116. Cobblers
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Shoe repair shops are a dying breed — but for those that remain, demand is higher than ever. Zacha...
Superhot Chili Peppers (Replay)
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The market for gustatory pain is surprisingly competitive. Zachary Crockett feels the burn. SOURCES...
115. Miniature Golf
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How much does it cost to design and build a mini-golf course? And what’s it like to run one? Zacha...
114. Natural and Artificial Flavors
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do flavorists capture the essence of a fruit and put it in a can of sparkling water, or a tub of...
113. Laundromats
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A day on the job includes hundreds of quarters, giant balls of lint, and fishing weird stuff out of ...
112. Campgrounds
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Running a campground isn’t all eating s'mores around the campfire. Zachary Crockett fans the flame...
Gas Stations (UPDATED)
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When gas prices skyrocket, do station owners get a windfall? And where do their profits really come ...
111. Product Recalls
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, thousands of products are recalled from store shelves. How does the process work — and...
110. Formula 1 Teams
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a sport that generates more than $3.5 billion a year, teams compete in cars that cost $70 million...
109. Billboards
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The world’s oldest advertising medium has reconfigured itself for the digital age. Zachary Crocket...
108. Matchmakers
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Some singles choose to skip the apps and get fixed up the old-fashioned way — but it doesn't come ...
107. Megachurches
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
They have thousands of congregants and millions of dollars in income. Zachary Crockett passes the co...
106. Maple Syrup
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pure maple syrup can be five times as expensive as “pancake syrup,” but maple farmers — and br...
105. Light Bulbs
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why did it take so long to invent a longer-lasting bulb? Zachary Crockett finds the answer illuminat...
EXTRA: Emoji and the Law
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do courts interpret those little icons on your phone? Zachary Crockett brings down the hammer. ...
Home Staging (Replay)
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you turn an empty house into a buyer’s dream home? Zachary Crockett pulls back the curtain....
104. Private Investigators
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
They expose fraud, catch cheating spouses, and track down missing assets — but they don’t come c...
103. Satellites
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There are now nearly 12,000 satellites orbiting Earth. What does it cost to put them there, and how ...
102. “The Starry Night”
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How does a museum place a value on a priceless work of art? And how much does it cost to keep it saf...
101. Street Performers
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Performing for passersby takes more than talent. Buskers have to cope with hecklers, civic regulatio...
Mobile Home Parks (Replay)
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
They’ve long been associated with crime and blight. Now, the investors are moving in. Zachary Croc...
100. Podcasts
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What goes into creating an episode of The Economics of Everyday Things? And how do shows like this o...
99. Emoji
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We send 10 billion of them every day. Where do they come from? Zachary Crockett hearts this topic. ...
98. Police Sketches
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When security cameras and facial recognition tools fail, law enforcement investigators fall back on ...
EXTRA: Fireworks Stands
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How does an industry built on roadside pop-ups make billions of dollars in two weeks of the year? Za...
Car Washes (Replay)
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are these sudsy roadside stops one of the fastest growing industries in America? Zachary Crocket...
97. Elevators
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Americans take more than 20 billion elevator rides every year — and keeping them safe is an expens...
96. School Buses
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Districts across the country are facing shortages of school bus drivers. Can technology help? Zachar...
95. Airplane Food
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone loves to complain about it — but preparing a meal that tastes good at 35,000 feet is hard...
94. Fireworks Shows
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, America celebrates its independence with millions of dollars worth of explosives importe...
93. Pearls
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
These glistening round gemstones have come a long way since your grandmother's time, but procuring t...
Little League (Replay)
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Youth baseball — long a widely accessible American pastime — has become overrun by $10,000-per-y...
92. Data Centers
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Where is “the cloud,” anyway? It’s in a bunch of nondescript warehouses all over the country. ...
91. Roller Coasters
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new thrill ride can cost an amusement park $20 million or more — but roller coasters attract cus...
90. Closed Captions
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It takes a highly skilled stenographer — and some specialized equipment — to transcribe TV dialo...
89. Locksmiths
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The ability to get into any home, car, or safe can be lucrative — but fixing locks is a tough busi...
88. Fortune Cookies
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Those tiny treats that predict your future may come free at the end of a Chinese meal, but they’re...
87. Ski Areas
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When you hit the slopes, you might not be thinking about water rights, controlled avalanches, and li...
86. Toothpaste
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We reach for it twice a day — without thinking about the decades of research and engineering that ...
85. Executive Recruiters
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When a Fortune 500 company needs a new leader, it turns to a well-connected headhunter who assesses ...
84. Mall Cops
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Security guards make malls feel safer, but what can they do when there’s trouble? Zachary Crockett...
83. Game Show Winnings
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do TV producers decide how much money to give away? A little psychology and a lot of math. Zacha...
82. Chain Restaurant Recipes
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fast-food burger has to taste the same — and cost the same — thousands of times a day at resta...
Used Golf Balls (Replay)
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
American golfers lose 300 million balls a year — and all those bad swings are someone else’s bus...
81. Guide Dogs
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before a guide dog can help a blind person navigate the world, it has to pass a series of tests, the...
80. Going-Out-of-Business Sales
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Behind that 70% off sign, there’s a liquidation consultant trying to maximize retailer profits. Za...
79. School Photos
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Picture day is an annual tradition for American families — and, for the companies that take the ph...
78. Porta-Potties
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
They're not always the nicest places to go — but for their owners, portable toilets are a lucrativ...
77. Hand Models
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You can be a top model and still not get recognized on the street — as long as you keep your cutic...
76. Hotel Art
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A watercolor of a harbor? A black-and-white photo of a pile of rocks? Some hotels are trying to do b...
75. Butchers
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before beef ends up at your favorite steakhouse, it passes through the hands of a trained specialist...
Pistachios (Replay)
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How did a little green nut become a billion-dollar product, lauded by celebrities in Super Bowl ads?...
Cashmere (Replay)
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Once a luxury good, the soft fiber is now everywhere — which has led to a goat boom in Mongolia. Z...
74. Fonts
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Behind almost every character you see displayed on a page or a screen, there’s a complex — and s...
73. Used Bookstores
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Americans throw away 320 million books every year. How do some of them find a second life? Zachary C...
Greeting Cards (Replay)
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The tradition of sending cards to loved ones was in decline — until it was rescued by a new genera...
72. Helium
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s unreactive, lighter than air, and surprisingly important to the global economy. Zachary Crock...
Stadium Names, from The Indicator
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How did Florida International University’s new football stadium come to be named after the rapper ...
71. Mannequins
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mannequins may be made out of plastic or fiberglass, but for retailers they’re pure gold. Zachary ...
70. Prison Labor
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Incarcerated people grow crops, fight wildfires, and manufacture everything from motor oil to prescr...
69. Highway Signs
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It takes millions of giant green placards to make America navigable. Where do they come from — and...
68. Zoo Animals
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When a zoo needs an elephant, or finds itself with three surplus penguins, it doesn’t buy or sell ...
67. Tow Trucks
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tow-truck drivers: roadside rescuers or car confiscators? Zachary Crockett gets hooked. SOURCES:Bil...
66. Stradivarius Violins
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why are these 300-year-old instruments still coveted by violinists today? And how do working musicia...
Card Counting (Replay)
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Casinos think they can stop skilled gamblers from eking out a tiny edge at blackjack. Is that a losi...
65. Stock Photos
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Making money in the stock image business requires a sharp eye for trends, a very specific type of mo...
64. Sushi Fish
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How does a fresh tuna get from Japan to Nebraska before it goes bad? And how does its journey show u...
63. Botox
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why do millions of people pay to have one of the world’s deadliest toxins injected into their face...
62. Title Insurance
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Almost everyone who buys a home spends thousands of dollars on title insurance. Most of them don’t...
Truffles (Replay)
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It takes fungi-sniffing dogs, back-room deals, and a guy named “The Kingpin” for the world’s m...
61. Pigeons
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Once considered noble and heroic, pigeons are now viewed as an urban nuisance — one that costs cit...
60. Money Laundering
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How do criminals turn their ill-gotten gains into taxable income? And how does law enforcement stop ...
59. Restaurant Reservations
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to online booking platforms, the way we make reservations has changed — but a table at a ho...
58. Firefighters
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are more firefighters than ever — and fewer fires for them to fight. So the job has changed....
Romance Novels (Replay)
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How did love stories about vampires, cowboys, and wealthy dukes become the highest-grossing fiction ...
57. Strippers
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Performing at a strip club can be lucrative, but it requires financial and psychological savvy — a...
56. Snake Venom
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why does treating a venomous snake bite cost as much as a house? Zachary Crockett slithers over to N...
55. Direct-to-Consumer Mattresses
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Online companies promised to bring transparency to the mattress-buying experience. Did that work out...
54. Ghostwriters
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Channeling the voices of celebrities can be a lucrative career — one that requires empathy and dis...
53. Food Trucks
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How did mobile kitchens become popular with hipster gourmands? And just how much money can a popular...
52. Little League
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Youth baseball — long a widely accessible American pastime — has become overrun by $10,000-per-y...
51. Wine Corks
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why do we use a specific kind of tree-bark tissue to seal up 70 percent of wine bottles? Zachary Cro...
50. Self-Checkout
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Grocery stores have turned shoppers into cashiers. Zachary Crockett runs two bags of chips and a Gat...
Carnival Games (Replay)
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Does anyone ever win the giant teddy bear? Zachary Crockett steps right up. SOURCES:Matthew Gryczan...
49. Weather Forecasts
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With industries relying on them and profits to be made, weather forecasts are more precise and more ...
48. College Fraternities
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fraternity’s budget includes broken windows, liability insurance, chili dog breakfasts, and the ...
47. Bail Bonds
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How does bail work — and who's really paying? Zachary Crockett follows the money. SOURCES:Joshua ...
46. Car Colors
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
So many vehicles on the road today are white, black, or gray — but automotive designers find that ...
45. Storage Units
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Americans love to buy new stuff and hate to get rid of old stuff, which is why storing it all has be...
44. Movie Sound Effects
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The background noises you hear in film and TV — from footsteps to zombie guts — are produced in ...
43. Top-Level Domains
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Those letters at the end of web addresses can mean big bucks — and, for some small countries, a su...
42. Cemeteries
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The verdant lawns promise everlasting rest — but what does it mean to sign a lease for all eternit...
41. Pet Movers
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Relocating halfway across the world is hard enough for humans. For pets it can require a specialist....
40. Prosthetic Limbs
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
More and more Americans rely on prostheses. They’re custom-fitted, highly personal, and extremely ...
39. Houseplants
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Interest in houseplants has exploded in recent years. But what causes floral trends, and prices, to ...
Bowling Alleys (Replay)
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Once America’s favorite recreational activity, bowling has been in the gutter for decades. But som...
38. Junk Mail
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why does the mailman bring us so many catalogs, credit card offers, and pizza coupons? Because his j...
37. Personal Injury Lawyers
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you can make it through three years of law school, you too might end up on a billboard. Zachary...
36. ATMs
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why do you have to pay $4 to get $40 cash at a bar? And who does it go to? Zachary Crockett checks h...
35. Dental Insurance
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it separate from medical insurance? And is it really insurance at all? Zachary Crockett goes ...