Larkin soap humour booklet
The pattern
This still is filed under Price-anchoring offer.
Define
A higher reference number is shown first so the real price reads as a concession, not as a starting bid.
Mechanism
People judge a price against the first number they see. The anchor must be a real comparison or it collapses.
Verdict
We have a credible reference the buyer will accept
Why it works
The booklet uses entertainment and high production value (the chromolithograph cover) to avoid being thrown away. Once inside, it makes a devastatingly logical, transparent argument against retail middlemen. By showing exactly *how* they can afford to sell it so cheaply, they make the low price believable rather than suspicious. The 30-day trial removes all remaining friction.
Steal this when
You are disrupting an established retail or intermediary-heavy market with a direct-to-consumer model and need to educate the customer on why your lower price doesn't mean lower quality.