For example you could order the subscriber list for Fine Woodworking Magazine. The cost per name would be $0.095 per name compared to the normal mailing list average cost of $0.05 per name. These names are nearly double the cost, however you are guaranteed that all of the names you get are for people interested in woodworking and therefore are much more likely to be interested in your product.
With the "women over 40" example - some may be wrinkly and some may look quite young and aren't even thinking of eye cream yet. Managed Lists are not appropriate for all situations, but can be a major help when a very specific target mailing list is needed. Don't fret over the extra cost, the more targeted names will undoubtedly show greater overall returns in the end.
The purpose of special mailing lists is to target a specific type of customer for your specific type of business. The eventual end result is mailing list more customers and a better bottom line. And this is what we all want, right? If you're anything like me, you've probably heard it a thousand times before, stored it in the back of your memory bank, and haven't had the desire to go back there to get it.