The Economics of Everyday Things

SiriusXM Podcasts
  • 4.8 (1.2K)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
The Economics of Everyday Things

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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 in our network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, sign up for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts at http://apple.co/SiriusXM.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    71. Mannequins

    Mannequins may be made out of plastic or fiberglass, but for retailers they’re pure gold. Zachary Crockett strikes a pose.

    20 min

  2. NOV 11

    70. Prison Labor

    Incarcerated people grow crops, fight wildfires, and manufacture everything from motor oil to prescription glasses — often for pennies per hour. Zachary Crockett reports from North Carolina.

    21 min

  3. NOV 4

    69. Highway Signs

    It takes millions of giant green placards to make America navigable. Where do they come from — and who pays the bill? Zachary Crockett takes the exit.

    20 min

  4. OCT 28

    68. Zoo Animals

    When a zoo needs an elephant, or finds itself with three surplus penguins, it doesn’t buy or sell the animals — it asks around. Zachary Crockett rattles the cages.

    19 min

  5. OCT 21

    67. Tow Trucks

    Tow-truck drivers: roadside rescuers or car confiscators? Zachary Crockett gets hooked.

    22 min

  6. OCT 14

    66. Stradivarius Violins

    Why are these 300-year-old instruments still coveted by violinists today? And how do working musicians get their hands on multimillion-dollar antiques? Zachary Crockett is not fiddling around.

    20 min

  7. OCT 7

    Card Counting (Replay)

    Casinos think they can stop skilled gamblers from eking out a tiny edge at blackjack. Is that a losing bet? Zachary Crockett doubles down.

    19 min

  8. SEP 30

    65. Stock Photos

    Making money in the stock image business requires a sharp eye for trends, a very specific type of model, and a race against A.I. Zachary Crockett takes his shot.

    23 min
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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 in our network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, sign up for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts at http://apple.co/SiriusXM.

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