This morning I went to the market, and I think I have established a method of negotiating and calculating the maximum amount I am willing to pay for something:
Rule 1: The first price you hear is never the price you pay.
Rule 2: You have to engage the person in conversation rather than just spit out numbers and prices.
Rule 3: Never let your eyes linger on one item too long. It is best to watch the vendor and let yourself look at other things that you are not interested in. This way you do not seem too keen on buying the item that you want to buy.
Rule 4: Remind them that he has competition. For example tell him that the price he is offering is even more expensive than in the United States. Or tell him that the guy around the corner was even offering it for less.
Rule 5: Try to find things wrong with the product. Tell them you do your own laundry and that specific material is hard to wash. Tell him there is a button missing or that the colors aren't the best. I think a lot of people reading this might find this immoral but let me assure you there is always something wrong with the product and it is expected that you point it out and expected that they will try to avoid it.
Rule 6: Round the price to the nearest 10 and divide by 5. for example if something is 15,000 FCFA then round to 20,000/5=5,000. Even this is too high. The pair of jeans I got today were initially 7,500 FCFA. Round to 10,000/5=2,000FCFA. I ended up paying 3,000 for them (about $6.50).
Rule 7: When the negotiating has stopped, demand 500 FCFAs lower. He will say no. Hesitate for a minute that tell him you will leave if he does not drop the last 500 FCFAs. He will tell you to leave then.
Rule 8: Leave.
It is as you are leaving that he will either call you back or you will decide how much you really wanted to buy that item. If you want the item and he doesn't call you back, then stand there thinking about it for a minute then return and buy is.
Rule 9: You can be happy and laugh a little, but don't be overjoyed when you make the purchase. No one feels good about losing a negotiation.
So that is my very rough sketch of how to get, if not a good price, a normal price that would have been offered to you in the first place if you were Togolese.
The negotiating is why I love the market :)