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Vanessa Ho

Let's talk about haggling!

When is it appropriate to play the "tug-of-war" of shopping?

by Vanessa Ho


Graphic by Luci Barrett

To haggle or not to haggle? That was the question I asked as I stood before the colorful trinket-filled table at the Chichen Itza this past summer. My friend, whom I was traveling with, was eyeing some sort of knife made from obsidian, while I was immediately drawn to the clay, Aztec-inspired shot glass nearby. We browsed through dozens of souvenir-stacked stalls just like this one and finally decided to purchase something for memory's sake. 


After meticulously comparing each shot glass, I asked the vendor in Spanish, "¿Cuánto cuesta?" hoping to seem local enough to get a reasonable price— his response was 400 Mexican pesos, roughly 20 US dollars. 


Coming into this trip, I knew we would be ripped off as tourists, paying 10 times what locals would pay. However, to say that I was baffled after hearing the price is an understatement. I forced an awkward smile as I said thank you and walked away. 


Just as I was beginning to walk, the vendor called after me with a new ask of 350 pesos—and that was when I knew the game was just beginning. 


Growing up in Vietnam, where haggling is just about as common as a bowl of pho, you would think I’d have mastered haggling by now. But the truth is, haggling can be extremely tricky, especially because different cultures have different haggling expectations. For example, if you are a tourist in Vietnam, you should almost always expect to be offered an absurd price that you would need to bargain down. A similar culture is adopted in countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Peru, and Mexico. 


In most of these countries, bargaining is expected if you want to be respected. Most vendors will throw you a sky-high price once they see or hear you are not a local. By engaging in the “game” of haggling, even for a little bit, you are respecting local customs and showing vendors that you are not just doing charity but treating them as equals. 


That said, my two cents on haggling are always to play by ear, especially in a new environment. 


A short and sweet answer to the question of whether to haggle or not haggle while traveling is that while it may be difficult to read the room at times—distinguishing between when to haggle and when to pay the asking price—it is important to keep in mind that you should never feel pressured. If it is a fair price in your eyes, pay it. If you feel that you are being ripped off—not because a local would pay less than you, but because you think the item isn't worth that price—then haggle down to a price you think is fair. 


At the end of the day, haggling shouldn't be about ripping off or taking advantage of the other party. It should be about both sides walking away, feeling they got a good deal. 



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