The Economics of Everyday Things

Feb 02 2025 93 ep. 17 mins 14.7k
The Economics of Everyday Things Podcast artwork

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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79. School Photos

Feb 02 2025 19 mins  
Picture day is an annual tradition for American families — and, for the companies that take the photos, a lucrative one. Zachary Crockett smiles for the camera.

78. Porta-Potties

Jan 26 2025 20 mins  
They're not always the nicest places to go — but for their owners, portable toilets are a lucrative revenue stream. Zachary Crockett lifts the lid.

77. Hand Models

Jan 19 2025 16 mins  
You can be a top model and still not get recognized on the street — as long as you keep your cuticles healthy and your moons white. Zachary Crockett points a finger.

76. Hotel Art

Jan 12 2025 17 mins  
A watercolor of a harbor? A black-and-white photo of a pile of rocks? Some hotels are trying to do better. Zachary Crockett unpacks.

75. Butchers

Jan 05 2025 19 mins  
Before beef ends up at your favorite steakhouse, it passes through the hands of a trained specialist with an encyclopedic knowledge of bovine anatomy. Zachary Crockett chews the fat.

Pistachios (Replay)

Dec 29 2024 15 mins  
How did a little green nut become a billion-dollar product, lauded by celebrities in Super Bowl ads? Zachary Crockett cracks open the story.

Cashmere (Replay)

Dec 22 2024 15 mins  
Once a luxury good, the soft fiber is now everywhere — which has led to a goat boom in Mongolia. Zachary Crockett tugs at the thread.

74. Fonts

Dec 15 2024 22 mins  
Behind almost every character you see displayed on a page or a screen, there’s a complex — and sometimes lucrative — web of licensing deals. Zachary Crockett is just your type.

73. Used Bookstores

Dec 08 2024 17 mins  
Americans throw away 320 million books every year. How do some of them find a second life? Zachary Crockett is just browsing.

Greeting Cards (Replay)

Dec 01 2024 15 mins  
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 what sentiments they want to convey. Zachary Crockett is thinking of you on your special day.