How to Haggle

In my January 2014 post, Vintage Finds, I alluded to haggling and bundling to get items at antique stores for less than tag price. I wanted to dedicate this post to understanding the art of haggling.

Here are the basics:

• When a price tag does not say 'firm' then you know that you have some negotiating room. If in an antique store booth, look around for any hanging signage to validate your inkling.
• If a price tag does say 'firm' you know that the seller is offering their bottom dollar on the item. Don't negotiate. If it's too pricey for your taste, just walk away.
• When an item is old it's probably got some wear and tear. Understand the condition of the item before you negotiate. The pricing could reflect that item in fair, good, or excellent condition. Just because it's old doesn't mean it's worth anything.
• If you really love it, don't walk away. Items in these places go fast. Don't hope that it'll be around the next time you're in the area.

I collect vintage Brownie Cameras from the 1920's - 1960's. When I find one that I would like to add to my collection I need to have a thorough understanding of the condition, age, and overall value. Some sellers don't know what they have and just slap a price on an item because "it looks old and must be worth some money." Not the case - if you're starting a collection get up to speed on the average values and conditions before you get ripped off. Don't fret about learning it over night, some things are learned over time.

Now that many buyers have the ability to use their phones to quickly reference selling prices of vintage items, there is less likelihood of geting taken on a deal. Exhaust all resources before you buy.

When you are preparing to haggle:

• Consider this: most of the objects in an antique store have been sitting around awhile and are hard to sell. If a seller sees you're interested they are more likely to deal with your offer because it's hard telling how long it will take for another buyer to walk through the door. This is specifically true for random items and not collectibles or trendy pieces. 
• The more you show interest in an item, the more leverage the seller has. If you want to 'feel out' the seller before negotiating on an item you really want, grab another item from their booth and use it as a 'tester'. Say I want this stunning Brownie Camera. I may grab another camera from the same booth and take both to the check-out counter. I'd start with the second camera and see how far the seller would be willing to budge before proceeding to the Brownie. If they have unrealistic prices I know that the deal isn't worth it for me.
• Sometimes you can walk away. If you have seen half the store and have an item you like, try haggling before looking through the rest of the store. That way, if you can't come to terms, the seller will have some time to mull over your offer. This is a great tool for big-ticket items such as furniture.
• In antique shops especially, there are many booths. If you want to haggle you usually do it over the phone since the booth owner isn't on-site. Don't expect the person at the register to be the one that you haggle with every time.
• Bundling is a sure-fire way to get a great deal on multiple items from the same seller. Did you find five camera's at one booth that you want to buy? Get the seller on the phone and make a deal for all of them at once. In this situation, I'd weigh the total value of all camera's combined and subtract the value of one full camera. Sort of like a buy one, get one scenario.

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock and looking around; do come back! 

Cara

DIY Edition: Home Decor

Home décor has really taken a fancy to big, bold letters and phrases. Trends have encouraged us to decorate our dwellings with large vintage metal letters, monograms, and artistic photo montages spelling out our last names. My caveat with this trend is the repetitiveness of certain phrases and words, such as ‘live, laugh, love’ and ‘home sweet home.’ Understand that this is entirely my personal preference and by no means do I detest those who display said inspiration in their homes. As the Brits would say, "It's not my cup of tea, dearie."

I had all but removed myself from this trend when my roommate gave me a letter ‘H’ that she had randomly acquired. Being that my last name begins with an ‘H’ I accepted her gift and pondered what I’d do with it. Doing a monogram seemed a bit cheesy and truth be told, my last name is about to change. How silly would an obsolete monogram be at that? So I decided I’d hop on the bandwagon and create a 3-d word montage and display it as home décor.

Here are the materials I used and the approximate price of each:

• Leftover craft paint + brushes = $0
• Three 8" paper mache letters from Hobby Lobby = $3.99
• White floating wall shelf = gift [follow the link below to buy your own]
• Ceramic birds = $5.00 at a craft fair
• TOTAL COST: $8.99

With that, I challenge you to do it for less by using odds and ends from your house!

After swinging by the local Hobby Lobby and grabbing three more letters of 8" paper mache for $1.33 each after coupons and specials, I jetted home to paint them. [Remember to use the App from the post Deal or No Deal called Coupon Sherpa.] Although Pinterest would likely have provided a quick design idea for this endeavor, I forced myself to come up with a design independently. Stripes have been catching my eye lately and it just so happens that the letter ‘E’ is a perfect letter for three big stripes. With that, I free handed the stripes on two of the letters.

After glazing the letter 'M' with some dull golden paint, I knew that my décor was complete. I threw the letters up on a shelf that I received for Christmas from Wayfair and added some little ceramic birds from a local craft fair and ‘VIOLA!,’ a completed 3-d word montage was born. By the way, the shelf referenced above is hands down, the best floating shelf I've come across. SUPER easy to hang, very sturdy, and matches the molding throughout our house. I'm smitten with it :)

And here you have it, the finished product. 

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock and looking around; do come back! 

Cara