larkin and hubbard decided to market directly to consumers, and by 1885 had eliminated all middlemen, including their own salesmen. with the money saved on sales commissions, larkin was able to offer better premiums. in 1891, larkin placed its first large wholesale order, $40,000 () worth of piano lamps. the next year it expanded into morris chairs worth $80,000 () and oak dining chairs worth $125,000 (). one of the most popular giveaways was the chatauqua desk. for a $10 order of soap, the customer would receive the soap and the desk, a $10 premium. the idea grabbed the attention of the public, and through further refinement, larkin began offering a variety of both products and premiums. the "combination box", advertised in the 1890s, offered enough soap and toiletry products to last an average family one year.