The Merchant’s First Rule: Price Is Irrelevant; It’s All About the Next Buyer

Is five bucks cheap? If you can’t even sell it for four, then five is way too expensive.

Any seasoned merchant does his homework before buying—he always secures a down payment from the buyer first. That’s what makes a decent businessman.

No merchant ponders what he wants. He ponders what you want. Once he knows, he finds it for you and makes money off you.

If your first thought is “What do I want?” you’ve already lost. The market trains merchants like this: you win, you play the next round; you lose, you go home empty-handed.

Once you fall into the habit of “buy to sell, sell to buy,” congratulations—you’ve become a qualified merchant.

A merchant’s mind holds no price—only buyers. If they think it’s expensive, it’s expensive no matter how low you go. If they think it’s cheap, it’s cheap no matter how high the price. The golden rule for merchants: never be the one paying. Whoever pays, not you. Always make sure someone else’s covering the bill.