Planet Money How much for that egg
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Apr 18, 2025 Join a quirky exploration of an egg shortage as colleagues navigate innovative ways to distribute farm-fresh eggs without price gouging. From humorous backyard chicken antics to a playful survey assessing breakfast preferences, the podcast dives into the love for eggs and their true market value. Discover the fascinating Becker-DeGroote Marshak method, where participants hilariously evaluate their willingness to pay for eggs, blending economics with lighthearted fun and surprising insights into consumer behavior.
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Sam's Backyard Chicken Egg Story
- Sam Mertens has backyard chickens and sells farm fresh eggs cheaply to NPR colleagues.
- He caps sales at $5 per dozen and wants a fair way to distribute scarce eggs fairly during shortages.
Fixed Price Limits Market
- Fixed price selling at $5 prevents using market price to allocate eggs.
- Alternative methods must identify which colleagues truly value the eggs most without price signals.
Blind Surveys Reveal True Preferences
- Use blinded surveys mixing eggs with other breakfast items to avoid bias.
- Forced trade-offs in surveys reveal true preferences rather than direct ranking.