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16 Jan 2013, 15:21
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45% (medium)

Question Stats:

65% (01:38) correct 35% (01:22) wrong based on 445 sessions

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Toys4Them, an online toy merchant, generated $220 million in revenue last year, an 8.6 percent increase over the previous year. However, the number of toys sold did not increase significantly last year over the previous year. Each of the following, if true, could explain the apparent discrepancy EXCEPT: a)Last year, Toys4Them changed its accounting policy to no longer count toys given away to charities as sold toys. b)Toys4Them sold a higher proportion of more expensive toys last year than the previous year. c)Last year, the number of consumers shopping for toys increased over the previous year. d)Last year, Toys4Them experienced an unprecedented boom in its divisions that do not sell toys. e)Because of an economic downturn, Toys4Them heavily discounted its toys during the holiday season two years ago. IMO , except C & E , all other options clearly resolve the discrepancy. OA is C not E. However I could nt be able to figure out , how does option E resolve the discrepancy . So help me to figure out the same ... Thanks in advance . [Reveal] Spoiler: OA Kudos [?]: 55 [1], given: 8 Board of Directors Joined: 01 Sep 2010 Posts: 3378 Kudos [?]: 9290 [2], given: 1169 Re: Toys4Them, an online toy merchant, generated$220 million in [#permalink]

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16 Jan 2013, 16:17
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happy to clarify

When you deal with such question (indeed tough) try to understand really the argument.

Here we have an increase of revenue from one year to another year and a diminish of toys sold

E says that Toys4Them heavily discounted its toys during the holiday season two years ago (i.e 2012 during christmas holidays, could be an option) then the next year we have an increase of revenue BUT the toys are not purchased because people already have. May be they buy other stuffs from other compnany but not the same. As such, we end with more money in out bank account (the company) but with fewer toys sold.C instead, perfectly adheres to our case EXCEPT question

Plan B. always try to figure out a plane B, a second strategy to deal with because this exam is just this: seeing the things from an odd angle.

Even if you do not understand completely the stimulus (could happens) if you notice all options talk about toys $$BUT$$ only C talks about the number of consumers . We care about ONLY of toys $$NOT$$ consumers.

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16 Jan 2013, 17:47
I'm not sure what you really mean

But I say do not infer too much. Never on GMAT. often students (me too) tend to see beyond the argument at stake. i.e if the discount is not present or offered

Stay in the "area" of the question. nothing more, nothing less.

Only in weaken or strengthen the argument almost always the time the answer is something out of scope, in somehow.
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Re: Toys4Them, an online toy merchant, generated $220 million in [#permalink] ### Show Tags 17 Jan 2013, 14:20 MOKSH wrote: Toys4Them, an online toy merchant, generated$220 million in revenue last year, an 8.6 percent increase over the previous year. However, the number of toys sold did not increase significantly last year over the previous year.

Each of the following, if true, could explain the apparent discrepancy EXCEPT:
a)Last year, Toys4Them changed its accounting policy to no longer count toys given away to charities as sold toys.
b)Toys4Them sold a higher proportion of more expensive toys last year than the previous year.
c)Last year, the number of consumers shopping for toys increased over the previous year.
d)Last year, Toys4Them experienced an unprecedented boom in its divisions that do not sell toys.
e)Because of an economic downturn, Toys4Them heavily discounted its toys during the holiday season two years ago.

IMO , except C & E , all other options clearly resolve the discrepancy.
OA is C not E. However I could nt be able to figure out , how does option E resolve the discrepancy .
So help me to figure out the same ...

oh well,i think the best thing is to understand the question stem,the stimulus,and the answer choices themselves..check this one out.the arguement presented to answer makes a comparison of sales made last with a previous year under certain conditions(unstated assumptions)which brought in a difference in revenue collected..now the question stem asks to provide an option that does not explain the discrepancy in the arguement..the discrepancy they are talking about it the more revenue thing when less toys are sold out..all options except C explain that descrepancy..C is contradictory to the statement(the number of toys sold did not increase significantly last year over the previous year.)in a way that it says that consumers increased in number inferring that they bought more of the toys from that shop..hence C is the answer to the question.

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Re: Toys4Them, an online toy merchant, generated $220 million in [#permalink] ### Show Tags 17 Jan 2013, 14:55 1 This post was BOOKMARKED Category : resolve the paradox. For Paradox questions the correct answer will actively resolve the paradox, that is, it will allow both sides to be factually correct and it will either explain how the situation came into being or add a piece of information that shows how the two ideas or occurrences can coexist. Because you are not seeking to disprove one side of the situation, you must select the answer choice that contains a possible cause of the situation. So, when examining answers, ask yourself if the answer choice could lead to the situation in the stimulus. If so, the answer is correct. If an answer supports or proves only one side of the paradox, that answer will be incorrect. The correct answer must show how both sides coexist. The following types of answers are incorrect: 1. Explains only one side of the paradox If an answer supports or proves only one side of the paradox, that answer will be incorrect. The correct answer must show how both sides coexist. 2. Similarities and differences If the stimulus contains a paradox where two items are similar, then an answer choice that explains a difference between the two cannot be correct. Conversely, if the stimulus contains a paradox where two items are different, then an answer choice that explains why the two are similar cannot be correct. In short, a similarity cannot explain a difference, and a difference cannot explain a similarity. Toys4Them, an online toy merchant, generated$220 million in revenue last year, an 8.6 percent increase over the previous year. However, the number of toys sold did not increase significantly last year over the previous year.

Each of the following, if true, could explain the apparent discrepancy EXCEPT:

There are no conclusion in paradox questions, so all we got are facts. Examine the facts very closely.
toys4Them, an online toy merchant, generated $220 million in revenue last year, an 8.6 percent increase over the previous year It tells about the revenue last year$220 million, an 8.6 percent increase over the previous year. Does not tell anything about operating cost or profit. However, the number of toys sold did not increase significantly last year over the previous year.

a)Last year, Toys4Them changed its accounting policy to no longer count toys given away to charities as sold toys.-- Fair enough, if previously they were counting charity toys as sold and accounting for its sale, then changing that policy will increase there revenues and will actively resolve the paradox.
b)Toys4Them sold a higher proportion of more expensive toys last year than the previous year. --- This resolves the paradox if last year they hold more expensive toys than previous year, the increase revenue could be explained given the fact the total number of toys sold did not increased.
c)Last year, the number of consumers shopping for toys increased over the previous year. --- hmnnn. Classic example of what i mentioned above.If an answer supports or proves only one side of the paradox, that answer will be incorrect. The correct answer must show how both sides coexist. This only explains what may have caused the increase in revenue but does not address the fact that number of toys sold did not increased significantly. Correct Answer
d)Last year, Toys4Them experienced an unprecedented boom in its divisions that do not sell toys. --- This again holds both side of the conversation. If this is true then the increased revenue could be from this division and not from the sale of the toys.
e)Because of an economic downturn, Toys4Them heavily discounted its toys during the holiday season two years ago--- This hold both side of the conversation. More revenue generated but not significant increase in the number of toys sold. So this indeed resolve the paradox.

Take Away:

Resolve the paradox only gives you facts and facts are indisputable. So any answer choice that validate one of the facts but invalidate another one is always going to be wrong.
Right answer should explain you how this situation came into existence.

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17 Jan 2013, 15:32
@kingston..i think it wouldnt be proper if you call the answer choices facts..the answer choices remain as unstated assumptions as long as we assume them true inorder to resolve the paradox..the above arguement is paradoxical in a way that it suggests maxumum profit in few sold items, i.e toys..i am not disproving any of the arguement in the question stem but rather i qualified one of the arguement inorder of reaching the needed equillibrium..a good example is that of two girls with different weights on a seesaw..you wouldnt measure the same distance from the pivot or fulcrum to each sitting place but rather you might want to shift one of girls in the right place to maintain the proper balance and that exactly what i have done..thanks [/quote]

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02 Sep 2013, 20:26
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Looks pretty straightforward to me.

Sales has gone down, and revenue gone up.
Possibilties ?

A. Direct increase in price (option B)
B. Previously selling at lower price( option E)
C. Any other factor that had increased revenue, not related to sales(option D)
D. Not counting few non billed items - no effect ( A)

Left is C, # of consumers has no bearing on # of toys they are buying.

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04 Sep 2013, 00:33
MOKSH wrote:
Toys4Them, an online toy merchant, generated $220 million in revenue last year, an 8.6 percent increase over the previous year. However, the number of toys sold did not increase significantly last year over the previous year. Each of the following, if true, could explain the apparent discrepancy EXCEPT: a)Last year, Toys4Them changed its accounting policy to no longer count toys given away to charities as sold toys. b)Toys4Them sold a higher proportion of more expensive toys last year than the previous year. c)Last year, the number of consumers shopping for toys increased over the previous year. d)Last year, Toys4Them experienced an unprecedented boom in its divisions that do not sell toys. e)Because of an economic downturn, Toys4Them heavily discounted its toys during the holiday season two years ago. Thanks in advance . Question: which answer does not explain why revenue increased while toys sold stayed roughly the same? (A) changed accounting methods --> artificially increased revenue (b) more expensive toys were sold than cheap toys, total is still same --> increased revenue (c) more consumers bought toys --> increased toys sold --> conflicts with what paragraph explicitly says --> this is unhelpful and thus the answer (d) another department did well --> increased revenue (e) economic downturn two years ago --> sold their toys less two years ago --> this year, prices were back to normal --> increased revenue Kudos [?]: 5 [0], given: 26 Non-Human User Joined: 01 Oct 2013 Posts: 10128 Kudos [?]: 270 [0], given: 0 Re: Toys4Them, an online toy merchant, generated$220 million in [#permalink]

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03 Jan 2015, 09:18
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Re: Toys4Them, an online toy merchant, generated $220 million in [#permalink] ### Show Tags 30 Sep 2016, 07:45 MOKSH wrote: Toys4Them, an online toy merchant, generated$220 million in revenue last year, an 8.6 percent increase over the previous year. However, the number of toys sold did not increase significantly last year over the previous year.

Each of the following, if true, could explain the apparent discrepancy EXCEPT:
a)Last year, Toys4Them changed its accounting policy to no longer count toys given away to charities as sold toys.
b)Toys4Them sold a higher proportion of more expensive toys last year than the previous year.
c)Last year, the number of consumers shopping for toys increased over the previous year.
d)Last year, Toys4Them experienced an unprecedented boom in its divisions that do not sell toys.
e)Because of an economic downturn, Toys4Them heavily discounted its toys during the holiday season two years ago.

C for me. any other answer helps to explain the discrepancy.

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01 Oct 2016, 10:02
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Expert's post
22gmat wrote:
I agree with C). Nevertheless I have a question how to eliminate A)
"a)Last year, Toys4Them changed its accounting policy to no longer count toys given away to charities as sold toys."

If the company does not account the toys given away to charities as sold toys then the revenue should be lower and not greater or?
Example:
Year 2000: Revenue = 220 Mio (including 10 Mio for toys given away to charities)
Year 2001: Revenue = 210 (new accounting approach without the 10 Mio )

Can me someone explain how this argument helps to clarify that the revenue increased?

Thank you!
Kind regards.

Option A implies that there is actually an increase in no.of toys that were sold at a price and not given away free to charities:

Last year sold toys S1 = toys donated to charities D1 + toys exchanged for money E1 (I use the term "exchange" just not to use the term "sold" twice, in both sides of the equation)
This year sold toys S2 = toys exchanged for money E2.

S2 no longer includes D2, but S2 is slightly greater than S1.This implies E2 -E1 > D1. That is the number of toys exchanged for money increased by a number greater than the number of toys donated to charity last year. Mathematically,

S1 = D1 + E1
S2 = E2

S2>S1
Thus E2> D1 + E1

That means E2 is greater than E1 by a number greater than D1 - this in other words imply that there is an increase is number of toys exchanged for money, justifying the increased revenue.

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01 Oct 2016, 11:44
MOKSH wrote:
carcass :Thanks for ur reply ,
I had no doubt abt option "C" , but I was more confused with option "E".
After reading ur reply , One more things , I figured out i.e. Discounted offer on toys may not be present => so it may be that toys are currently sold on its selling price => it may result in higher revenue , even though the number of toys sold did not increase significantly last year over the previous year=> hence it resolves the paradox .

thanks

that was my reasoning as well, hence I eliminated e and chose c. And everyone else makes valid points as well but I definitely thought like you for option "e."

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