Letters
Enter the debunking article

Milking the market
You cite economist Allen Sanderson (“By the Numbers,” August/04) in claiming that students value their time at only $3/hour when they wait in line for a milkshake. I think your judgment has malted. The students could value the milkshakes at $50, rather than the $1 selling price, and the vendor could merely be vastly underpricing the shakes relative to demand, as evidenced by the lines. Also, you’re assuming the time spent in line has negative, or at least no, value. It might well be part of the fun. Delaying study might be priceless.

I marveled the other day as I paid $3.75 for a Frappuccino, and it wasn’t even the largest size. Why is a market-savvy university giving away these drinks for a paltry $1, especially considering the shakes include what sounds like enormous quantities of ice cream? (Somewhere between 10 and 20 shakes per tub, by your numbers.) Something tells me the fair market price would be in the $2.50 to $4 range. Looks like an arbitrage opportunity with whipped cream on top.

Howard Stolar, MBA’92
Chicago

The University of Chicago Magazine welcomes letters. Letters for publication must be signed and may be edited for space and clarity. In order to provide a range of views, we encourage writers to limit themselves to 300 words or less. Write: Editor, University of Chicago Magazine, 5801 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637. Or e-mail: uchicago-magazine@uchicago.edu.