The Economics of Everyday Things
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The Economics of Everyday Things
Who decides which snacks are in your office’s vending machine? How much is a suburban elm tree worth, and to whom? How did Girl Scout Cookies become a billion-dollar business? In bite-sized episodes, journalist Zachary Crockett looks at quotidian things and finds amazing stories. To get every show...
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200 episodi
58. Firefighters
There are more firefighters than ever — and fewer fires for them to fight. So the job has changed. Zachary Crockett slides down the pole. This episode...
57. Strippers
Performing at a strip club can be lucrative, but it requires financial and psychological savvy — and an eye for social trends. Zachary Crockett takes...
56. Snake Venom
Why does treating a venomous snake bite cost as much as a house? Zachary Crockett slithers over to North Carolina to find out. This episode was origin...
55. Direct-to-Consumer Mattresses
Online companies promised to bring transparency to the mattress-buying experience. Did that work out? Zachary Crockett takes a look under the sheets....
54. Ghostwriters
Channeling the voices of celebrities can be a lucrative career — one that requires empathy and discretion as well as literary chops. Zachary Crockett...
53. Food Trucks
How did mobile kitchens become popular with hipster gourmands? And just how much money can a popular truck make from a lunch shift? Zachary Crocket dr...
52. Little League
Youth baseball — long a widely accessible American pastime — has become overrun by $10,000-per-year, for-profit travel leagues. Zachary Crockett peers...
51. Wine Corks
Why do we use a specific kind of tree-bark tissue to seal up 70 percent of wine bottles? Zachary Crockett takes a sniff and gives the waiter a nod. Th...
50. Self-Checkout
Grocery stores have turned shoppers into cashiers. Zachary Crockett runs two bags of chips and a Gatorade over the scanner. This episode was originall...
49. Weather Forecasts
With industries relying on them and profits to be made, weather forecasts are more precise and more popular than ever. But there are clouds on the hor...
48. College Fraternities
A fraternity’s budget includes broken windows, liability insurance, chili dog breakfasts, and the occasional $40,000 DJ. Zachary Crockett crashes the...
47. Bail Bonds
How does bail work — and who's really paying? Zachary Crockett follows the money. This episode was originally published on May 5th, 2024.
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46. Car Colors
So many vehicles on the road today are white, black, or gray — but automotive designers find that consumer preferences may be changing lanes. Zachary...
45. Storage Units
Americans love to buy new stuff and hate to get rid of old stuff, which is why storing it all has become a $45 billion business. Zachary Crockett clea...
44. Movie Sound Effects
The background noises you hear in film and TV — from footsteps to zombie guts — are produced in specialized studios by professionals known as Foley ar...
43. Top-Level Domains
Those letters at the end of web addresses can mean big bucks — and, for some small countries, a substantial part of the national budget. Zachary Crock...
42. Cemeteries
The verdant lawns promise everlasting rest — but what does it mean to sign a lease for all eternity? Zachary Crockett finds out where the bodies are b...
41. Pet Movers
Relocating halfway across the world is hard enough for humans. For pets it can require a specialist. Zachary Crockett waits at the airport, holding a...
40. Prosthetic Limbs
More and more Americans rely on prostheses. They’re custom-fitted, highly personal, and extremely expensive. Zachary Crockett investigates. This episo...
39. Houseplants
Interest in houseplants has exploded in recent years. But what causes floral trends, and prices, to grow? Zachary Crockett sows a few seeds. This epis...
38. Junk Mail
Why does the mailman bring us so many catalogs, credit card offers, and pizza coupons? Because his job depends on it. Zachary Crockett checks the mail...
37. Personal Injury Lawyers
If you can make it through three years of law school, you too might end up on a billboard. Zachary Crockett makes the case. This episode was original...
36. ATMs
Why do you have to pay $4 to get $40 cash at a bar? And who does it go to? Zachary Crockett checks his balance. This episode was originally published...
35. Dental Insurance
Why is it separate from medical insurance? And is it really insurance at all? Zachary Crockett goes in for a cleaning. This episode was originally pub...
34. Store-Brand Products
Those low-priced staples on grocery-store shelves — where do they come from? Zachary Crockett finds out at a national convention for private-label man...
33. Sex Scenes
Behind these steamy sequences, there are body doubles, pubic wigs, legal documents, and dedicated choreographers who make sure everyone is comfortable...
32. Used Golf Balls
American golfers lose 300 million balls a year — and all those bad swings are someone else’s business opportunity. Zachary Crockett hits the links. Th...
31. Superhot Chili Peppers
The market for gustatory pain is surprisingly competitive. Zachary Crockett feels the burn. This episode was originally published on January 7th, 2024...
30. Card Counting
Casinos think they can stop skilled gamblers from eking out a tiny edge at blackjack. Is that a losing bet? Zachary Crockett doubles down. This episod...
29. Greeting Cards
The tradition of sending cards to loved ones was in decline — until it was rescued by a new generation. But millennials have their own ideas about wha...
28. Horseshoe Crab Blood
How does the blood of a 450-million-year-old arthropod help prevent lethal infections in humans? And could we exhaust the supply? Zachary Crockett wa...
27. Romance Novels
How did love stories about vampires, cowboys, and wealthy dukes become the highest-grossing fiction genre in the world? Zachary Crockett gets swept aw...
26. Graffiti
Is graffiti public art, or public nuisance? It depends who you ask. Zachary Crockett tags in where it all started. This episode was originally publish...
25. Private Jets
Executives shell out millions of dollars for the privilege of flying private — but that convenience comes at a steep cost to the rest of us. Zachary C...
24. Pistachios
How did a little green nut become a billion-dollar product, lauded by celebrities in Super Bowl ads? Zachary Crockett cracks open the story. This epis...
23. Cadavers - Part 2
In the final part of our series, Zachary Crockett talks to a man with a storied — and controversial — career in the body parts business. This episode...
22. Cadavers - Part 1
In the first of two episodes, Zachary Crockett digs into the strange and discomfiting history of cadavers, and the industry that has emerged around th...
21. Car Washes
Why are these sudsy roadside stops one of the fastest growing industries in America? Zachary Crockett takes a look under the hood. This episode was or...
20. Tattoo Parlors
More people than ever before are getting tattoos — but social media has flipped the trade’s business model on its head. Zachary Crockett dips into the...
19. Pizza Boxes
There’s more than meets the eye to the box that stores the pie. Zachary Crockett cracks the lid. This episode was originally published on October 1st,...