Moroccan coin sellers

Back from Morocco I wanted to write a brief account of my experiences in Morocco searching for coins. Now I was thinking this would be a country where picking up coins would be easy. Bulk coins fresh for the picking.

BUT I was wrong, my wife and I bought a tray and I managed to get two coins from this seller

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces9628.html
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces1713.html

They were going to be a fiver each but I fortunately got them thrown in with the tray.

Anyway, later on my honeymoon I asked in the Souk and found a great shop with antiques...the dealer had a large carrier bag with coins. I was excited thinking great. The first copper and bronze coins were worn a little but some great coins, a very nice 10 centime piece from France in XF 1890s, some older Liard de France coins. Lots of silver: French Bank tokens (hexagonal) a lot of silver, some coins I wasn't sure on. I was thinking this might be a great opportunity...there were 2 1899 1 Franc coins all XF, and some other dates and 3 x 10 Franc coins from the 1930s all in F.

So, he wanted me to make an offer and I wasn't sure what to offer...but I dithered and tried to offer a number of dirhams for each coin. The dealer was not happy. I left feeling ticked off but knowing that he wanted way too much money for a lot of the coins.

The next shop (next door), I found a coin from the Philipinnes the 10 centavos with the beautiful lady F condition, I was thinking nice. A 100 Mark coin from Westfahlen, 1920. A Brass coin 1 Franc 1941 UNC and two other coins I can't remember. I selected these and was quoted a price of 1000 dirhams, that's about £74! I couldn't believe it...I offered way lower and his final price was 900 dirhams at about £64! Then I asked about individual coins the 10 centavos 400 dirhams, £30. He was insistent that they were antique coins and he didn't even know what country they were from.

Their ignorance was so irritating and I am sure there were some coins that would have been great but they were just far too expensive. So if any of you guys are going to Morocco, they are expensive there and not sure of what they have but will charge excessive amounts of money anyway.

You got to haggle. If you don't haggle, you're considered rude. So if he says $74, you are supposed to say $20 because of this or that coin.. and then he says $60 because of some other reason, until you arrive at the real price he intended to get for them.
That means he probably never expected to get $74 or even $60. Looking annoyed is part of the game

If you purchase something at the price of the opening offer you are going to get ripped off every time without exception.

As far as I have understood, this is the case in most Arab countries.

Yes, I run into this all over, even here in my town in the US where people can look it up in an instant, and they think they have a coin worth $500 when it's only worth $0.10.

  I have paid too much before, not wanting to leave without a coin, but I have learned it's best to turn it down and it's good to walk away from a deal.

  Glad you got the one tray.

I did haggle and tried to with the coins. No, looking at it now; I was disappointed to come away with not very many coins but I'm pleased I walked away, not paying way too much.

Next time go to Egypt. I was able to haggle £7 out of a guy there. He said £15, I said £10. Then I said £8 and he agreed. Not sure how I managed to get such a deal but it was nice.

Lol the only thing I haggled in Zante was a green high powered laser pen "/ haha

Wikitravel has quite an interesting piece on the subject: http://wikitravel.org/en/Marocco#Bargaining

Citação: pileborgYou got to haggle. If you don't haggle, you're considered rude. So if he says $74, you are supposed to say $20 because of this or that coin.. and then he says $60 because of some other reason, until you arrive at the real price he intended to get for them.
That means he probably never expected to get $74 or even $60. Looking annoyed is part of the game

If you purchase something at the price of the opening offer you are going to get ripped off every time without exception.

As far as I have understood, this is the case in most Arab countries.

I found that in Arab countries you have to haggle in any market place, but be fair.