Haggle for a useful deal, not just a larger percentage
A better-looking price can cost you a customer or the cash you need for rent. In Probably Stolen, bargaining changes the terms of a trade while also affecting reputation, customer budgets and the chance that the other person walks away. A good offer is one that serves your immediate stock and cash needs after those trade-offs are considered.
The official Probably Stolen Steam page identifies haggling as part of shopkeeping. This Probably Stolen haggling guide uses player experience from a demo trading session for practical examples of the bargaining interface.
Read the customer's terms before changing the price
Start by checking what the customer wants and how much they can spend. A variety buyer, for example, wants different eligible items rather than duplicates; a large bundle is not useful if it ignores that request or exceeds the budget.
The demo session describes discounts offered to buyers improving the terms they receive, with reputation and budget effects shown through the bargaining interface. Marking up a sale can worsen the relationship and introduce a chance of the customer leaving.
That makes the displayed outcome more useful than a fixed rule such as always demanding the largest markup. If the customer is already close to buying stock you need to clear, a small discount may finish the transaction without the risk of losing the entire sale.
Ask for seller discounts when the risk is worth it
When buying, compare the asking price with the stock's actual value to your shop. In the narrated demo session, the player requests a 25% reduction on a household-goods purchase and sees a 50% success chance for that particular offer. The deal works, but the player also reports losing reputation.
Those numbers are an example of one negotiation, not a universal success table. Read the probability and consequences for the transaction in front of you.
Before pushing harder, ask yourself whether you can afford to lose the offer. A cheaper purchase is attractive, but not if the gamble prevents you from restocking the only category your expected buyers want. Equally, accepting an expensive deal simply to complete a purchase can leave you with too little cash for operating costs.
Check wholesale discounts against the final total
Some sellers offer a discount for taking everything. The demo tutorial specifically introduces that whole-stock condition: buying only the most appealing item is not the same offer.
Consider the bundle as a whole. Can you store it, can you sell its slower items, and will you still have liquid cash afterward? An attractive discount can still commit too much money to merchandise you cannot move quickly.
Market conditions matter too. The demo session shows household relief and material-supply events changing prices, while the playtest preview's trading account describes buying discounts and buyer markups as part of a wider supply-and-demand strategy. Compare the final price with current conditions rather than treating any discount label as a guaranteed bargain.
FAQ
Should I always use the biggest markup?
No. The bargaining interface can show reputation consequences and a chance of the customer walking away. Judge the complete deal.
Can a small discount help a buyer afford the order?
Player experience shows small discounts being used to bring an order within a customer's budget instead of discarding the sale.
Are seller discounts free of consequences?
No. The demo example reports reputation loss after negotiating a seller's price down.
Does buying one item qualify for a wholesale offer?
Not when the offer requires buying the seller's entire stock. Check the condition and the final bundle total.