The following is just a general rule of thumb. As with everything else in life, there are exceptions to the rule.
If a sticker price is more than 25% or so above what I'm willing to pay, I don't even bother negotiating.
Let's say there's a card I would pay no more than $200 for.
- If the dealer has it marked at $250 or so, I'll start a conversation.
- If the dealer has it marked at $300 or more, I'll just keep walking.
Sure, I'll
occasionally miss out on something. From my experience, though, I'd lose a ton of time trying to find dealers willing to slash their sticker prices.