It's not just new generations, these are basic marketing strategies that have existed forever. It's manipulative, people see a smaller number and think it's better, without even considering the value for a moment. Preying on the spur of the moment decision.

Ok story time from the Fireworks stores.

First some background: My wife's dad owns a couple fireworks stores. One sells items individually, the other sells everything as buy one get one free because it is right next to a competitor that uses that model. Fun fact about stores that sell everything as BOGO all the time... the prices are just double. You're just paying for two. That's the whole model. My father in law hates it too and wishes we didnt need to do it to compete with the other store. It's not only not a deal, it's arguably worse because you have* to buy two of the same visual display, meaning you're just watching the same thing twice for no good reason.

*We don't actually make anyone buy two of anything. We also tell them they can mix-and-match, i.e. buy one item and get a different item with the same price free. And we don't really advertise it, because it actually pisses some people off, but if you just want one of the item, you can get it for "half price". No problem at all. It makes no difference at all to me. I don't even have to do anything fancy with the registers. We just ring up every item individually. They're all priced exactly the same as they are at the other store. It's all an illusion.

But there is a certain percentage of shoppers that absolutely, positively, will not buy a product unless they are "getting a deal", and those people are univerally bad at math. We sell a select set of items as BOGO or mix and match at the other store too and those people will only buy those items. My father in law will even tell them that no one needs to watch the same thing twice. We actually use the stupidity of the BOGO model as a selling point at the other store. But that's all that some people want. The people that shop at the BOGO store will come in saying they went to our other store (not knowing they're related) and everything was so expensive compared to them and they didnt have any good deals, then buy a cart full of shit at THE EXACT SAME PRICE PER PIECE. It's absurd.

So anyway, back to the fun story. I had to cover as a salesman and cashier at the BOGO store once. A couple came in, he wanted a bunch of fire crackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles, etc. The typical play stuff. His wife wasnt into all that, she just wanted to see something inexpensive and pretty. I showed her videos of a few smaller items that I thought she'd like and she really liked one in particular. It was the only one I had left on the shelf though. I tried to look around and see if there was a good mix and match to go with it, but it was at a less common price point, and I couldn't find anything. So I told her that since I couldn't find her another or a mix and match, I'd give it to her for half of the tag price (again, that's also just... the normal price). She was very happy with that. She just wanted the one pretty thing anyway.

So we get up to the register and I started to scan out their cart... two rolls of firecrackers, 8 roman candles, 2 packs of bottle rockets, etc. Then I scanned her item. He asked where the second one was. I explained that that was the last one and we couldn't find a mix and match so I was just going to charge her half of the tag price for it. He said, dead serious, "if I don't get anything free with it, I'm not buying it." He told me just to set it aside and put it back. They only thing she wanted. Becuase half price wasnt as good as buy one get one free... I ended up just handing it to her and telling her to take it. She has an ass for a husband, a stupid one at that. She deserved to see something pretty.

People in general, but Americans specifically, can't do basic math. Hence the infamous 1/3 pound burger: https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/06/17/third-pound-burger-fractions/

I would buy the right-handed pencils, because I'm right handed. You shouldn't buy mismatched pencils, below is a story showing what happens.

the story

My friend Paul bought a pencil at this exact store. He's left-handed, but the store had somehow ran out of left-handed pencils. So, being the smart-ass he is, Paul thought:

— Golly! I'll just buy a right-handed one. It's a great deal, even! 5 whole pencils, all for one dollar!

That was his gravest mistake.

He picked up the pencil with his left hand, as usual. It beeped thrice, rang a bit, then exploded. He lost his left arm, and only survived because he received immediate medical attention.

This is what happens when you use a mismatched pencil. It may not look like it at first, but which hand you use them with matters. Spread this message.