Market bargaining without the hard sell: Pulenaz and Nora Dunn

Pulenaz: ask, listen, and let the answer stand

Pulenaz pauses at a flea-market stall over a small plant pot marked €12. She asks whether the seller has any flexibility on the price. The seller says the price is fixed, so she thanks them and puts the pot back. The exchange stays easy because the question leaves room for an answer either way: she does not keep pushing after the seller declines.

At another stall she notices a small lamp priced at €18. This seller invites an offer; Pulenaz suggests €15, and the seller comes back with €16. She agrees and buys it for home. The engaging part is the back-and-forth and her visible decision, not a contest to make the seller give in. The two stops show different outcomes at the same market: asking can lead to a purchase, or simply to a friendly goodbye.

How she tells when to continue

Pulenaz is learning as she travels and does not assume that every stall works the same way. She starts by checking the price and asking whether an offer is welcome. An invitation to name a price makes a conversation possible; a fixed-price answer is a signal to decide whether to pay it or leave the item.

She takes time to look at other stalls before choosing what she wants. When an item is outside her budget, she can thank the seller and move on without questioning its worth or asking repeatedly. Her approach is useful for an everyday purchase because it keeps both people’s choices clear, while the uncertain outcome gives the market walk its charm.

Nora Dunn: finding her feet in Ubud

Nora Dunn, who writes and makes travel videos as The Professional Hobo, shares an Ubud market vlog alongside her account of negotiating there. She says she had learned to bargain earlier in her travels but felt rusty when she arrived in Bali. She describes buying an anklet after an exchange with a seller that ended with both of them laughing.

References: Nora Dunn / The Professional Hobo

In the same account, Dunn describes buying a sarong and then seeing a lower opening price at another stall. It prompts her to reflect on looking around before buying. Her post, originally published in 2017 and updated in 2024, offers a lively view of a traveller adjusting to a particular market. Start with Dunn for the travel story and her own learning; choose Pulenaz for a short, gentle example of asking and accepting a seller’s answer.

References: Nora Dunn / The Professional Hobo

Sources and attribution

1. Nora Dunn / The Professional Hobo

   Ubud Market: How to Negotiate (Vlog Ep. 25)Publication date not listed · Recorded Oct 29, 2026