Country Article / Postcards

Haggle Like an Egyptian

Date: 03/15/2007

International Living Postcards-- your daily escape

Friday, March 16, 2007
Aswan, Egypt

I sat on one stool while Jack banged on the seat of the other. Rasha, our guide, was behind the curtain helping Kaitlin try on the red and gold belly dancer costume. After a few minutes, Kaitlin came out to model and danced a little as Jack quickened his beats on the would-be drum.

“How much?” Rasha asked for us.

“2,000 pounds.”

Rasha made a face. “Oh, be serious.”

“I am serious. This is all handmade. Look at the stitching. Look at the beadwork. Here, please, lady,” the shopkeeper called over to Kaitlin. “Come over here and let us see.”

Kaitlin walked closer, and the guy instructed Rasha to take a good look.

“This is a fine piece. Do you know how long it takes to make this?”

“Yes, of course,” Rasha responded. “But 2,000 pounds is too much. We will pay 50.”

In most markets around the world, it’s standard to offer 50% of the price quoted. Then you negotiate a middle ground from there. Here in Egypt, Rasha, who we came to respect for her honed haggling techniques, taught us to offer 10% to 20% of the asking price. At times (when bargaining for Kaitlin that day, for example), she’d offer even less. She had the advantage, of course, of knowing what things should cost.

“Your final price will be close to midway between what the seller quotes and what you initially counter-offer. If the seller quotes the equivalent of $100 and you counter $50, you will pay $75. If you counter $10, you will pay $50.”

Not only we foreigners, but the locals, too, play this game. It’s expected. Even when prices are clearly marked. And even for things that elsewhere in the world you’d never think of negotiating.

In Egypt, they take the exchange of goods and services seriously and don’t mind investing in extended discussions regarding their value. Shopping is more than business, more than pastime. It’s a social event and a way of life. In truth, it’s exhausting. We learned not to go shopping just before lunchtime or late in the day. Hunger and fatigue weaken your resolve.

Don’t worry about being rude. They don’t notice.

In Aswan, we were taken to the “one true silver shop.” The one place, that is, we were assured, where we could trust the representations about the weight of the metal and the varieties of the gems. We knew (and I’m sure our guide knew we knew) that, in fact, this was the shop where he’d get the best commissions. You can’t let that bother you. Besides, by this time, we’d come to trust Mohmoud. Maybe he’d make a little more if we bought from this guy over the others, but I believed, as well, that, if Mohmoud said we could trust the quality of the jewelry here, we could.

Kaitlin and I spent an hour trying on rings and bracelets. The owner’s staff kept Jack busy with hibiscus juice and a game of marbles. Lief hung back until it was time to begin the negotiations. After 20 minutes of back and forth, we left with a wide, heavy silver bangle, a jade pendant on a silver chain, and a 1 ½-carat ruby in a silver setting, all for about $200.

Across the way, we had a lesson in spices. The shopkeeper scooped up frankincense and myrrh…opened jars of lavender and musk…gave us gifts of dried lotus flowers. You buy by the kilo and only after considerable pestering did the guy let Kaitlin buy 250 grams of tamarind. What would we have done with a kilo of the stuff?

Kathleen Peddicord
Publisher, International Living

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P.S. Finally, Rasha agreed to pay 800 pounds (about $140) for Kaitlin’s belly dancer get-up. “I would pay 600,” she finally told the shopkeeper. “So they will pay 800. No more.” The whole encounter could have been a performance for our benefit. You’re never sure. In this case, though, the seller wasn’t happy when we left. No smiles and, perhaps telling, no free gifts. We realized by the end of our trip that the more handshakes, back pats, and free stuff you receive on your way out of a shop…the more you probably overpaid.

P.P.S. One thing you shouldn’t negotiate: Taxi rides. Know how much your ride should cost before you get in the cab. Don’t ask the driver what he’ll charge you and don’t explain what you intend to pay. Simply get in and take the drive. When you get where you’re going, get out and hand the driver payment through the window. Otherwise, your cross-town travels will be far more hassle-filled than they need to be.