$19.95 (*plus Shipping & Handling*)

Wow -- in going through and cleaning up my computer, I found this little "gem" that I wrote back in 2006. Man, I must have been really bored or something Enjoy?!

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Just what is America's obsession with $19.95? If you're patient enough to sit still during any of today's television commercials(*I feel sorry for you already*), then you'll definitely understand where I'm coming from. It seems like any product small enough to fit in either a drawer or closet must cost this much. Whether it be that nifty little chopper that will cut any fruit and/or vegetable you throw at it into precise little squares or that handy-dandy new mop that will let you pick up dirt and hair with one side and then soak up any fluids with the other side - $19.95 for this limited time only. Heck, if you call within the next 30 minutes, we'll even double your order, no questions asked. Several thoughts come to mind at this point, and I'll examine each as they come up.

First of all, has manufacturing become efficient enough to allow us to mass-produce any item we want for such a cheap price? Highly doubtful in my opinion. I can think of PLENTY of things that will fit into my closet that are far more than $19.95. Vacuum cleaners, for example, can run into the hundreds of dollars. For what - a simple machine that sucks up dirt thanks to lots of air and a little brush forced to spin by a little rubber band that has the tendency to melt in half at the slightest introduction to my wife's hair? Heck, I'm sure someone could make that for five bucks if they were desperate enough. No, I'm sorry, it has to be something small and not used very often. Stain removers, shower door cleansers, multi-function utility knives - that's what we're looking at here. Unless you're a football-players mom, you won't need to use a stain remover that often, so you'll have the same bottle sitting there for years - just in case. And if that calcium remover works so well at cleaning your shower doors, would you even need to use it again? I've never seen a door be as messy as in those commercials - unless you're literally a family of pigs. (*But then how did you order the product? - another topic all together*) There is no way that all of these things could conveniently fit to the $19.95 price range, which leads me to my next idea.

Not only do these products fit the low cost criteria, but they have for years. I remember as a child seeing commercials for this or that, all for the same repeatable price. With all of today’s talk of inflation and deficits and rising costs, how have these companies managed to keep their costs so low? If the goods cost that much 20 years ago, I'd have to assume that they've rented out Santa's elves during the offseason and are paying them far less than minimum wage in order to keep their overhead down through all these years. I'd be willing to bet that the person that invented whatever product is sweating away in their basement toiling over a manufacturing line themselves just to keep up with demands. Or maybe we have it all backwards. What if they were actually $19.95 back then, but now that no one is purchasing anything, it's actually a discounted price just to clear the shelves of decades-old materials (*to make room for the new $19.95 inventory?*). Although I'm really tempted to, I won't even get into the subject of doubling my order based on calling in a specific time period. (*Am I really supposed to believe that I'm getting $40 worth of products just because you're throwing in an extra paring knife and a can opener?*)

My last theory, and the one that I believe to be true, is this. What if we American's just admit that we're cheap? Would you still be ordering that skin treatment product if it were $22.10? Probably not. Why? Because instead of simply sending out a $20 bill, now we'd have to include exact change, which would most likely mean writing out a check or ordering by credit card. It doesn't even start there. Americans seem more than content with paying a bill just under a nice even number. I can get a blender for $39.95. I can get a set of 1942 coins for $99.95. I can even get a car for $9,995. All big sellers from what I can tell. Would those same items sell as well if they were $42.15, $107.05, or $10,007? Sure, they'd still sell, but I think we have some kind of built-in mindset as to what we'll pay for an object, and setting that price above a nice round number throws us off.

What do I have to base my theories on? Absolutely nothing. This is simply the rant of a person stuck on the couch forced to watch advertisements of things that will change my life forever - none of which I'm particularly urged to buy for myself - I don't really want my clothes smelling like oranges - sorry. Maybe if I get really desperate for that last minute Christmas or birthday gift, but other than that, I think I'll avoid testing those waters. But if I do, just know that I’ll be doubling my order at the same time...

 

just remember, if you order now, we'll double your order

 

After spending 20 years in the soft drink business, I can attest to the power of "99." The difference in sales when the price of a 2 liter was $.99 was a full third higher than when they were priced at $1. There must be a gene that equates "deal" with a penny less.

 

That must be why 69 is so popular.