The Economics of Everyday Things Carnival Games (Replay)
May 27, 2024
Zachary Crockett discusses the emotional allure and deception of carnival games, tactics of 'Sharpies', and the inner workings of Redbone Products. The podcast explores the history, design process, and challenges of running carnival games, highlighting the industry's generational nature and ethical dilemmas.
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Gryczan's Carnival Game Obsession
- Matthew Gryczan, a retired journalist and engineer, was fascinated by carnival games.
- He meticulously studied a 'cover the spot' game, built a scale model, and discovered a winning strategy.
Throwing Stock
- Carnival workers focus on "throwing stock," the ratio of prize value paid out to money taken in.
- They don't think in terms of player odds, only their own risk of losing money.
Rigging the Milk Toss
- Elliot Simmons, a former carnival worker, was instructed to limit prize giveaways.
- He recounts an incident where his boss hammered the rim of a milk toss game, making wins nearly impossible.