What makes marble and granite as widely used materials for grave monuments?

Different cultures across the world have different ways of cremating the dead. Perhaps the most widely prevalent method is that of grave burial. It is quite a widespread practice among the most prominent religious communities of the world. Graves are decorated with various types of monuments, headstone or tombstone structures. This is perhaps the last symbolic way of paying the respects to the departed soul and, for this reason people take to buying the best possible headstone.

Monuments could be available in different materials. Most commonly used ones are the marbles and the granite. Although wood, cement, stones and other materials are also used for making these it is the marble and granite which are the two most preferred materials for the grave monuments. What makes these two special for this purpose? At first, there is a need to carve out designs as well as the written words on these materials. So, there is a need to use those materials which can be worked on easily and, at the same time, are not fragile enough to break down in the process. There are many techniques which are used for making these designs. These may warrant the use of different tools and the surface on which these are to be used shall be robust enough to make these carvings possible. Both granite and marble are good at withstanding most of these working. Granite is considered to be even better than marble. It is important to note that the there are inferior qualities or grades of marble and granite which may not be as conducive to some methods of carvings as the higher grades. This difference is crucial to note and it will be helpful in determining what all grade of material and what type of working method shall be used when you are having financial constraints and may not be able to buy the top quality grave monuments.

Another advantage with granite and marble is that these are more durable than some of the other options. While granite is sturdier of the two, both can be more long lasting in the open spaces. The effect of weather and climate, soil, pests and other factors can make the other options less viable or viable at best for a short duration only. Although, people might still be having respects and love for the dead, it might not be possible for them to keep changing the headstone time and again. This might prove to be more costly, irksome and even take up precious time. So, people consider it wise to buy a durable and long lasting tombstone as a solution for this recurring problem. Granite and marble might be more expensive but are still the most sought after materials for this purpose.

There is a concern that though there is no immediate threat to the extinction of marble and granite resources of the world, these are obvious limits to these non-renewable resources and therefore, there is a need to look for greener alternatives as grave monuments.

Art of negotiating with tombstone sellers

Business is all about making use of the opportunity to make money to the maximum. This opportunity may exist when there are not many competitors around or when you have certain speciality which others do not have. There is a third scenario as well. You can make good money if the others are not in a position to negotiate well and you are in a business which regularly services these types of people. One such business is that of selling the headstones or monuments which are placed on the grave of the dead person. If some near and dear one has been laid to rest in a cemetery, then you are required to place the tombstone as a custom. However, when you go to buy one, you might find that the prices are shooting over the roof. Bringing the prices down might not be easy but it nevertheless worth doing your bit to make the seller reduce the prices. Here is how this can be achieved:

1. If possible do not go on your own if you are in a sad and depressive mindset. These conditions might not permit you to negotiate at all. Advantage can be taken of this situation by the sellers and might sell at MRPs. Try sending some other person whom you know can strike a better deal.

2. If there is a separate charge for different engraving methods which can get the message on the grave monuments, then you can select the one which falls within your budget.

3. It is always better to ask the details about the stuff and keep asking the prices along with. Some people use the strategy of asking the prices afterwards. This gives the time to the seller to judge your mood and he can then jack up the prices on ascertaining where your preferences lie. By asking the prices in between the conversation while enquiring about the headstones, there is a bit of unsettling effect on the seller and he will be bound to tell the prices which he has already thought of. He can not jack these up for fear of being caught in inconsistent and illogical prices.

4. Bargaining is a matter of skills and it is always better to control the flow of communication in the direction you want. Do not let the grave monuments sellers to get the impression that you are in a sad state.

5. Examine the different heads of charges carefully and tell him something which looks is unreasonable. Do not ask him why this is so. If you do so, you are asking him to defend the high price for the tombstone. Rather, tell him quite strongly that the charge is unbelievable.

If the seller already has a room for reducing the prices but would do so after considerable prodding, then your negotiations shall proceed to do the same. If the person is adamant, even after he is confronted with unreasonableness of charges, then it is better to leave.