Hong Kong's hardest hagglers go soft and reveal their secrets

In the markets of Mongkok, we asked Hong Kong's veteran hagglers how to get the best prices on designer bags, sneakers and just about anything else. Herewith, from the Hong Kong shopping masters themselves: how to beat the hagglers at their own game.

1. Take advantage of local superstition, aka 'fat see'

"We vendors give early-bird discounts because we want to do more business when it’s still early. That’s ‘fat see’ (prosperous market)," explains Ms Ma, who has sold tapestries at the Ladies’ Market for 30 years. "Everyone knows quick sales in the morning bring good business for the rest of the day. So, many vendors will go soft on customers early in the morning."

“There are fewer people in the morning, so you’re more likely to get a discount,” agrees Ms Mei, stoic seller of defective designer wear on Fa Yuen Street in Mongkok. “I can’t give discounts in the afternoon when the store is flooded with people. Once you do, everyone else will want one!”

2. Be ethnic

“It’s industry standard in Hong Kong to do business by race,” admits Mr Lee, who sells Chinese crafts at the Ladies’ Market. “The highest-paying customers are the Japanese. The lowest are the Pakistanis, so we'll usually give them the best prices. We fix our price according to their purchasing power. When I see a Japanese guy, this trinket that I usually sell for HK$10, I’ll say it’s worth HK$30."

“For gweilos, I’ll price items in the mid-range, because a lot of gweilos are smarter now," adds Mr Wong. "The Japanese haggle, too, but their budget is higher than other people's. That’s because things in Japan are more expensive than elsewhere!”

"We tend to be more honest about pricing with locals," admits Ms Ma. “Foreigners usually have to return to their countries, whereas locals can always come back and complain if they’re not satisfied."

The Japanese haggle, too, but their budget is higher than other people's. That's because things in Japan are more expensive than elsewhere!

— Mr Lee

3. You're not a tough guy, so don't act like one

"Bargainers who offer an insultingly low price get shooed off," says Ms Ma. “Attitude is everything. When you’re more pleasant, we are. Someone came in this morning and told me, ‘Your 45-dollar painting is worth 10.’ I was so insulted that I snapped back, ‘You mean in Euros?’ No deal there.”

4. Play the victim card

“If you’re more dramatic, say ‘I’m only a poor student’ or that sort of thing, and we usually give in easier,” admits Ms Ma.

5. Hammer at the defects… until they get sick of you

“We’ll have to cut the price if a customer keeps on insisting it’s a tear in the fabric,” says Ms Mei, seller of defective designer wear. "If they keep going until the vendors get sick of them, we give in. Vendors usually give in with a 20 percent discount after you go at it for 15 minutes."

6. Buy in bulk -- and get a free meal

“The more you buy, the bigger the discount," says gemstone vendor Mr Lam, stating the obvious.

But Mr Lee, who sells Chinese memorabilia, adds that bulk markdowns can often be larger than many people realize. “You can get up to a 50 percent discount if you buy in bulks of 10 to 20. With that money, you could probably buy yourself a meal."

Have any haggling triumphs or tips of your own? Send us your story and the bargain you got.

Former CNNGo staff writer Tiffany Lam produced and scripted current affairs documentaries and was a reporter for a local English newspaper before making the brave, brave decision to write about things she’s actually interested in.

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Before editorial assistant Virginia Lau entered the CNNGo headquarters, she sipped on Hong Kong's finest cappuccino, studied international relations and taught English while living and traveling abroad.

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