I love watching the upper middle class learn to live like us peons. Just stay the fuck out of my Salvation Army stores if you know what's good for you.

Oh, and good morning, Ian!

I read that last night and thought "God, some of these Times writers just make shit up out of thin air!" It makes it hard to rag at the tabs too much. By the way Ian, I know you have written lots but being an editorial type is a little different, anyway, you are just a grand and thanks for your gawkery.

I go into Best Buy all the time and ask for a lower price. The answer is always: "The door is that way, buddy!"

You know who rips us off? Mom and pop stores, that's who! (Ducks. But you know it's a little bit true.)

@SarahHeartburn: Mornin' Sunshine!

@belltolls: Thank you... But are you saying I'm not being editor-ly enough?

What happened to the New York Times?I remember a time when you had to read it everyday,but now?It's so wind baggy and boring.

@Ian Spiegelman: Not at all, lol. The two just don't always go together.

Trend In Trend Pieces
Recession ignites flow of "yeah, we wish!" pieces in NYTimes.
Haggling for couture jeans and plasma screens,
and now, richies abandon real estate to "creatives"
[www.nytimes.com]
Next.....watch for in-depth look at those "Sell Me Your Diamonds" outfits.

I got a floor model coffee table at the MoMa store in Soho for 1/3 of what the sticker said after haggling with the manager. It was my proudest moment, and one which I've recounted to my friends and family often enough to make them borderline homicidal.

Hey, congratulations. The N.Y. Times is taking story ideas from Consumerist now.

[consumerist.com]

@In Other News...:
you mean every fucking bodega known to man.
(seriously. how a six pack of bud is $10 on one block, then $5 at the Met Market makes no sense.)

I once asked a preppy dude at Ralph Lauren if he'd snip $30 off a $399 blue blazer if I paid cash. He laughed in my face and suggested I try that kind of lame play at JC Pennies.

@lulugo:
I thought this post was going to discuss the story you cited. After reading it yesterday, I wrote a few people asking if they'd actually heard a single person advance the theory that the recession would benefit them.

A rising tide lifts all boats and an ebbing tide ... yeah.

Yeah, sometimes I wonder if Jayson Blair isn't still freelancing for the Times -- haggling?? If I tried to "haggle" anywhere on the island of Manhattan, I'd be arrested for "shoplifting" and taken off to "jail."

Haggling is for savages and does not indicate Americans' resourcefulness in the face of adversity but rather the descent of our nation into barbarism. GAME OVER, folks.

You actually CAN haggle at Best Buy (I work at one and sell appliances) on certain stuff. Computers? No chance, there's no margin in them. Regular-price appliances and televisions? If you're buying ENOUGH (a kitchen full of new appliances, several new TVs for a new house, etc), or if what you're buying is particularly expensive and rare to sell, then if approached correctly the salesperson will probably give you some kind of discount to not walk the sale. To say its a trend, though, is reaching. Usually people who are buying those types or volumes of things know that we're at their mercy to get the sale. Buying a $700 LCD? I'd rather walk it than trying to deal with a d-bag trying to haggle with me over that.

I have heard that haggling is acceptable for places like Best Buy and PC Richards, but I could never imagine asking a Starbuck's barista to chop off a buck from my 5 dollar latte.

Awesome. I'm going to Nieman's now to throw pennies at the shoppers.

I just bought a phone a J&R today so I asked what the best price was and I was told you're looking at it!

I love going to the local Vietnamese markets and making them an offer they can't understand - as a consequence I eat the most beautiful fresh fruit and vegetables at half the price and amuse myself into the bargain.

Haggling at Best Buy? The real trick is finding a human being to help you there. Brian Sack of Banterist imagined what would happen if you put a Best Buy employee into a different line of work, say, the New York Stock Exchange:
"Is adamant that SBUX is around $80 per share. Finally consults a computer and admits it's $34 and he doesn't know what happened because he's sure it was $80 yesterday."
[www.banterist.com]

@travelina: We don't get paid enough to give accurate information to self-righteous assholes.

I found out accidentally that I could haggle at one of my local liquor stores (I say this at the risk of sounding like a Times Style writer, since maybe everyone except me has been doing this forever?).