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How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It
Image When going to attend a flea market, gun show, or horse-trading session, it is important to dress down. If you wear a fancy watch or designer clothes, consciously or unconsciously your counterpart will size you up as being made of money. So dress very casually, including your shoes. Leave your jewelry, pens, and nice watch at home. Wear your cheap plastic digital watch for these excursions. You also need to learn to be observant about your counterpart. Is he a collector who happens to sell on the side, or is he a journeyman salesman whose livelihood is this business? Is he retiring and selling off inventory? Is he selling merchandise on behalf of a friend or relative? The bottom line is: Just how anxious is your counterpart to make a deal?
Timing and Rapport When approaching a vendor for the first time it is important to first wait until the vendor has finished dealing with any previous customers. Don’t interrupt a man when he’s making a deal! Smile and make eye contact, and if appropriate for the venue, introduce yourself and shake hands. If you are a fellow vendor, wear your badge or otherwise make it known that you also have a table or booth. This lets the seller know that he is talking to a wholesale rather than retail customer. This can make a tremendous difference when negotiating price. Even if the vendor appears to have a pile of worthless junk on his table (with perhaps a few nice items of interest), make a point of expressing your admiration for his merchandise. Say something like, “You’ve got a real nice inventory here,” or “I can see that you have good taste