6 fingers up!!! meaning she was only willing to pay 600 dollars! I almost died!!! The guy was so insulted, and he said as much. He didn't throw us out though, which was surprising to me!!! He came back with a little discount, my mom wouldn't budge... Long story short, we ended up having afternoon tea with the man, they spend about 7 hours!! no joke, haggling back and forth and got to know about each other's family. My mom loved to travel and they talked about Jerusalem which she had visited several times, about places they had both been to in Europe...We left with all the fabric and she ended up paying 1156 dollars and no tax! They hugged and kissed each other like old friends when we left and she promised to come back the next time she visited!
To my mom, it is a sport, the woman is loaded! and can easily afford anything she wants. She just enjoys getting a bargain. I haggle a little when it's warranted, usually with contractors and handy men. I don't usually sweat the small stuff.