· Growing up in the Western world it seems that everything has a set price and it is usually marked with a price tag. Travel will teach you that in reality the value of something is how much someone is willing to pay for it. Supply and demand. So, you will need to learn the art of bartering.
· This is how business works and it is how the real world works along with corruption. Watch and learn how the locals do it. The old ladies in the markets are the best at it. It is a battle of wits but it should also be fun. And remember stubbornly squeezing an extra ten cents out of someone a lot poorer than you isn’t really playing the game.
· As a rule of thumb, you can halve their price and start working back up from there. One trick is to pretend you're interested in something else. If you're not overly committed, you'll probably do a lot better than if they can see you desperately want something. If you offer a price and they accept it you have to buy. If you compare the price to what you would pay back home, you're probably well in front.
· Some people have a natural flair for it and have a lot of fun. Others can't be bothered and just want a speedy transaction. Offer your final price then walk away. If they let you go you know your price is too low. If they call you back, they probably won. If business is quiet, they might do a deal just to kickstart their luck.
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Hard to say no to this friendly approach and cold beer in Kalaw, Myanmar
· Language is not normally a problem as you can just swap numbers back and forth on a calculator. In China they use the same system with an abacus. A seemingly complicated process of pushing beads back and forth around the frame and then handing it over. Only one problem with this system. Most people can't read an abacus.
· The more items you buy the bigger discount you can expect. Try to keep a clear head as it can all get very confusing. Avoid dealing with more than one person at a time. The young ladies at Silk Street in Beijing left me with a fried brain and a pile of overpriced T-shirts I didn't want. I had gone in to buy some luggage.
· In the Old Quarter of Hanoi one afternoon, we found the one place in Asia that didn't barter. In this area the streets are named after a particular craft or product which dominates the street. Like Bamboo Raft Street or Fish Sauce Street.
· After three long hours of tracking down the perfect wall hanging, we offered a counter offer to their first asking price. The old couple behind the counter were so incensed that we had tried to knock their fair price down that they kicked us out of the shop and refused any further dealings with us. This meant another 2 hours traipsing around in the hot sun to end up with something far less desirable and more expensive. When we got home at the end of the trip and had the Chinese characters translated, we found out that we had spent the day wandering up and down Funeral Banner Street.