This is excellent. You should put it on a blog.
I would enjoy clarification on the difference between ridiculous and comical numbers, as for me these words are largely synonymns. I'm referring to the section that says: "If you are somehow forced to give the first number, make it ridiculous, but not comical. For instance, double your number, but do not ask for a gazillion dollars or some completely off the wall number that will show you are not serious. Welcome an outrageous reaction to your ridiculous number, then smile and shrug. The first offer may be zero, the advertised price, or an “Anchor” number."
If someone makes a starting bid of "zero", for example, that would be both ridiculous/comical. (As why would the 'seller' even show up to hear bids of zero.) So more examples here or another way of putting the same thing would be helpful. (A doubled price doesn't strike me as "ridiculous" so much as uninformed or unreasonable.)
I realize author says that we shouldn't give a number at all.
I'd say your chosen quotes do it nicely:
"double your number, but do not ask for a gazillion dollars"
If I want to sell my house for 125k, I'd say 250k, but not a million. With current market, it's ridiculous to think I can sell it for more than 200. Saying 250 can annoy the buyer. But if I say a million the buyer will laugh.
As why would the 'seller' even show up to hear bids of zero
There are circumstances where the price is actually zero, just under other name.