Tricks of the TradeTrump's Second TermMy EconomyI've Always Wondered ...

Loading...

0:00
0% played
Support the fact-based journalism you rely on with a donation to Marketplace today. Give Now!

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 ...

Why is automated phone help so bad?

by Sally Herships
Aug 8, 2016
In the latest installment of I've Always Wondered, we explain why you need to repeatedly enter your account number, or date of birth, and then repeat it to human operator.
We've all been there. 
Shaun Heasley/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
I've Always Wondered ...

How do authors make money from library books?

by Andy Uhler
Jul 25, 2016
Most of them aren't donations. Think of them as prepaid.
Stanford University's library.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
I've Always Wondered ...

Ever wonder how coupons work?

by Annie Baxter
Mar 28, 2016
2.4 billion paper coupons were redeemed last year alone.
jridgewayphotography/Flickr
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
I've Always Wondered ...

Whiskeys have to age for years, so how do distilleries make money?

by Sally Herships
Mar 7, 2016
Distillers have to find another way to make money while whiskey ages.
Barrels of whiskey aging at the Kings County distillery.  Colin Spoelman, Kings County’s master distiller says when it comes to aging whiskey, a barrel can be like a tea bas. “The first time you use it, you get a lot of spice, a lot of infusion, flavor.”
Valery Rizzo/Kings County Distillery
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
I've Always Wondered ...

How do wineries set the price for a bottle of wine?

by Nancy Marshall-Genzer
Feb 22, 2016
It depends on the winery. But for the big players, much of the cost is marketing.
Ever wonder what goes into pricing wine?
Ken Hawkins/Flickr
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
I've Always Wondered ...

The underground story of what happens to wastewater

by Andy Uhler
Feb 1, 2016
Conserving water in drought areas actually makes treating wastewater more difficult.
 A wastewater treatment plant is inundated by the Yazoo River floodwaters near Yazoo City, Mississippi.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
I've Always Wondered ...

Why do we no longer use $1,000 bills?

by Janet Nguyen
Dec 23, 2015
Stuff costs more now, right?
Illustration by Danielle Chiriguayo/Marketplace and Photo Courtesy of National Museum of American History
Share Now on:
SHARE

For public good, not for profit.

Donate
I've Always Wondered ...

What's up with how airlines board planes?

by Mitchell Hartman
Dec 23, 2015
Back to front, windows-to-aisles — random boarding may be more efficient.
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
I've Always Wondered ...

Please hold while I explain the music you're hearing

by Tobin Low
Dec 18, 2015
It's all about the license.
When it comes to being put on hold, silence is not golden.
Matt Reinbold/Flickr
Share Now on:
SHARE
I've Always Wondered ...

Who writes the tax code?

by Kimberly Adams
Dec 7, 2015
Rick Stone of Nebraska thinks the presidential candidates are getting it wrong.
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE