Eclectic ruthlessness in business

I asked the woman from the local charity shop if she'd be willing to give me a 15% discount if I bought:
- the statuette of the angel with lyre
- the kneeling Caucasian couple adoring a baby wrapped in a pack of dehumidifying salts
- the small Ingres behind the Dr Who box (I'm always on the lookout for an original that happens to have ended in a thrift shop that will make me a millionaire, it does happen, I read it in the Evening Standard!)
- and the Return of the Fly (12" collectible figure from the original 50's horror classic)
Her answer was concise yet effective: "no fookin' way"

I changed my approach and asked her if she'd throw in the raccoon for free.

I was not successful.

I have to be careful, my day job seems to be affecting my whole life. The other day I caught myself asking Mrs Raheny for a discount when she came back from Tesco with a bag full of shopping, and I have demanded from the kids that they pay a monthly subscription fee of EUR5 for the privilege of taking the bins out once a week.

Anyway, charity shops are not exactly charitable these days.
I even have a sneaking suspicion that they try to make as much money as possible... Tsk...