Haggling -- it's not just for flea markets anymore.

"My wife thinks I am nuts, as I view retail prices as list (prices) that are quite negotiable," says Richard Hughen of Baltimore. "Many times they, in fact, are."

With the weak economy persuading more people to shop hard for bargains, many resort to old-fashioned haggling.

"It seems to be this big secret that people don't know about, that you can actually go to these big-name stores and work out a price," says Yair Flicker of Baltimore.

Flicker, in the market for two big-screen plasma TVs, went to Best Buy ready to bargain. He ended up getting $250 knocked off the $3,700 price.

"The original guy wasn't that helpful," he says. "But if the first guy can't help you, then speak to the manager."

It helps to do your homework. Sometimes it's enough just to ask. But other times the clincher is being able to say you saw the same or a similar item elsewhere for a lesser price.

"They'll try to find something that will save you money if they see you walking," says Dean Moss of Chicago. "It's just a matter of simply asking."

Although it's unlikely any big-box retail store would openly invite people to come in and haggle (a practice normally reserved, at least in this country, for car and home purchases), many offer enticements for the comparison shopper.

Both Sears and Best Buy offer best-price guarantees, promising to match any retail price and even top it by 10 percent.

Shoppers determined to get the best price have one invaluable tool at their disposal: the Internet. Almost all retail stores maintain Web sites with prices, making comparison shopping much easier.

"It's the fairly innocent or naive consumer that fails to consult the Internet," says Jim Trela, chair of the sociology department at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

Still, when it comes to bargains, there seems no substitute for old-fashioned gumption. Most people would never dream of going into an electronics store and haggling over the price of a digital camera -- which could mean that those who do automatically gain an upper hand.

"About 90 percent of the time, you're going to get some sort of discount," says Tim Kassouf of Towson, Md. "I don't think most people understand that . . . the price is an offer. It's not set in stone."