Practical guide
Bargaining in the souks, without being taken.
Bargaining is neither a con nor folklore laid on for visitors: it is the normal way of setting a price when nothing carries a label. Here is how it actually works, and the few markers that stop you paying three times too much.
Why nothing has a price on it
In a souk the price depends on the buyer as much as on the object. That is not a swindle, it is a system: the seller adjusts to what he believes you can pay, and you adjust to what you believe the thing is worth. The fair price is the one you agree on.
The system assumes both sides know what the object is worth. That is where the traveller is at a disadvantage, not in their talent for haggling. A carpet, a lamp or a pair of slippers has no obvious price to someone who has never bought one.
Knowing what you are looking at
A few simple markers change everything. A hand-knotted carpet has an irregular back, with visible knots and the pattern showing through; a machine-made one has a clean, smooth back. A hand-sewn slipper has a slightly uneven seam; a glued one has none at all.
Hammered brassware carries the marks of the tool, thousands of small irregular dents; machine-pressed brass is too perfect. For leather, the smell is usually enough: vegetable-tanned leather smells of tannin, synthetic smells of glue. None of this makes you an expert, but it lifts you out of complete ignorance.
How an exchange goes
The seller names a first price, often far above. Do not start from a fixed percentage: the ratio between first price and final price varies enormously between shops and quarters. Say what you are willing to pay, without aggression, and let the silence work.
The real leverage is not persistence, it is being able to walk away. If the price does not suit, thank him and leave. Often you will be called back. If you are not, the price was honest and you have lost nothing.
The most common traps
The first is the invisible commission. If someone leads you into a shop, he takes between twenty and forty per cent, added to what you pay. That applies to street touts and to unlicensed guides alike. A licensed guide is paid by you and has no interest in you paying more.
The second is manufactured urgency: the shop about to close, the last piece, the craftsman leaving tomorrow. Nothing closes, there are others, and nobody leaves. The third is the impossible comparison: buy on the first day and you have no reference point. Look first, buy later.
Adil negotiates with you, in Arabic, and takes no commission on what you buy.
Questions about this tour
Do you have to bargain everywhere?
No. In fixed-price shops, cooperatives and most stores in Gueliz, the price is displayed and is not open to discussion. Bargaining belongs to the souks and to stalls without labels.
How far can a price come down?
There is no rule, and the percentages people quote are misleading. Depending on the shop, the first price may be close to fair or three times too high. That is why knowing the value matters more than the technique.
Is it rude to walk away without buying?
Not at all, provided you say so clearly and with a smile. What irritates is drawing a seller through a long negotiation with no intention of buying.