What is a topic you could write a how to guide on?

    I watched in a mix of awe and fear as my father continued his stare down, which seemed to be lasting for hours, with the shop owner. 

            “15,000 pounds, that’s the lowest I can go,” spoke the owner in Arabic.

    My eyes darted from the shop owner up to my dad, who at that time towered over me as I was 6yrs old. I was mentally pleading with him to take the deal. We’d been in search of a small bedside table, and we absolutely loved this particular one we'd found in this crowded shop. In my head, there was no reason why we wouldn’t take it at this price, it was already half the price originally listed. But to my horror, my father turned around, heading out of the shop. 

            “We won’t take it then” he called behind him.

    My jaw was practically on the floor. I stumbled after him, letting out a small whine of protest as if to ask, “what the HECK are you doing??” He glanced back at me with a knowing look.

            “Wait, WAIT, ok, I can give it to you for 10,000,” 

    My dad turned around almost immediately, cash already in his hand, as if he was expecting this to happen. He had a smug look on his face, as he had just successfully brought the price down to the equivalent of less than 10 U.S. dollars. I stood there dumbstruck at what I had just witnessed.

    This was all during my first time visiting Lebanon, and it was my first time witnessing such an interaction. Bargaining, that is. In the United States, where I was born and raised, I had never seen anyone bargain for anything, ever. You went to the grocery store, you get ringed up at the checkout line. You go to a furniture store to buy a table, exactly what you see on the little sticker is what you should be prepared to take from your wallet. You would never question the price of anything.

    But when I traveled to Lebanon and Korea, I learned that in a lot of markets and shops, bargaining was the norm. There are a couple key rules to the art of bargaining I’ve learned from observing the many interactions my parents have had with sellers. 

1. Never tell the buyer what you’re willing to pay, make THEM say how much they want.
2. Don’t seem too interested, be prepared to let things go.
3. Patience is key, the longer something is up for sale, the cheaper the buyer will be willing to sell it for.
4. Don’t ever think a price is “too low.”
5. Build a relationship with sellers and buy from them often if possible; they’re more likely to give you discounts in the future.

It’s not that I’ve never had to let go of an item I was planning to buy. There’s many times I’ve been bummed because I found a card I was really looking forward to collecting, but the seller just wouldn’t budge on their given price. However, using these rules I’ve been able to get some of the rarest pieces of my collection for ridiculously cheap amounts. For example, I got an entire set of broadcast cards, valued at over $2,000, for $250. I’ve also somehow weaseled my way into getting a seller to sell me a fansign package for $90. This included 4 pre-order benefit cards, 10 sets of inclusions, a signed album by all members of the group, and, get this, a 1-on-1 meet and greet with the group, all valued at over $500. It’s always during the times I nab a crazy cheap deal on an item that I’m grateful for being dragged along on all those shopping trips, watching my mom and dad haggle with owners to the lowest possible price.