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Idea for an Essay

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Bert Posted: Fri, Apr 16 2010 5:37 PM
I have an idea for an essay I want to write called "The Economics of a Movie Theater". It's pretty obvious what it's about. I work at a movie theater and I thought about writing on why box office and concession prices are so high (as about no one probably knows exactly why), and go into more details about different cost that are associated with running a movie theater besides basic cost. I also want to compare the rising cost of going to the movies with the increases in the minimum wage, and the amount of hours that our theater was allowed to have employees working at any given time (which our theater took a big hit with cutting everyone back after the minimum wage was raised).

Before I asked my managers if I'm able to get the various cost of tickets, popcorn, sodas, and the average price of candy as well as renting the reels (that's how any theater obtains them) for the past 3 years to show the rising cost, I'd figure I'd ask if anyone would actually be interested in reading it, or if it's a good idea to compare cost of a movie theater to a rising minimum wage. I tend to scrap whatever I write a week after I do it. I wouldn't want to put a bunch of research into something only to toss it out. Suggestions?
I had always been impressed by the fact that there are a surprising number of individuals who never use their minds if they can avoid it, and an equal number who do use their minds, but in an amazingly stupid way. - Carl Jung, Man and His Symbols
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Nielsio replied on Fri, Apr 16 2010 5:40 PM
Maybe this can help:

How Antitrust Ruined the Movies - Mark Thornton
http://mises.org/freemarket_detail.aspx?control=178
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Bert replied on Fri, Apr 16 2010 5:51 PM
I liked the article, but what I'm aiming for is more like Economics In One Lesson for movie goers.
I had always been impressed by the fact that there are a surprising number of individuals who never use their minds if they can avoid it, and an equal number who do use their minds, but in an amazingly stupid way. - Carl Jung, Man and His Symbols
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Bert:
Before I asked my managers if I'm able to get the various cost of tickets, popcorn, sodas, and the average price of candy as well as renting the reels (that's how any theater obtains them) for the past 3 years to show the rising cost, I'd figure I'd ask if anyone would actually be interested in reading it, or if it's a good idea to compare cost of a movie theater to a rising minimum wage. I tend to scrap whatever I write a week after I do it. I wouldn't want to put a bunch of research into something only to toss it out. Suggestions?

When I was a kid I worked in a movie theater concession stand, so I might be curious enough to read it. But I don't see why you'd ever scrap what you write. Why not just have a blog and post those things there? People might read it or not, but at least then it would stay available for whoever is interested, whether the next day or ten years later, and you wouldn't have to do anything.

-=Steve=-

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Jesse replied on Fri, Apr 16 2010 6:21 PM
Check out the book "why popcorn costs so much at the movies." I haven't read it, so I'm not going to vouch for its validity, but it discusses your topic exactly.

I Samuel 8

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Bert replied on Fri, Apr 16 2010 6:23 PM
Steve Foerster:
Bert:
Before I asked my managers if I'm able to get the various cost of tickets, popcorn, sodas, and the average price of candy as well as renting the reels (that's how any theater obtains them) for the past 3 years to show the rising cost, I'd figure I'd ask if anyone would actually be interested in reading it, or if it's a good idea to compare cost of a movie theater to a rising minimum wage. I tend to scrap whatever I write a week after I do it. I wouldn't want to put a bunch of research into something only to toss it out. Suggestions?

When I was a kid I worked in a movie theater concession stand, so I might be curious enough to read it. But I don't see why you'd ever scrap what you write. Why not just have a blog and post those things there? People might read it or not, but at least then it would stay available for whoever is interested, whether the next day or ten years later, and you wouldn't have to do anything.

-=Steve=-

There's a few things I have kept, but a lot of the time I write something, and then realize I don't like it thinking that I could have written it a lot better.
I had always been impressed by the fact that there are a surprising number of individuals who never use their minds if they can avoid it, and an equal number who do use their minds, but in an amazingly stupid way. - Carl Jung, Man and His Symbols
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