WS, thank you for the pep talk! We are going to a dealership, so we'll definitely do some research on the car beforehand to know what a reasonable price might be.

I think I'd feel easier about it if we were buying from some guy's backyard; the idea of bargaining in a place as "official" as a car dealership somehow feels totally weird to me. But I think I just have to get over that.

"Okay, Lady. I love you, bye bye."

Blues Brothers: "We’re on a mission from God."

Gone with the Wind: "I’ll think about that tomorrow."

Animal House: "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life."
You fucked up. You trusted us!
They're on double secret probation.
Food fight!

This is Spinal Tap: Many variations on it goes to 11.

Kate, bargaining is totally what happens at car dealerships. As far as I know, never having bought a car. But remember the general rule of bargaining: start low.

Oh, Animal House. Yeah, lots of those quotes around here, too.

Animaniacs: "Elelator go UP!" is in my head every morning and "Elelator go DOOOWN!" every evening when I leave work.

Also quotable Pulp fiction is useful: "I'll be down in 2 shakes of a lamb's tail" "Zed's Dead" "What's no country I ever heard of! They speak English in What?" "Say 'what' again, motherfucker!" "Does Marcellus Wallace look like a bitch? Then why you try to fuck him like one?"

"Yes. No! Maybe."- From the Wire. A lot of old stuff from Hill Street Blues that has been a family thing forever that it would take a lot to explain. "Serpentine, shel," "What's your childhood trauma?" "Take your tie off, Frank. I'm hot just looking at you," from H:LOTS "Night of the Dead Living"(It's hot here...I use this a lot.) "D'oh...stupid traumatic childhood1"

I think I'd feel easier about it if we were buying from some guy's backyard; the idea of bargaining in a place as "official" as a car dealership somehow feels totally weird to me. But I think I just have to get over that.

If the car was a trade in, they probably didn't give much at all to the person who traded it in. (ie the cars on the lots for $2000 were $500 trade-ins.) Dunno what the margin is for used cars bought at auction.

But remember the general rule of bargaining: start low.

Then they'll laugh at me! OK, probably not.

I think what we need to decide before we go in is (1) What's the most we're willing to pay for this car, and (2) If they won't go as low as we want, are we willing to just walk away? Once we settle those questions, and can present a united front, I think I'll feel better.

Also good. It just reminded me of a Governator quote I use even though I've never seen the movie (must be said in Ah-nuld!voice): "It's not a too-mah!!!!"

I like to quote Jesse Ventura in Predator: "I ain't got time to bleed!"