The Economics of Everyday Things

Mannequins may be made out of plastic or fiberglass, but for retailers they’re pure gold. Zachary Crockett strikes a pose. SOURCES:Stacie Bornn, vice president of sales, marketing, and creative at Fusion Specialties.Judi Henderson, C.E.O. and president of Mannequin Madness. RESOURCES:"How This Oakland Business Gives Mannequins New Life (Almost)," by Christopher Beale (KQED, 2024)."Nike's Controversial Plus-Size Mannequin Is a Brilliant Business Decision," by Kate Taylor (Business Insider, 2019)."A Glance at History of Store Mannequins," by Anne D'Innocenzio (AP News, 2014)."Making a Fashion Statement, With or Without Clothes," by Elisabetta Povoledo (The New York Times, 2011)."Stores Demand Mannequins With Personality (Heads Optional)," by Stephanie Clifford (The New York Times, 2011)."Body Design, Variable Realisms: The Case of Female Fashion Mannequins," by Sara K. Schneider (Design Issues, 1997).

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.SOURCES:Laura Appleman, professor of law at Willamette University.Christopher Barnes, inmate at the Franklin Correctional Center.Lee Blackman, general manager at Correction Enterprises.Brian Scott, ex-inmate, former worker at the Correction Enterprises printing plant.Louis Southall, warden of Franklin Correctional Center.RESOURCES:"Prisoners in the U.S. Are Part of a Hidden Workforce Linked to Hundreds of Popular Food Brands," by Robin McDowell and Margie Mason (AP News, 2024)."Ex-Prisoners Face Headwinds as Job Seekers, Even as Openings Abound," by Talmon Joseph Smith (The New York Times, 2023)."Captive Labor: Exploitation of Incarcerated Workers," by the American Civil Liberties Union and the University of Chicago Law School Global Human Rights Clinic (2022)."Bloody Lucre: Carceral Labor and Prison Profit," by Laura Appleman (Wisconsin Law Review, 2022)."Prison Labor Is on the Frontlines of the COVID-19 Pandemic," by Eliyahu Kamisher (The Appeal, 2020).Correction Enterprises.EXTRAS:"Can Data Keep People Out of Prison?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).

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.  SOURCES:Lee Blackman, general manager at Correction Enterprises.Gene Hawkins, senior principal engineer at Kittelson and professor emeritus of civil engineering at Texas A&M University.Renee Roach, state signing and delineation engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. RESOURCES:"Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, 11th Edition," by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (2023)."Who Picks the Businesses on Highway Exit Signs?" by Janet Nguyen (Marketplace, 2022)."The Road to Clarity," by Joshua Yaffa (The New York Times Magazine, 2007). EXTRAS:"Do People Pay Attention to Signs?" by No Stupid Questions (2022).

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. SOURCES:Hollie Colahan, deputy director of the Birmingham Zoo and chair of the AZA's Animal Population Management Committee.Dwight Lawson, executive director and C.E.O. of the Oklahoma City Zoo. RESOURCES:"Oklahoma City Zoo Announces Near-Total Redesign in 2024 Master Plan," by Sam Royka (The Oklahoman, 2024)."Panda Diplomacy: What China’s Decision to Send Bears to the US Reveals About Its Economy," by Chee Meng Tan (The Conversation, 2024)."Oklahoma City Zoological Trust Financial Statements," (2023)."Modern Zoos Are Not Worth the Moral Cost," by Emma Marris (The New York Times, 2021)."The Tiger King of the 19th Century," by Betsy Golden Kellem (Slate, 2020).Animal Population Management Committee of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Tow-truck drivers: roadside rescuers or car confiscators? Zachary Crockett gets hooked. SOURCES:Bill Giorgis, president of Mike’s Wrecker Service.Max Karimi, co-owner of H&M Roadside.Teresa Murray, director of the Consumer Watchdog Program at U.S. Public Interest Research Group. RESOURCES:"Getting Off the Hook of a Predatory Tow - Part II," by Jacob van Cleef and Teresa Murray (U.S. PIRG Education Fund, 2022)."Getting Off the Hook of a Predatory Tow," by Grace Brombach (U.S. PIRG Education Fund, 2021)."Beware of Car Towing Companies That Patrol Private Parking Lots," by Ann Carrns (The New York Times, 2021)."After a Wave of Injuries, Tow Truck Drivers Want Us All to Slow Down," by Kristian Foden-Vencil (Oregon Public Broadcasting, 2021)."AAA’s Grip Forcing West Coast Tow Companies Out of Business, Owners Say," by Annie Sciacca (East Bay Times, 2016).r/Hookit.

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. SOURCES:Frank Almond, professional violinist.Ziv Arazi, co-owner of Rare Violins of New York.Bruno Price, co-owner of Rare Violins of New York. RESOURCES:"When It Comes to String Instruments, Stradivariuses Are Still Pitch Perfect," by Ted Scheinman (Smithsonian Magazine, 2022)."Study Confirms Superior Sound of Stradivari Is Due to How Wood Was Treated," by Jennifer Ouellette (Ars Technica, 2021)."The Case of the Stolen Stradivarius," (FBI News, 2015)."A High-Strung Market," by E. H. B. (The Economist, 2013)."Violins For Music — And Investment Returns," by Michael S. Fischer (Financial Advisor, 2013)."Stradivarius Fetches Record $16 Million in Charity Sale," (Reuters, 2011). EXTRA:A Violin's Life, album series by Frank Almond (2013).

Casinos think they can stop skilled gamblers from eking out a tiny edge at blackjack. Is that a losing bet? Zachary Crockett doubles down. SOURCES:"Ben," former professional card counter.Bill Zender, co-founder of Bill Zender and Associates casino consulting firm. RESOURCES:"Blackjack Player Sues Ameristar Casino, City of Black Hawk Over Alleged Detainment for Card Counting," by Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton (The Denver Post, 2023)."Why Does the House Always Win? A Look at Casino Profitability," by J. B. Maverick (Investopedia, 2023)."Counting the Cost," by Bill Zender (GGB News, 2022)."Nevada Supreme Court Orders Casino To Pay Card Counter," by I. Nelson Rose (Gambling and the Law, 2017)."Counting Cards Is Legal, But ..." by Mark Pilarski (Detroit Free Press, 2016)."Card Counter Sues Planet Hollywood Over Detention, Confiscated Casino Chips," by Carri Geer Thevenot (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2015)."Real People Behind Story of '21' Discuss Film's Facts," by Ed Symkus (The State Journal-Register, 2008).Blackbelt in Blackjack: Playing 21 as a Martial Art, by Arnold Snyder (1997). EXTRAS:"How to Make Your Own Luck," by Freakonomics Radio (2020)."The Economics of Sports Gambling (Replay)," by Freakonomics Radio (2020)."Could the Next Brooklyn Be … Las Vegas?!" by Freakonomics Radio (2015).21, film by Robert Luketic (2008).

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. SOURCE:Yuri Arcurs, C.E.O. and founder of PeopleImages. RESOURCES:"The Last Stock Photographers Await Their Fate Under Generative A.I.," by Katie Deighton (The Wall Street Journal, 2024)."The Impressive 100-Year History of Stock Photography: From Analog to A.I.," by Ivanna Attié (Stock Photo Secrets, 2024)."How Much Can You Make Selling Stock Photos? — It’s Not as Profitable as it Used to Be," by Matic Broz (Photutorial, 2024)."Confessions of a Stock Photography Model," by Andrew Kimler (Vox, 2016).

How does a fresh tuna get from Japan to Nebraska before it goes bad? And how does its journey show up in the price of your spicy tuna rolls? Zachary Crockett gets schooled. SOURCES:Sasha Issenberg, journalist and author.David Utterback, owner of Yoshitomo and Ota sushi restaurants.Nobu Yamanashi, president of Yama Seafood. RESOURCES:"Wild or Farmed? Pacific or Atlantic? Here’s What to Know About Bluefin Tuna," by Jean Trinh (Los Angeles Times, 2023)."The Untold Story of Sushi in America," by Daniel Fromson (The New York Times Magazine, 2021)."The Intricacies of Tuna Grading," (Luke's Lobster Blog, 2020)."Sushinomics: How Bluefin Tuna Became a Million-Dollar Fish," by Svati Kirsten Narula (The Atlantic, 2014).The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy, by Sasha Issenberg (2007).Yoshitomo. EXTRAS:"Is the Future of Farming in the Ocean?" by Freakonomics Radio (2021).

Why do millions of people pay to have one of the world’s deadliest toxins injected into their faces? Zachary Crockett looks surprised. SOURCES:Dana Berkowitz, sociologist and author.Jean Carruthers, pioneer of cosmetic Botox, clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of British Columbia, and owner of Carruthers Cosmetic.Steven Williams, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and owner of Tri Valley Plastic Surgery. RESOURCES:"Botox Is More Affordable Than Ever. Is That A Good Thing?" by Krista Bennett DeMaio (Women's Health, 2024)."Early Development History of Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA)," by Alan B. Scott, Dennis Honeychurch, and Mitchell F. Brin (Medicine, 2023)."How Barely-There Botox Became the Norm," by Jessica Schiffer (The New York Times, 2021).Botox Nation: Changing the Face of America, by Dana Berkowitz (2017)."Billions and Billions for Botox," by Vauhini Vara (The New Yorker, 2014)."Botox is Destroying Hollywood Acting," by Johann Hari (HuffPost, 2011)."The Botox Boom," by David Noonan (Newsweek, 2002).

Almost everyone who buys a home spends thousands of dollars on title insurance. Most of them don’t understand it, and almost none of them use it. So why does it exist? Zachary Crockett closes the deal. SOURCES:Christy Bieber, personal finance writer.Laurie Goodman, institute fellow at the Urban Institute Housing Finance Policy Center.Kathy Kwak, chief operating officer of Proper Title. RESOURCES:"Remarks of President Joe Biden — State of the Union Address As Prepared for Delivery," (The White House Briefing Room, 2024)."Fannie Mae Expands Use Of Attorney Opinion Letters (AOLs) As Title Insurance Alternatives," by Christine Stuart (National Mortgage Professional, 2023)."U.S. Private Auto Insurers Break Premium, Loss Ratio Records in Q1," by Kris Elaine Figuracion and Tyler Hammel (S&P Global, 2023). EXTRA:"'Insurance Is Sexy.' Discuss," by Freakonomics Radio (2023).

It takes fungi-sniffing dogs, back-room deals, and a guy named “The Kingpin” for the world’s most coveted morsel to end up on your plate. Zachary Crockett picks up the scent. SOURCES:Jason McKinney, co-founder and C.E.O. of Truffle Shuffle.Besart Morina, truffle dealer. RESOURCES:"Dogs Pay the Price in Italian Truffle War," by Margherita Stancati (The Wall Street Journal, 2022)."How Truffles Took Root Around the World," by Federico Kukso (Smithsonian Magazine, 2022)."Has the American-Grown Truffle Finally Broken Through?" by Rowan Jacobsen (Smithsonian Magazine, 2021)."Sonoma County Farm Strikes Black Truffle Gold After 9 Years of Waiting," by Jenn Harris (Los Angeles Times, 2021)."In Nicolas Cage’s ‘Pig,’ How Much Is the Truffle Hog Worth Anyway?" by Victoria Petersen (The New York Times, 2021)."Predicted Climate Change Will Increase the Truffle Cultivation Potential in Central Europe," by Tomáš Čejka, Miroslav Trnka, Paul J. Krusic, Ulrich Stobbe, Daniel Oliach, Tomáš Václavík, Willy Tegel, and Ulf Büntgen (Nature Scientific Reports, 2020)."Inside the Exceptionally Shady World of Truffle Fraud," by Ryan Jacobs (Eater, 2019)."Truffle Thieves Face Paramilitary Threat," by Kim Willsher (The Guardian, 2012)."The Hidden Life of Truffles," by James M. Trappe and Andrew W. Claridge (Scientific American, 2010)."Cultivation of Black Truffle to Promote Reforestation and Land-Usestability," by José Antonio Bonet, Christine R. Fischer, and Carlos Colinas (Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 2006).

Once considered noble and heroic, pigeons are now viewed as an urban nuisance — one that costs cities millions of dollars a year. Zachary Crockett tosses some crumbs. SOURCES:Andrew Blechman, journalist and author.David Champagne, owner of Bird Busters, Inc. RESOURCES:"Racing Pigeon Sells For A Record-Breaking $1.9 Million At Auction," by Carlie Porterfield (Forbes, 2020)."Feathers of Honor: U.S. Army Signal Corps Pigeon Service in World War I, 1917–1918," by Frank A. Blazich Jr. (Army History, 2020)."Pigeon Wars," by Jon Mooallem (The New York Times, 2006).Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird, by Andrew Blechman (2004)."Pigeons Have Magnets," by Charles Walcott, James L. Gould, and J. L. Kirschvink (Science, 1979)."The Pigeon as a Quality-Control Inspector," by Thom Verhave (American Psychologist, 1966). EXTRAS:"Freakonomics Radio Live: 'Jesus Could Have Been a Pigeon,'" by Freakonomics Radio (2018).

How do criminals turn their ill-gotten gains into taxable income? And how does law enforcement stop them? Zachary Crockett follows the money. SOURCES:Patrick McKenzie, fraud prevention expert and strategic advisor at Stripe.Kerry Myers, associate professor of instruction at the University of South Florida and former F.B.I. special agent. RESOURCES:"National Assessments of Money Laundering Risks: Stumbling at the Start," by Joras Ferwerda and Peter Reuter (Risk Analysis, 2024)."Hacker 'Washes' $25M in Stolen Crypto Through Magic: The Gathering Card Scheme," by Oliver Dale (Blockonomi, 2023)."Money Spending or Money Laundering: The Fine Line between Legal and Illegal Financial Transactions," by Matthew R. Auten (Pace Law Review, 2013)."HSBC to Pay $1.9bn in US Money Laundering Penalties" (BBC News, 2012)."How a Big US Bank Laundered Billions From Mexico's Murderous Drug Gangs," by Ed Vulliamy (The Guardian, 2011). EXTRAS:"Why Does One Tiny State Set the Rules for Everyone?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."Kafkaesque," S3.E9 of Breaking Bad (2010).

Thanks to online booking platforms, the way we make reservations has changed — but a table at a hot restaurant on a Friday night is still a valuable commodity. Zachary Crockett books a four-top for 7 p.m. SOURCES:Lisa Blount, director of marketing and public relations at Antoine’s Restaurant.Adam Iscoe, writer. RESOURCES:"Why You Can’t Get a Restaurant Reservation," by Adam Iscoe (The New Yorker, 2024)."New York Passes Bill to Make the Restaurant Reservation Black Market Illegal," by Emma Orlow (Eater, 2024)."When Canceling Your Reservation Costs as Much as Dinner," by T.M. Brown (The New York Times, 2024)."65% Of Diners Go Directly To A Restaurant’s Website To Book A Reservation," by Tessa Zuluaga (Toast, 2024)."No-Show Diners by the Numbers," by OpenTable (2021)."Selling Reservations Democratizes the Dining Experience," by Tyler Cowen (The New York Times, 2015).Antoine's Restaurant. EXTRAS:"Why You Shouldn’t Open a Restaurant," by Freakonomics Radio (2018).

There are more firefighters than ever — and fewer fires for them to fight. So the job has changed. Zachary Crockett slides down the pole. SOURCES:Joshua Hurwitz, lecturer in economics at Tufts University.Eric Mackintosh, administrative battalion fire chief for San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department.Steve Pegram, retired fire chief and township administrator in Ohio. RESOURCES:"The Dire Shortage of Volunteer Firefighters in the US," by Sam Becker (BBC, 2024).San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department 2023 Annual Report (2024)."Essays on the Economics of U.S. Firefighting," by Joshua Hurwitz (Harvard University doctoral dissertation, 2021)."Over Last 20 Years, Annual Fires in the US Declined by About 50% While Career Firefighters Increased More Than 50%?" by Mark J. Perry (AEIdeas, 2015). EXTRAS:"Getting Old, Adventurously," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).

How did love stories about vampires, cowboys, and wealthy dukes become the highest-grossing fiction genre in the world? Zachary Crockett gets swept away. SOURCES:Delaney Diamond, romance novelist.Danielle Flores, high school math teacher and avid romance novel reader.Brenda Hiatt, romance novelist.Diane Moggy, vice president of editorial at Harlequin. RESOURCES:"Even as Overall Book Sales Are Declining, Romance Novels Are on the Rise," by Elena Burnett, Sarah Handel, and Juana Summers (All Things Considered, 2023)."Key Takeaways from the Authors Guild’s 2023 Author Income Survey," press release by the Authors Guild (2023)."How Amazon Turned Everyone Into a Romance Writer (and Created an Antitrust Headache)," by Ann Kjellberg (Observer, 2022)."Vivian Stephens Helped Turn Romance Writing Into a Billion-Dollar Industry. Then She Got Pushed Out," by Mimi Swartz (Texas Monthly, 2020)."A Brief History of the Romance Novel," by Amanda Pagan (New York Public Library Blog, 2019)."How Harlequin Became the Most Famous Name in Romance," by Kelly Faircloth (Jezebel, 2015)."Fifty Shades of Amish: A Strange Genre of the Romance Novel," by Leah McGrath Goodman (Newsweek, 2015).

Performing at a strip club can be lucrative, but it requires financial and psychological savvy — and an eye for social trends. Zachary Crockett takes a look. SOURCES:Layla, stripper.Dave Manack, publisher and editor-in-chief of Exotic Dancer. RESOURCES:"A Look at Washington State’s ‘Strippers’ Bill of Rights’," by Aimee Ortiz (The New York Times, 2024)."These L.A. Strippers Won a Union. But the Dance Isn’t Over," by Suhauna Hussain (Los Angeles Times, 2023)."Dancers at Northwest Portland Strip Club Vote to Form City’s First Strippers Union, Second in U.S.," by Kristine de Leon (The Oregonian, 2023)."'Everyone and Their Mum Is on It': OnlyFans Booms in Popularity During the Pandemic," by Matilda Boseley (The Guardian, 2020). EXTRAS:"Why is Everyone Having Less Sex?" by No Stupid Questions (2023).

Why does treating a venomous snake bite cost as much as a house? Zachary Crockett slithers over to North Carolina to find out. SOURCES:Steve Anderson, emergency medicine business unit leader at BTG Pharmaceuticals.Nick Brandehoff, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado and executive director of the Asclepius Snakebite Foundation.Sean Bush, emergency physician and president of the North American Society of Toxinology.Nitin Deshpande, business consultant with Premium Serums & Vaccines.Jack Facente, owner-operator of AGRITOXINS Venom Production Laboratory. RESOURCES:"This New Antivenom Defangs the Toxins of Cobras, Black Mambas and More," by Cassandra Willyard (Scientific American, 2024)."Perspectives on Snakebite Envenoming Care Needs Across Different Sociocultural Contexts and Health Systems: A Comparative Qualitative Analysis Among U.S. and Brazilian Health Providers," by Eleanor Strand, Felipe Murta, Anna Tupetz, Charles J. Gerardo, et al. (Toxicon: X, 2023)."Access to Antivenoms in the Developing World: A Multidisciplinary Analysis," by Julien Potet, David Beran, David J. Williams, et al. (Toxicon: X, 2021)."The Lab Saving the World From Snake Bites," by Myles Karp (Smithsonian Magazine, 2020)."Why Competition Hasn't Brought Down The High Price Of Snakebite Treatment," by Carmen Heredia Rodriguez (NPR, 2019)."Summer Bummer: A Young Camper’s $142,938 Snakebite," by Carmen Heredia Rodriguez (KFF Health News, 2019)."The Amazing Science Behind Fatal Snake Bites," (BBC News, 2015)."Southern Californians See a Rise in Venomous Snakes," by Rebecca Fairley Raney (The New York Times, 2006).Venom Week. EXTRAS:Venom Hunters, TV series (2016).

Online companies promised to bring transparency to the mattress-buying experience. Did that work out? Zachary Crockett takes a look under the sheets. SOURCES:Derek Hales, founder and editor-in-chief of NapLab.com.Joe Megibow, C.E.O. of Casper Sleep. RESOURCES:"Drake Has a $400,000 Bed − We Asked Why and Where You Can Buy It," by Emilia Hitching (Homes & Gardens, 2024)."Casper Tests a New Store Design as It Rethinks Its Retail Strategy," by Anna Hensel (Modern Retail, 2024)."Is The Direct-To-Consumer Bedding Business Turning Into A Bad Dream?" by Warren Shoulberg (Forbes, 2019). EXTRAS:"Are We in a Mattress-Store Bubble?" by Freakonomics Radio (2016).