# What are you surprised that there is not a shortage of? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [April 20, 2020, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193 "2020-04-20T14:38:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/41 "2020-04-21T13:01:55Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Holy cow! Our lead time is 3 days and I thought that was bad. Some places will let you edit alright up to the day before, which works pretty well. You just put in a placeholder and shop all week as you realize you need things. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/42 "2020-04-21T13:09:23Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > I am surprised bandwith is doing so well. Everyone is using video now and yet the Intertube seems to be holding up well. The various companies are spinning up capacity at a furious rate. New switches, servers, support staff, etc. My ISP had some slowdowns in the first week or two, but has been rock-solid since. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/43 "2020-04-21T13:29:03Z")
> [@Declanium](#): > > Flour tortillas. Hint: They’re stupid-easy to make at home (if you have flour). > **[How To Make Flour Tortillas Recipe & VIDEO ( Like in Mexico!)](https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/flour-tortillas-de-harina/)** > > Learn this easy recipe with tips and tricks to help you make the perfect flour tortillas every time. So, let's get started! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/44 "2020-04-21T14:30:59Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > I am surprised bandwith is doing so well. Everyone is using video now and yet the Intertube seems to be holding up well. Oh yeah! I agree! The first Monday after schools shut down I woke up to a very intermittent Internet. Freaked me out because I work from home normally, so I legitimately assumed that everyone else working from home plus all the kids at home streaming gummed up the works. Turned out it was just a DNS issue, and switching my DNS provider to Google did the trick. It’s been fine since. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/45 "2020-04-21T14:36:26Z")
Shouldn’t essential oils be flying off the shelves? You’d think, right? Nope, full display! ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/46 "2020-04-21T16:46:55Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > I’m starting to hear some buzz about vitamin D possibly being protective against the coronavirus. It seems to be based mainly on correlation and conjecture. No high quality peer-reviewed research on the subject has been released yet. Even so, I’m surprised that my local Walmart still has vitamin D capsules in stock. I’m surprised there wasn’t a run on Vitamin D for the simple reason that so many people are spending more time indoors and getting less exposure to sun. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/47 "2020-04-21T19:17:34Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I’ve never seen a store sold out of paper towels and/or kleenex. Toilet paper is hard to find, but not these. > > I mean in a pinch, kleenex can be used as TP as long as you throw it in the trash rather than flush it. > > Also the cookie aisle is always full. Cookies are high in calories and have a long shelf life. You’d assume people would buy them up but they’re always there. That’s what I came to post. Every store I go in has a full selection of paper towels and kleenex, but the toilet paper section looks like foxes attacked it. Nothing there and even the little price signs are knocked off and all over the floor. I get my TP on the subscribe and save from Amazon about three times per year and the last shipment of 60 rolls arrived at the end of January, so I should be good for a little while longer. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/48 "2020-04-21T20:28:44Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Bread. I can’t but bread flour for love nor money, but I can buy freshly baked, artisanal sourdough from basically everywhere. Same here in Eastern Pennsylvania. Oddly, there is always a run on bread right before a snowstorm, but it has been fairly available throughout this. I’ve been able to get meat, despite news stories about meat processing plants shutting down. I am surprised there has been a run on frozen french fries. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/49 "2020-04-21T20:50:25Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I’ve never seen a store sold out of paper towels and/or kleenex. I have. Empty shelves for tp, two packs of paper towels and three small boxes of kleenex left on the shelf. All of these things appear to be very spotty from one store to another, and for that matter from one day to another. ---
**Author:** ![Happytree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happytree/32/3555_2.png) [@Happytree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happytree)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/50 "2020-04-22T00:40:45Z")
I’ve not had any trouble finding various immune boosting supplements. I’m talking Emergen-C, Elderberry syrup, Echinacea, etc. I know a lot of that stuff is snake oil, but I’m taking it all in the hope of gaining a slight edge on this virus. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/51 "2020-04-22T01:54:12Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I’ve never seen a store sold out of paper towels and/or kleenex. Toilet paper is hard to find, but not these. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I have. Empty shelves for tp, two packs of paper towels and three small boxes of kleenex left on the shelf. I haven’t seen paper towels - the normal for household rolls, that is - for sale, in person or online, since the last week of February other than people trying to sell them for $7.50 and up a roll on Amazon. **ChickenLegs** , I thought so too. I stocked up on the organic brands I use because I have skin irritation problems with the bleach used in most feminine hygiene supplies. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/52 "2020-04-22T03:06:01Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I need alcohol swabs for my insulin injections. Totally sold out. I’d bought a couple of 100ct boxes for my resident diabetic around the time the frenzy took off, but he doesn’t like using them (prefers a bottle of isopropyl), so if you still need them, PM me. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/53 "2020-04-22T03:07:12Z")
> [@tripthicket](#): > > I’ve only been to three separate stores a mere handful of times over the past month or so, with shortages or complete absences here and there. I find it amusing to see what brands of a given product are and aren’t gone. F’instance, at multiple locations of different grocery chains: Campbell’s Chunky Soups have mostly been cleaned out, while Progresso soups are gathering dust whilst sitting next to Campbell’s empty spaces. Not surprising that the better-tasting brands are going first :). I’ve always found Progresso soups very lacking in flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/54 "2020-04-22T12:12:29Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > Not surprising that the better-tasting brands are going first :). I’ve always found Progresso soups very lacking in flavor. I said elsewhere when this was first starting that it was amusing to see snobbishness still applied in panic buying. Where I was, the high-end rices like Basmati were all sold out, while the shelf of Minute Rice and Uncle Ben’s was virtually untouched. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/55 "2020-04-22T13:21:06Z")
I’m not a smoker, but how are cigarette stocks holding out? I used to smoke, and I probably would have been tempted to buy several cartons. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/56 "2020-04-22T13:31:26Z")
I’m glad I stocked up on glasswear wipes before this, as I think that maybe people will try to use them as a substitute for other alcohol wipes as they are isopropyl wipes except made from non-scratch fiber. I use on average slightly more than one a day (I don’t clean my glasses every day but when I do sometimes I use more than one.) I’m not sure if they’re out or not, because I still have over a 60ct box left, but I wouldn’t be making any bets. If I do see them, I will still buy a couple packages, because they are hard to find in the best of times, just like frozen pizza. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/57 "2020-04-22T16:40:38Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I’ve never seen a store sold out of paper towels and/or kleenex. Toilet paper is hard to find, but not these. I have. It seems like every time I’m in Target they are sold out of not only TP, but paper towels, napkins, and tissues. Well, the last time I was there there were around three or four packs of store brand paper towels on the shelf, and maybe a few pocket sized packs of Kleenex. The thing I’m surprised there isn’t a shortage of is coffee. I would have expected a shortage for the same reason as toilet paper – I’m no longer drinking the free coffee at work and am drinking more at home. And I would expect there are different supply chains just like with TP. The stuff at work comes in big packs that are per-measured for a big commercial coffee maker, completely different from what is sold in stores. I can tell I’m going through a canister at home about twice as fast as usual, yet I have no problem finding coffee at the store. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/58 "2020-04-22T16:46:05Z")
I wonder if that is due to the cost of warehousing tp versus coffee. I bet tp has one of the lowest volume to price ratio of ant consumer good, making it expensive to store even if it last longer than coffee and doesn’t have to be as climate controlled. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/59 "2020-04-22T16:49:06Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > I said elsewhere when this was first starting that it was amusing to see snobbishness still applied in panic buying. Where I was, the high-end rices like Basmati were all sold out, while the shelf of Minute Rice and Uncle Ben’s was virtually untouched. I saw this even at the height of the toilet paper crunch. There were at least 30-40 people lined up for the day’s delivery, which was pretty much guaranteed to not have enough for at least half of us. And the lady in front of me turned down the cheap 1-ply stuff. She wanted Charmin. I couldn’t help but laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193/60 "2020-04-22T17:04:13Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I’m glad I stocked up on glasswear wipes before this, as I think that maybe people will try to use them as a substitute for other alcohol wipes as they are isopropyl wipes except made from non-scratch fiber. I use on average slightly more than one a day (I don’t clean my glasses every day but when I do sometimes I use more than one.) > > I’m not sure if they’re out or not, because I still have over a 60ct box left, but I wouldn’t be making any bets. If I do see them, I will still buy a couple packages, because they are hard to find in the best of times, just like frozen pizza. I buy eyeglass wipes in boxes of 100 or 200 from Amazon although right now, it may take a long time for them to be shipped. And I think Costco has them as well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-surprised-that-there-is-not-a-shortage-of/852193.md?page=4)