There are giants in the isolated Sierra Nevada mountains of California—ancient red giants, the last of their kind. Although they were known for centuries by Native Americans, it wasn’t 41 the 1830s that the most-massive trees in the world, the giant sequoias, were “discovered” by white hunters. It took another 20 years for their existence to 42 the consciousness of the general public, and roads were soon erected to make access easier. One of the first trees to gain fame, the massive “Discovery Tree,” was felled just one year after it was identified. It took five men 22 days to 43 through its 1,300-year-old trunk, and its stump was used as a dance floor. Although it was soon apparent that the lumber of these enormous organisms was inferior 44 other softwoods (the wood often would shatter when the heavy tree hit the ground), a number of old-growth trees were felled just to prove their existence, and samples were sold to museums around the world. Additionally, many loggers could not 45 the allure and prestige of felling such massive trees, and the groves began to diminish.

   Retailers have spent millions of dollars researching and refining the layouts of their stores, all with the goal of getting the most profitable items in your shopping cart. For instance, you can bet that the products placed at eye level on the shelves are those that give the highest profit margin to the store; by contrast, if you have to bend down or ask for assistance to reach a product, it’s probably not as profitable. 

   Another strategy revolves around the fact that most of us are right-handed (over 88 percent), and thus will reach for things with our right hands. So you’ll see eye-catching displays to the right of the store entrance, offering high-margin products, or items they want to get rid of quickly.

    If you want to avoid falling into either of these traps, go against the flow. Veer left, and look to the top and bottom of the shelves. You’ll find better deals there. 

   Another trick retailers tend to play is to end every item with a 9. They do it for a very good reason.        The difference between $199.99 and $200 is not just one cent. It’s a psychological trick that somehow makes the first price way more attractive than the second. Psychologists believe that as consumers, we pay much more attention to the dollars than the cents. 

   And specifically, the first digit in the price also matters. We look at the 1 and think “oh good, we’re still under $200.” Well, yes: By a penny. But the second it jumps into the $200 category, it’s between $200 and $300. That’s a significant jump in our heads, even though on paper it’s only a jump of one cent. 

   Strangely, it works even when the price is raised to end in a nine. This test revealed that when a store raised the price of a dress from $34 to $39, sales of the item went up by one-third! So look carefully at the prices, and mentally note your $199.99 purchases as over $200. They will be after tax, anyway (except in a few states).