As most of you know I run a trading post at mountain man rendezvous. I have tried to set up a good overall inventory and have done this by bringing in friends and their items. James brings his metal work which includes the fire-pits that he designed as well as his version of commonly found items: lantern hooks that are both free-standing and pole-mount, and coat hangers crafted to be strong enough to support a buffalo coat. Nolan brings the furs that he and his brothers have trapped as well as shed antlers they have gathered. I also have brought in a variety of men's and women's period clothing by Oma of Dehart Creations. The main part of my contribution is the blankets. There are currently over 200 in stock. The prices range from $30 up to $300 but most are under $125. The catch is that they are all used. I have heard the story so many times where someone bought at brand-new blanket (currently $350 to $600) to make their Capote out of. And when it came time to make it they could not do it. They had spent too much on the blanket and could not bring themselves to cut it up to sew into the coat. This caused me to see a opportunity to provide quality blankets at a much cheaper price. It is interesting what people’s reaction to the pricing on the goods is. I have learned to put the cheaper blankets out in front so that those items are what people see first and I put the better and thus higher priced blankets further inside the tent. As opposed to putting the best blankets in front which is what I did initially. It goes to show you most people are looking for the cheaper price rather than the quality of the product. This is probably why Walmart has become so big. So if lowest price is what people are looking for why is it so very few people remember to haggle for a price these days? Our modern system of commerce has trained people to think that prices are fixed, and not subject to change except for the occasional sale. In my trading posts I have prices on all items but almost all of them have "wiggle room" figured in. Most people just look at one or two labels and keep walking. These are mostly the flatlanders and casual buckskinners. But some just pay what is shown. I am happy to take their money, but some want a discount and expect me to come up with a lower price on my own. Sometimes I do but it isn't the lowest I would go and then they refuse because it isn't low enough for them. But they don't make a counter-offer! They want me to do all the work. I do have set percentages that I tell James and Nolan that they can bargain within. If a customer wants more than that they have to wait until I get back and talk to me. My favorite bargain was at the 2008 Ft. Bridger Rendezvous. It was late Saturday morning and I had an older gentleman (probably a local farmer/rancher due to the overalls he was wearing) come in and look around. We talked a bit and he decided that he wanted one of the six-point (queen size) blankets that I had. My price was marked at $300. He made an offer of $225 and wouldn't move from it when I tried to do the "dance". It was lower price then I usually like to go but I checked my cost on the blanket and saw that I would still make almost $100 on the deal. So I consented to sell it for what he asked. He then pulled out a wad of bills and peeled off the amount. We had not done the traditional "dance" that most people think of when you say haggle. However, he had made a low but reasonable offer and stuck to his guns. And we both walked away happy. I have even done a couple of wholesale sales to other traders where the margin was fairly low but they purchased several blankets at one time. Sometimes even I forget to try and bargain when opportunity arises. There are times where I have purchased an item from another trader and on the way back to camp thought to myself ‘I might have gotten it cheaper if I had only pushed a little’. Not all traders will haggle but it is usually worth a try. When it comes right down to it, as a dealer, it is the constant balance between profit margin and cash flow. You could have very robust margins on your goods but if you aren’t selling any thing those margins do you no good. So don’t be afraid to make an offer. Usually they will at least listen. Also don’t be afraid to ask questions and learn what the trader has to say about his goods. The more you converse with them the more comfortable they are with you and as a result they could more willing to adjust the price for you.
Ok I am getting down off the soap box for now
