How to handle letting customers order a sample?

We have started a site OneGranitePlace.com and we sell mosaic tiles and other natural stone items. We want to offer the option for customers to order a sample before they make a large investment. We want this because it's important to see the color in the location it is going to be installed in, rather than basing a purchase off of your computer monitor or printer.

Here is what we currently have set up: We have a product called 'Tile Sample Kit' it costs $19.99 and there are four text box attribute fields. The goal is that a customer can enter four model numbers and the attributes will be carried over to us on the order. However I feel and it has been mentioned on here that this is primitive and forces the customer to virtually have a pen and paper at the ready.

What I would like to do is this: Every product would have a check box attribute that when checked, would reset the cost to say $4.99. Currently I cannot figure out if an attribute can set the price, it appears that it can only add to or subtract from the price defined by the product. This method actually allows the customer to see the sample in the cart.

If anyone has an alternate/superior method to achieve the same result, I am all ears.

Thanks,

Canaan

Set the product as priced by attribute/s only...

Currently I cannot figure out if an attribute can set the price, it appears that it can only add to or subtract from the price defined by the product.
When you set a product up DO NOT enter a price- select "priced by attributes.

Create attributes for a sample, normal unit, etc - enter the price when configuring the attribute value

Try one as a test to see if you prefer this representation

Thank you for sharing this, however, how would I make the normal product and the sample on the same page.

I guess I could do two attributes as radio buttons:

The first (default) would be the normal price
The second would be the sample price

Would this be the accepted solution?

Would this interfere with any sales that I would possibly implement in the future?

Would this be the accepted solution?
What is accepted is what works for your conditions
Would this interfere with any sales that I would possibly implement in the future?
This is why I suggested you try one as a test to see if you prefer this representation

Thanks for the quick response Kobra,

Alright I have set up the attributes with two radio buttons and made the first choice the default.

However when pricing by attributes, rather than the price be normal, it says starting at and uses the lowest price attribute.

I removed the starting at price through the admin interface (Catalog > Product Types > Products General - Edit)

However it still displays the lowest attribute price. Is there a simple way to edit a template somewhere to display the highest priced attribute instead of the lowest?

Thanks

Alright I have set up the attributes with two radio buttons and made the first choice the default.
When you say first choice is default - is this the higher priced item?

Yes the higher priced attribute is the default. But Zen Cart will still list the lowest priced attribute as the starting price.

To clarify, currently I have two attributes

X - Full Sheet (18.99)
0 - Sample (4.99)

The first is default. but sense it is priced by attributes, it grabs the 4.99 and makes that the price. I want it to grab the 18.99, the highest priced attribute.

My thought was somewhere in the code it says to find the minimum attribute value and display it. I want to change it to grab the maximum attribute value.

My thought was somewhere in the code it says to find the minimum attribute value and display it. I want to change it to grab the maximum attribute value.
I do not think a max price is readily available as there could be a multitude of options even though noy in your case...but the code allows for them anyway

So does it seem reasonable to create a sample category under the root, disable it so it's not visible, and add a sample version of every product and link to it from the regular product page?

I can do that but it would take a bit of work. It would effectively double the size of our catalog.

I personally do not see the issue with "starting at" text which can also be changed to say something else...
One can add actual price in the description and first bolded/another color - left-center-right justified etc...

But then it is not my site...

Well I had one person complete an order last night using the method we are currently using.

I still don't think we have a good system, but I don't think that I should put a lot of effort into a bunch of attributes that only slightly improves the problem, for our store anyway. I just don't think we have found the right answer. Until then, I think it will just stay as it is...

Thank you Kobra for your help.