The Art of Haggling

Today I went to the bazaar. At the Cairo bazaar all tourists now have to check in and give their nationality upon entering the area. When they heard I was American, I was assigned an escort. It was hilarious - for several hours wandering around I had a man in a suit with a walkie-talkie right behind me. That must be what famous people feel like - I've never felt so important in my life.
I thought I would share a few things I've learned over the years about bazaars, markets, and haggling. Maybe the will keep one of you from wasting money as I have in the past.
If you do not want to be hassled, keep eyes straight ahead, don't smile, don't respond to anyone, and most importantly keep moving. Any of these things are an invitation for people to try to sell you things. You will feel rude but know that you have to behave like this unless you want people to follow you for blocks (literally).
A very useful trick is to use are to wear sunglasses. This is a big one because it allows you to look at merchandise without them seeing, and you look less inviting.
Ok, so at some point you may want to stop -- know that when you do, you will be addressed. And the person whose stall it is, is usually not the one sitting right by it. They are probably across the street or something. This used to surprise me, and they definitely use it to their advantage.
Know that anything you touch, they will try to sell you. If you touch something, pick up something else and then ask them about that thing, somewhere in the conversation they will mention the thing you first touched -- by trying to sell it to you as well, as an alternative cheaper purchase, or possibly as a comparison of value/craftmanship. Be prepared for this because it can throw you off.
In haggling, your first offer should be no more than half their first price. There are exceptions to this if you have been pricing an item or have some knowledge of what the true cost/value is. From there go up slowly. Never, NEVER pay more than 75% of their first price, but usually it should be around 60.
Never find something you MUST have -- they can tell. Always be ready to walk away, and good practice is to start to walk away at least once at the end of the bargaining to assure they won't go any lower. Another good tactic to make them think they're losing and must go lower is to look upset and put the item back in their hands or set it down.
Lastly is the 3 no's rule. This is a new technique I've just started using on this trip but has been reliable so far. I started doing this because it is tiring to have my angry/don't mess with me face on all the time. So here is what I do: if I want to enjoy the market, but not be bothered. I lose the sunglasses and walk slower, though still moving. When I am approached I give only a slight smile, say no thank you, and keep moving. When they continue, lose the smile but keep a neutral voice and just say no, possibly with a hand motion. As always, keep moving. If they continue after that or begin to walk with you, stop, look them in the eye (no fear), and give them a good "No" in your stern/ don't mess with me. When you address them frankly and do not get frazzled it turns the tables and catches them off guard. I even got an apology from one guy yesterday. Impressive, I know.
So that's the basics - whether you're in Egypt, Thailand or Italy, it's pretty much stays the same. I hope this will keep you from feeling overwhelmed or at their mercy, especially from losing all your money to overpay for things. Happy haggling.

As a side note: tomorrow I head to Mt Sinai, the Red Sea, and more primitive areas. You will probably not hear from me in a few days. If there's nothing in the next week, some one call the embassy. :o)