Post 2028: Shortages in the rear-view mirror.

 

This is a list of prior posts relevant to the current spot shortages of toilet paper.  Just the stuff that seemed on-topic to me.

The first post predates the arrival of coronavirus here and starts with the first pre-pandemic whiff of panic buying (masks, Home Depot).  Most of the rest deal directly or tangentially with pandemic-related shortages.

I toss in a few other shortages, and end wit a post about bank runs.  Because everybody likes a good bank run.  Now and then.  But I have omitted any mention of the great canning lid shortage, which surely deserves a separate list for length considerations alone.

Each image should be a link.

 

Post #535: Answer: Milk, white bread, and kitty litter

Post #543: Genteel panic buying

 

Post #560: Real backpackers don’t use toilet paper: The arithmetic of panic shopping

This next one is the exposition of the economic theory, such as it is.  Call today’s TP shortage just another example of a self-reinforcing irrationality, a.k.a. “Who’s laughing now?”.

The argument is this:  If I’m rational and know where TP comes from, I see no need to stock up.  But thinking ahead, this means that if I do legitimately need to purchase TP in the short term, the stores may be out.  And guess who has toilet paper, in that situation?  (Answer:  All the dummies that panicked.  They have TP and I don’t.  Who’s laughing now, eh?  Rationally, then, I should participate in what I know to be irrational behavior.  Elbow-to-elbow with my fellow shoppers.

 

Post #563: We need a TP FDIC, or, hoarding is a self-fulfilling prophecy

Post #1719: A brief note on the 1980s Savings and Loan Crisis, or why sometimes It’s (not) a Wonderful Life.

Post #1720: The Systemic Risk Clause and the FDIC

Back to the pandemic.

Post #568: A wrap-up on grocery shopping, revised

Post #576: Shopping report CORRECTED

Post #724: Coin shortage

I had forgotten how badly the Trump administration fumbled the response to the pandemic.  Kind of glad now that I blogged about it at the time.

Post #816: We actually did have a rational, national plan for mask use?

Post #865: Getting ready for a hard winter, 5: Grocery story deja vu

Post #1568: COVID-19 trend to 8/10/2022, now 33 new cases per 100K per day