3 ms·

The trick is to do exactly what they tell you not too immediately. Masks don't protect against covid - jump on Alibaba and buy some. Don't buy extra toiled pa

The trick is to do exactly what they tell you not too immediately. Masks don't protect against covid - jump on Alibaba and buy some. Don't buy extra toiled paper, there will be no limits on its sale - immediately do a order on amazon prime. Because within a few days there will be price caps on the sale of TP (increased prices would deter hoarding) so everything will sell out right away. I think people have really learned this by now - as SOON as the announcements come that there is nothing to worry about and they won't do price caps or other things, they will be doing exactly that soon. Places like Alibaba do seem to continue to function - masks are maybe 50 cents per mask instead of 5, so folks buy a lot less, but you can still get a few for $5. Same with TP, it's not dirt cheap per roll, but you can get a few.

whatshisface 6y ago
To rationalize this phenomenon... They don't warn you about it until they think you'd be worried about it, and they don't think you'd be worried about it until they start thinking about doing it. ;)
- wongarsu 6y ago
  They warn you because they don't want you doing it. So if it's a tragedy of the commons (it usually is), the obvious thing to do is to do what they don't want you to.
nostrademons 6y ago
Interesting to think about this in the context of inflation - "We do expect some price increases as the economy warms up but that's not inflation."
glitchc 6y ago
I think you’ve just described a self-fulfilling prophecy. TP is running out because enough people think like you, turning a not-scarce commodity into a scarce commodity.
- Aeolun 6y ago
  True, but if you are already aware of this the only logical solution is to join in, otherwise you’d just end up with no toilet paper.
- random5634 6y ago
  The issue is they regulate so a) you simply can’t buy them - while other countries tried to get n95s and equivalent to everyone the us blocked sale to reserve them. B) price cap everything which means things like hand sanitizer can’t be bought through normal channels because retailers can price to deter hoarding or incentivize production because it sells out at capped price right away

whatshisface 6y ago

To rationalize this phenomenon... They don't warn you about it until they think you'd be worried about it, and they don't think you'd be worried about it until they start thinking about doing it. ;)

wongarsu 6y ago
They warn you because they don't want you doing it. So if it's a tragedy of the commons (it usually is), the obvious thing to do is to do what they don't want you to.

nostrademons 6y ago

Interesting to think about this in the context of inflation - "We do expect some price increases as the economy warms up but that's not inflation."

glitchc 6y ago

I think you’ve just described a self-fulfilling prophecy. TP is running out because enough people think like you, turning a not-scarce commodity into a scarce commodity.

Aeolun 6y ago
True, but if you are already aware of this the only logical solution is to join in, otherwise you’d just end up with no toilet paper.
random5634 6y ago
The issue is they regulate so a) you simply can’t buy them - while other countries tried to get n95s and equivalent to everyone the us blocked sale to reserve them. B) price cap everything which means things like hand sanitizer can’t be bought through normal channels because retailers can price to deter hoarding or incentivize production because it sells out at capped price right away