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Episode 429: The Price Of Things We Love

Shapeways, Hannelore Foerster/ Getty Images, NPR

On today's show: Three short stories about the stuff we buy — books, toys and clothes.

1. Are E-Books Actually Destroying Traditional Publishing?Conventional wisdom says e-books are destroying the traditional publishing business model. People pay less for e-books and that drives down price. When you talk to publishers though, you realize the story's not that simple.

2. Why Legos Are So Expensive — And So Popular Legos often cost twice as much as similar blocks from a rival toymaker. So why are Legos so much more popular than other brands?

3. 3-D Printing Is (Kind Of) A Big Deal It's miraculous to see: Press a button, make anything you want. But will it transform the economy?

Music: Jonsi "Go Do." Find us: Twitter/ Facebook/ Spotify/ Tumblr. Download the Planet Money iPhone App.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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