The Art of Haggling
http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2012-03-15/art-haggling
Haggling is alive and well in many countries, but it's not a skill most Americans embrace outside of car dealerships. The tough economy could be changing that. From chain stores to hotels, people are realizing that with a few well-chosen words they can reap big discounts. And thanks to the Internet, comparison shopping has never been easier. We explore the surprising places where people are negotiating better prices.
Guests
Jeff Yeager
Author of, "The Cheapskate Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of Americans Living Happily Below Their Means"(Three Rivers Press, 2010)
Sara Laschever
Co-author of "Ask for It! How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want" (Bantam, 2008)
Comments
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To comment on the artist caller, of course you should expect to haggle and you should price accordingly. Art collecters and dealers do haggle at galleries. As an artist I am happy to negotiate or even trade services for supplies or art. I feel this attitude of not being willing to negotiate art prices has been manufactured by media producers and as a result we have the piracy movement where the person who is really hurting is the artist. Finally as an artist, my main goal is to communicate ideas not make a profit. If you look at any successful piece of art you may notice that there is a feeling that the community where it came from or where it is housed all feel they have an ownership of that artwork because it has been so successful at conveying its idea. That is how I measure the success of a work, not in $$.
Excuse me! As a way of life, American Black mothers, especially my mother living in the inner cities (those areas in Brooklyn and New York's lower east side), have haggled about the reducing of prices on many items, when they frequent, garment centers, flea markets, garage sales and thrift shops to save money in order provide for their families. The revelation of this thrifty art form is nothing new to them. It's a necessity of survival in the Black communities. Personally, I have always carried these lessons learned from my family about being thrifty onto my adult personal and profession life.