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I've Always Wondered ...

If you’re like us, you’ve got a lot of questions about the small, simple, ubiquitous things in the world of business. Let's find the answers.
What have you always wondered about the economy?

Does it make cents to get rid of the penny?
I've Always Wondered ...
Does it make cents to get rid of the penny?
What happens to your Christmas tree after the holidays? 
I've Always Wondered ...
What happens to your Christmas tree after the holidays? 
Why are bananas so cheap?
I've Always Wondered ...
Why are bananas so cheap?
What is the economic impact of lost and stolen packages? 
I've Always Wondered ...
What is the economic impact of lost and stolen packages? 

From This Collection

I've Always Wondered ...

How $75,000 became the threshold for receiving a stimulus check

by Janet Nguyen
Mar 4, 2021
COVID-19 stimulus checks began to phase out for individuals making more than this amount.
BackyardProduction/Getty Images
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I've Always Wondered ...

How many U.S. flags are made in the U.S.?

by Katherine Wiles
Feb 25, 2021
Perhaps the best-known symbol of American patriotism, the American flag is made in the U.S. 94% of the time.
An American flag flies outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 9, 2021.
Al Drago/Getty Images
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I've Always Wondered ...

What happens to all those unsold Valentine’s Day cards?

by Janet Nguyen
Feb 18, 2021
Out-of-date cards are sometimes greeted by being discounted or returned to the supplier.
auleena/Getty Images
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I've Always Wondered ...

The economics of nursing homes (and paying for one)

by Janet Nguyen
Feb 11, 2021
Although the facilities are expensive, Medicaid can help with the cost.
A nursing assistant ensures that a patient remains a safe social distance from a visitor.
Wanderluster/Getty Images
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I've Always Wondered ...

Your GameStop questions, answered

by Janet Nguyen
Feb 4, 2021
GameStop's stock price rose more than 8,000% at one point.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
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I've Always Wondered ...

How do all-inclusive resorts make money?

by Katherine Wiles
Jan 28, 2021
Several economic theories are at play to make this counter-intuitive business model profitable.
People walk on the beach at Sandals Grande Antigua all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
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I've Always Wondered ...

Why do books have prices printed on them?

by Janet Nguyen
Jan 21, 2021
A centuries-old practice dating back to the Industrial Revolution has created complications for modern-day booksellers.
jovan_epn via Getty Images
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I've Always Wondered ...

Why doesn't cereal come in resealable bags?

by Janet Nguyen
Jan 14, 2021
The common bag-in-a-box format has been used for decades.
Boxes of cereal line a grocery store in San Rafael, California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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I've Always Wondered ...

What's with those little seedless holiday tangerines?

by Mitchell Hartman
Dec 19, 2019
How an expensive specialty fruit for the holidays turn into a ubiquitous discount grocery staple year-round.
Are these tangerines? Or clementines? Or mandarins?
Georges Gobet/AFP via Getty Images
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I've Always Wondered ...

How did letter paper come to be 8.5 x 11 inches in size?

by Jack Stewart
Nov 8, 2019
As part of our "I've Always Wondered" series, a listener asks why we've ended up with these arbitrary-seeming dimensions for office paper.
A vat man making paper in the mid-20th century.
Courtesy Georgia Tech Institute Communications
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