Originally Posted by
gfunkdave
6. Don't be an American. Literally. I was in Dubai and wanted to buy a dish dasha (the Arabic robe garment) and headdress. Went to a store with a friend who is American but born in Russia. The guy insisted that this poor quality dish dasha was a $200 item and wouldn't budge...until my friend started talking to him in Russian. Suddenly I was only paying $15. As my friend told me after we left, he knew I was American and that "Americans don't know what things cost...but Russians have a keen eye for value."
I could fake being a Canadian, and do a dead-on British accent, but speaking Russian is beyond my skill sets.
eBay has been very useful here. I got to know in advance what I want to shop for and the going prices, including shipping.
Actually, as a shameless cheapskate, I have some experience haggling at the local flea market. The walkaway method doesn't work here, but agreeing to buy several of anything usually does. Showing them you're low on money helps, and they'll agree to take what you've got left.
I've assumed this conversation is about cash only. What about using credit cards and haggling?