DO You haggle (or not) when you buy a guitar
 

I don't like to haggle, never did like it. I figured just come out and tell me how much you want for whatever it is you're selling. I love playing music but I strongly dislike dancing. Perhaps that is part of my no-haggle policy ... it's kind of like dancing :)

I see it this way;

- most items have a current market value
- an item is only worth what others are willing to pay for it regardless of it's 'value' (current market value)
- most sellers have a bottom dollar value in mind well before they post an item for sale

I understand having an item and posting it for, let's say, $100 and after a while I get no inquiries so I lower it to $90 in the hope it will sell or sell sooner. This I get. Why folks haggle though, is beyond me

Do you haggle or not and why, or why not?

DO You haggle (or not) when you buy a guitar?
 

In the case of anything I buy, if I feel it's overpriced I'll look for a better price elsewhere as opposed to overpaying or haggling.

I like to haggle unless it's already at a price so low that it would be insulting to ask lower. It's just a habit I picked up from my parents.

I do a lot of buying of accessories, strings, picks, cases, etc. I'd like to think that an extra $30-$100 saved could go into something incredibly useful and I'd be foolish not to at least try to haggle it down. I always give it a shot at my local music stores and usually we come to a nice middle ground. Same with craigslist sellers.

Not so much haggle as give them a hard stare and ask the best price they can do. Then I either take it or leave it.

Hell, l I just haggled my Dentist down $1,500 on an implant. Everything's negotiable.

Since I'm a regular at both of the shops, I'm usually given a discount without asking. On everything I buy there.
MJRB

Depends if I hear what I'm expecting to hear (price range) the first time I ask.

I'm with the OP. You price it fairly and I want it, I pay the price. If I think the price is too high, I walk. Most of my guitars are bought new and most are in the $2500 to $3500 range. In that range I'm not going to haggle about $100 one way or the other. On new guitars one knows the price anyway. Also, I will never buy an instrument without playing it first. No online sales.

I did buy a new 2007 Corvette Z06 without driving it, however. But guitars are important. That was just a car.:D

Rich

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It never hurts to ask "what's your best price" on any Particuliar high price Item. Imagine not haggling at a car dealership, it would cost you thousands more then you should be paying. That's just a fact.

For me, it is simply a question of asking what the best price is if I were to buy it today. I don't go into guitar stores and just try guitars unless I am seriously intending to buy. I keep it cordial, realizing that the store needs to stay in business. However, I do this with most everything of any value. The way I figure it, my time is priced at a certain amount per hour. If a conversation that takes less than a minute typically can save me an hour or more salary, it is time well spent. But it isn't worth it to get either side upset or put on the defensive. So, to me, there is a balance. Since I don't buy guitars sight unsee, I am always dealling face to face, usually with somebody I have known for a long time. there is a trust on both sides unlike some of what I read here on occasion where people might be questioning the integrity of a dealer involving how much the dealer might make on a sale.

Tony

I feel like there is no point in spending any money I don't have to so I do my homework before I get to the negotiating stage, find the best price I can, and have a reasonable price I'm looking to match. I also feel that a good deal is only a good deal if it is a good deal for everyone, so I see no point in burning relationship bridges with my dealers.

The real art is to get the price you want, leave with everyone happy, and stay happy with the price you got whether or not someone shows up a week later with a better deal.

Bob

I support local small business and I have so called haggled but I always feel guilty. People are just trying to pay staff and keep the lights on and you are just taking money out of their pocket. If you need a deal I think you may be better off trying to get the owner to throw in a case or gig bag or strings where the margins are higher. In fairness the most expensive guitar I have bought is $1400 and their is probably more room on the very expensive guitars.

If I feel the price is too high, I'll haggle.
If I think it's already at a great price, I'll buy it.
If it's something where supply is low but demand is high, I may pay a little higher price.

I think a lot of new items are marked up quite a bit so there's always room to wiggle.....IMO of course.

I haven't bought a guitar yet but will be next month and I will go with the bundle approach.
Kinda like when buying a new tv instead of buying a stand get the to give it to you free. I have purchased 2 tvs in the past 3 years and did this. I also didnt over pay for tv one of them was $25 cheaper than I could have bought it from Sears or Bestbuy.
I'm not sure if Guitar center does this but I'm gonna try if not I might just try another music store. The good thing is there are 3 within @4 miles of each other.