The Economics of Everyday Things

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 Plas...

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.   R...

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 T...

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 o...

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 Launderin...

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...

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...

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 S...

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 Uni...

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 pre...

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...

Channeling the voices of celebrities can be a lucrative career — one that requires empathy and discretion as well as literary chops. Zachary Crockett checks the acknowledgements.   SOURCES: Valerie Frankel , ghostwriter. Madeleine Morel , President and Lead Agent of 2M Communications. Daniel Paisner , ghostwriter.   RESOURCES: " Ghostwriting History: Churchill, Kennedy and the Authenticity of Auth...

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 drops some napkins.   SOURCES: Mariel-Leona Edwards , senior operations manager for Señor Sisig. Matthew Geller , founding president of the National Food Truck Association and C.E.O. of the Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association. Evan Kide...

Youth baseball — long a widely accessible American pastime — has become overrun by $10,000-per-year, for-profit travel leagues. Zachary Crockett peers inside the dugout.   SOURCES: Linda Flanagan , author. Nick Mackenzie, future New York Yankees shortstop. R.J. Mackenzie, physical education teacher and baseball dad. John Miller , journalist and baseball coach.   RESOURCES: " The Cost of Youth Base...

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.   SOURCES: Carlos De Jesus , director of communications at Amorim Cork.   RESOURCES: " This Ancient Material Is Displacing Plastics and Creating a Billion-Dollar Industry ," by Marta Vidal ( The Washington Post, 2024). " Troubled Times For Wine In 2023...

Grocery stores have turned shoppers into cashiers. Zachary Crockett runs two bags of chips and a Gatorade over the scanner.   SOURCES: Sara Alloy , experience retail lead for North America at Publicis Sapient. Christopher Andrews , professor of sociology at Drew University. Phil Lempert , founder and C.E.O. of SupermarketGuru.   RESOURCES: " Feeling Rewarded and Entitled to Be Served: Understandin...

Does anyone ever win the giant teddy bear? Zachary Crockett steps right up.   SOURCES: Matthew Gryczan , retired journalist and engineer. Elliot Simmons, former carnival game worker. Olivia Turner , general manager of Redbone Products.   RESOURCES: " AG Platkin Announces 10-Year Ban of Amusement Games Licenses and a Fine for Wildwood Games Operator ," by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney Gener...

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 horizon. Zachary Crockett grabs an umbrella.   SOURCES: Steve Adelman , head of Adelman Law Group, PLLC and vice president of the Event Safety Alliance. Peter Neilley , director of weather forecasting sciences and technologies for The Weather Company.  ...

A fraternity’s budget includes broken windows, liability insurance, chili dog breakfasts, and the occasional $40,000 DJ. Zachary Crockett crashes the party.   SOURCES: Anthony Anderson, member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Danielle Logan , owner of Fraternity Management. Charlie O’Neill, member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Stephen J. Schmidt , professor of economics at Union Col...

How does bail work — and who's really paying? Zachary Crockett follows the money.   SOURCES: Joshua Page , professor of sociology and law at the University of Minnesota. Steven Zalewski , criminal defense attorney and co-owner of Affordable Bails New York.   RESOURCES: " Does Bail Reform Increase Crime in New York State: Evidence from Interrupted Time-Series Analyses and Synthetic Control Methods...

So many vehicles on the road today are white, black, or gray — but automotive designers find that consumer preferences may be changing lanes. Zachary Crockett surveys the lot.   SOURCES: Tom Crockett, classic car enthusiast. Mark Gutjahr , global head of design at BASF. Nikkie Riedel , carline planning manager at Subaru of America.   RESOURCES: BASF Color Report 2023 for Automotive OEM Coatings ....

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 cleans out the garage.   SOURCES: Zachary Dickens , executive vice president and chief investment officer of Extra Space Storage. Anne Mari DeCoster , self-storage consultant. Kara Kolodziej, self-storage unit tenant.   RESOURCES: " A Fifth Of Americans...

The background noises you hear in film and TV — from footsteps to zombie guts — are produced in specialized studios by professionals known as Foley artists. Zachary Crockett makes some noise.   SOURCE: Gregg Barbanell , foley artist at Universal Studios.   RESOURCES: " The Weird, Analog Delights of Foley Sound Effects ," by Anna Wiener ( The New Yorker, 2022). " The Strangest Foley Sounds in Cinem...

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 Crockett follows the links.   SOURCES: Vince Cate , technical contact for the .ai domain in Anguilla. Kim Davies , Vice President of Internet Assigned Numbers Authority Services and President of Public Technical Identifiers at ICANN. Tianyu Fang , contrib...

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 buried.   SOURCES: Terry Arellano , co-founder and president of Cemetery Property Resales, Inc. Jeff Lindeman , C.E.O. and General Manager of Mountain View Cemetery. Tanya Marsh , professor of law at Wake Forest University. Maureen Walton , founder an...