But wait there's more...

Why is it that everything you can buy through the mail from those television ads costs $19.95?  Whether it is a battery powered stirring unit, organizer, an egg poacher, food chopper or miracle cleaner it costs $19.95. From my days as a marketing major at the University of North Texas I learned that odd lot pricing is used all the time.  $19.95 is only a nickle less but sounds so much cheaper than $20 dollars. But, who decided that the top impulse budget for any television viewer is $20 dollars? I am thinking that there is a correlation between the minimum dispensing amount at ATMs ($20) and what we think of as cheap.

But the add goes on. You should not dial that phone till the end of the ad.  If the price alone for such a useful item was not enough to motivate you... "if you call now you will receive an additional chopper/poacher/organizer for just an additional shipping charge.... a $300 dollar value for only $19.95."

If a company can sell two of the items for the same price, why can't you just buy one for half that?

It seems to me that we consumers have gotten along very well with out this gimmick; do we suddenly need two?  And where do they get their starting prices.... "You would expect to pay $80 dollars for such a useful tool."  Again, marketing. If you think that such an item really would sell for that much then a quarter of that would be a steal. I remember an artist told me that her painting was worth $30,000.00 if any one would buy it from her.  Perhaps we need a crash course on the word worth.

But wait there's more.... the ad suggests that we can either keep the second item OR give it as a gift. Now there's a gift from the heart.  Who wouldn't want to receive an egg poacher for that special retirement gift, or celebration of any kind. "Happy Birthday/Merry Christmas... here is a cheap item that you don't really need. The best news is... it didn't cost me a thing... it was free, I was going to buy one for myself any way so really it was a win win for both of us. That is how much thought I put into your special day."

Not that you would write that on the card,  but the minute you see the same ad on television, the jig is up. 

Act three is even more interesting.  After they have sold all the current gimmick items they can at $19.95, a month later the very item will be thrown into the mix for FREE with the purchase of another revolutionary item.  Once again they quote the value at $80 dollars, so just imagine the savings there. Eventually if you wait long enough you can get all the items for free which is my suggestion.  "But wait if you call right now we will double your free offers and send two of everything you thought you ever wanted but could not afford."  Just think about it.... fill your whole Christmas list with one purchase.

As you were,

Jay