Keine Reise ist vollendet ohne ein paar Souvenirs aus dem besuchten Land mit nach Hause zu nehmen. In vielen Ländern besteht die Schwierigkeit aber oft darin, einen fairen Preis zu erzielen – und zwar für beide Seiten! Deshalb sollte man ein paar Regeln im Umgang mit Geld kennen. Doch nicht nur das Handeln bereitet uns Fixpreis-Schweizern oft Unbehagen, auch das Thema Trinkgeld rangiert ganz oben bei der Feriendiskussion. Im Internet findet man deshalb unzählige Beiträge dazu und jeder Experte hat seine eigene Meinung. Unter "weitere Informationen" findet ihr unsere :)
English summary
Most travelers in Mexico cannot resist to take home some of the beautifully handcrafted (or from Peru, India and China imported) souvenirs. And while many prices in Mexico are more or less fixed, buying souvenirs inevitably involves haggling! Less so (about 10%), if you buy in a small village, more (30-50%), if you do it at your international tourist resort town. Most European and American tourists are insecure about haggling – so here is some advice about the (worldwide) art of it:
1. Most important: Haggling is about social interaction! It's about getting to know and getting to respect each other. You will need to invest some time and you will probably have to tell something about yourself: Your name, nationality, that you absolutely love this country. Obviously, you will get a better price if you and the vendor get along well. So don't spoil it by being rude or harsh! And although it helps to speak some Spanish, smiling is universal. And it is even more important, the less Spanish you speak.
2. You have to remember that no article anywhere in the world has an absolute price. It's all about supply and demand – and about how much it is worth for yourself! So first you will have to decide: How much are you willing to pay? Maybe this figure changes once you know more about the object or the vendor. However, buying must be satisfying. And if you really like an object, don't let that "gringo-price" make you unhappy!
3. Once you agree on a price, you have to buy. Even although that smile in the vendor's face tells you instantly that you offered way too much. Taking back an offer is a tabu that only a very rude "gringo" can even think about breaking! Although haggling may be playful, it is not about playing games. It is a serious and communal approach to solving a serious problem: how much to ask while making everyone happy?It is, however, totally fine to ask for a price (as long as you don't overdo it). If it's too high, you just nod silently and turn to something else. If you counteroffer, you signal serious interest and you will not get out (without losing your face) unless all efforts to agree on a price fail.