Whenever we are abroad, I have the habit of haggling with prices but only in the market because malls have fixed prices. Especially in roadside stalls, it's enjoyable to win some bargain deals. A tour guide in Hongkong taught us the proper way of haggling with roadside vendors. Ask for 50% discount on the price and you will be offered 10% so you increase your offer to 40% discount and the vendor will make another offer. But in case the vendor doesn't change his offered price then that means it is the final and the lowest he can give you. I have been using that trick all the time and it always works in Hongkong.
I think I mentioned this in some other context elsewhere in the forum, but in the early 1970s, shortly after moving to California, I went to Tijuana, Mexico. Since I had taken the train to San Diego, I didn't want to carry a lot of stuff with me so I wasn't really interested in buying anything. The typical Mexican blankets that you can still see in any border city were listed at $10 in every shop that I came to, so I decided that if I could get anyone down to $2, I'd buy a couple of them. I couldn't get anyone to do below $5 though. While I was walking to the bridge to cross back into the United States, a street vendor was asking for $8 a blanket. I couldn't get him to go below $5 while haggling with him. Then, as I was walking away, he said, "Three dollars. I'll sell them for three dollars." I stopped, and told him that I wouldn't pay more than two. I bought two of them for $2 apiece and I still have them. I used them as a regular blanket for many years, but have also used them camping, and on our guest bed. They have been washed several times in the past forty-five years, and I can't see that they have sustained any wear whatsoever. They were well worth the $10 they were asking for them, but I paid $2.
I used to really be embarrassed about haggling until we travelled to India. Like Corie an Indian explained how to achieve a price. I still felt mean though as they are so poor. The richness came from their smiles though when they accepted our offer. Since then have haggled our way around the world. One word of warning though Our Indian gentleman did warn do not haggle so low so there is no profit it makes them resent you a bit then. A couple of Russian guys actually wanted goods for practically nothing, which I found a bit distasteful.
I like to haggle. Never been out of the country though. For me it's at flea markets and when I don't have enough money left to get what I want my line is, 'What's the lowest you'll take for it?" and the price goes down, down, and down. Sometimes I'll pull out what I have left and they will take it.
Even when you haggle and get what you think is a good price, the vendor made money. They really haggle in Tunisia...they were really funny.
I overhear conversations about where some of their items come from and a lot are from storage units that were auctioned off. So I went to one and man oh man the bids went over the roof! Some are there selling things from their garages and attics. Many sell prices are reasonable even 50 cents or one dollar. I like to buy rustic items mostly for yard decor or anything that is unusual that is wrought iron especially sconces and clocks.
I am not really big on haggling about things like at yard sales and flea markets unless I really don't care much about the item, at which point I will ask for a bit of a break on the price. I mean obviously, the stuff is worth much more than people are selling it for, I feel bad asking for something cheaper than is already listed on the item. In a poor country it may make a difference between being able to feed their family or not being able to feed their family, so I doubt I would haggle much really...but I have only been in Europe, Canada and Mexico in tourist areas, not a lot of haggling going on.