# What's the deal with lining up for Apple products? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 19, 2014, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931 "2014-09-19T14:45:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/21 "2014-09-19T20:05:03Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > Not to derail this fantastic conversation with breaking news that some people people don’t get what other people do. (UrrMyGawd, look over there at what those people are doing. I so don’t get that!!!) > > But derail I must. > > I’m fully prepared to have my ignorance fought on this, but you got a cite that shows a union paid people to imitate union members on a picket line? Sounds like an urban myth to me. [Here ya go.](http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704288204575362763101099660) It’s easy to find plenty of stories about it by Googling. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/22 "2014-09-19T20:06:57Z")
I don’t get it either, and I’ve been an apple fanboi since I could read. When I want a new phone or iPad or 'puter I just order the damn thing online. It’s the 21st century for fuck’s sake. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/23 "2014-09-19T20:14:07Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > I’m fully prepared to have my ignorance fought on this, but you got a cite that shows a union paid people to imitate union members on a picket line? Sounds like an urban myth to me. Absolutely. First-hand experience. There’s a carpenter’s union here in Utah that pickets major construction sites that employ non-union carpenters. Since it isn’t very damaging to hold up signs that say **GO TO HELL, L&L CONTRACTORS** , they picket the businesses that actually occupy the building, both during and after construction. They had **SHAME ON TARGET - LABOR DISPUTE** and **SHAME ON CABELA’S - LABOR DISPUTE** picket lines for at least a year after each of those stores opened. There’s a hospital being built right across the street from my clinic, and sure enough, these guys are picketing. But now it’s no longer a **LABOR DISPUTE** ; now the signs read **SHAME ON MOUNTAINSTAR HEALTHCARE - IMMIGRANT LABOR ABUSE** , and the claim is that in circumventing union labor, the contractors are also employing illegal immigrants with impunity. (Since paleoconservative, John-Birch-central Utah hates illegal immigrants and labor unions with equal fervor, I think this is a good strategy on their part.) At any rate, this picket station is always manned (womanned) by between two and four Native American women, and they would keep coming across the street to use our bathroom, rightly supposing that they wouldn’t get a very warm reception if they asked to use the porta-potties of the people they were picketing. I asked one of them if they were carpenters. She said no, they weren’t, though a couple of their husbands were union carpenters. They were paid a minimal amount by the union to do the picketing. At least here in Utah, this practice is the standard. They’re literally the only picketers I’ve ever seen, and they’re pretty common. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/24 "2014-09-19T20:21:47Z")
Wow, that is disappointing. I did do a google search but failed to hit on the right combinaton of words/phrases I guess. Oh well. back to your regularly scheduled mocking of people lining up to buy iPhones, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/25 "2014-09-19T21:03:50Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > I was also surprised to find out this was still happening. At last year’s office Christmas party, we were at a restaurant in Royal Oak around lunch time, and we noticed a crowd of a couple dozen people standing around outside a store. In the rain. On a cold December day. Eventually, curiosity got the better of us, and I was sent out to discover what the heck was going on. The answer: “The new Air Jordans are coming out today.” At the risk of sounding racist, the crowd was 100% black. At my very suburban New Jersey mall the demographics were very mixed. No trends I could tell other than being mostly, but not exclusively, male. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/26 "2014-09-19T21:15:05Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > To illustrate: > > Lasy year I ordered my iPhone 5s less than 3 minutes after they went on sale at the Apple website. Because it had to be shipped to me, I wasn’t scehduled to revieve it until almost 2 weeks after they went on sale at the store. The horror!! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/27 "2014-09-19T21:47:54Z")
Apple’s target demographic is dumbasses who like to stand in line. Even if you go to the normal Apple store for something as routine as a product exchange, you typically have to make an appointment to wait in line to see some tech who will then exchange it for you. Most normal stores, this is a five minute trip to the Customer Service line. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/28 "2014-09-19T22:33:53Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Apple’s target demographic is dumbasses who like to stand in line. Except that the vast majority of their hardware sales are through online channels. The dumbasses who wait on line represent a tiny fraction of Apple’s retail revenue, so how could that be their target demographic? > [@](#): > > Even if you go to the normal Apple store for something as routine as a product exchange, you typically have to make an appointment to wait in line to see some tech who will then exchange it for you. No you don’t. For support or repairs you may need to make an appointment if they’re busy. Certainly not for an exchange. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/29 "2014-09-20T02:55:38Z")
All I know is I ordered mine Tuesday around noon (I was gonna order it at 12:01am Monday night but then saw it was 12:01 \*PDT \*and I live in NY and wasn’t going to sit up till three in the morning just to order the damn thing!) and it arrived on my front porch as scheduled at 2:52pm today (Friday Sept 19th). Waiting in line for one is to hipsters what waiting in line for _The Phantom Menace_ was to nerds… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/30 "2014-09-20T03:02:56Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Except that the vast majority of their hardware sales are through online channels. The dumbasses who wait on line represent a tiny fraction of Apple’s retail revenue, so how could that be their target demographic? The people camping out for the new device aren’t the bulk of the actual sales, but they do provide an easy visual hook (every TV station in the country had a story featuring a live shot of people camping outside an Apple or mobile store) that gives a palpable sense of the hype and might actually help drive the online sales. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/31 "2014-09-20T03:09:14Z")
I bought mine online the day after they were available for pre-ordering. It showed up at my house this afternoon. I have no idea why so many people waited in line today. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/32 "2014-09-20T04:14:22Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > The people camping out for the new device aren’t the bulk of the actual sales, but they do provide an easy visual hook (every TV station in the country had a story featuring a live shot of people camping outside an Apple or mobile store) that gives a palpable sense of the hype and might actually help drive the online sales. Yes, I agree that Apple is really excellent at the hype machine, and line campers are a big part of that. But it’s disingenuous to imply that they’re the target demographic, because they aren’t. They’re what Stalin used to call Useful Idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/33 "2014-09-20T05:07:45Z")
People are Stupid? ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/34 "2014-09-20T14:50:53Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > I think a lot of people see it as more of a fun event to attend rather than getting some kind of “advantage” from it. > People have always done this for things that you can access just as easily a couple days or even a day later just to be caught up in the hype. > **Midnight release parties for the Harry Potter books** , opening day/night for certain movies, video games, video game systems, etc etc. > Grand opening of stores and restaurants, same thing. People are just drawn to what they perceive as a party atmosphere. :o Hey! I stood in line at midnight to get the last Harry Potter, but then I read until 4AM…I had to know about those damned horcruxes! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/35 "2014-09-20T15:17:38Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > :o Hey! I stood in line at midnight to get the last Harry Potter, but then I read until 4AM…I had to know about those damned horcruxes! I went by the local Border’s that night and there was a huge line and a sign up that all copies were spoken for. So I went to Raley’s(supermarket) and got it for $5.00 off. They had a whole end cap display and no one knew about it. ---
**Author:** ![qubed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f07891/32.png) [@qubed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qubed)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/36 "2014-09-20T15:25:25Z")
A lot of the line for this iPhone 6 is for China. Unlike the 5s, China didn’t get first-day release for the iPhone 6. You go to the store, wait awhile, buy two unlocked phones, and then sell them on eBay/friends in China for a hefty mark-up. That’s why there’s little to no lines at the carrier-stores in NYC, but a 6 block line at Apple’s 5th Avenue. Sneakers are quite a bit different because most of the time they’re limited releases. So if you don’t wait in line to buy them, you’ll have to pay a significantly higher price on the secondary market. So, to really answer your question: **Money**. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/37 "2014-09-20T15:29:40Z")
> [@qubed](#): > > A lot of the line for this iPhone 6 is for China. Unlike the 5s, China didn’t get first-day release for the iPhone 6. You go to the store, wait awhile, buy two unlocked phones, and then sell them on eBay/friends in China for a hefty mark-up. That’s why there’s little to no lines at the carrier-stores in NYC, but a 6 block line at Apple’s 5th Avenue. > > Sneakers are quite a bit different because most of the time they’re limited releases. So if you don’t wait in line to buy them, you’ll have to pay a significantly higher price on the secondary market. > > So, to really answer your question: **Money**. And for those who didn’t, or couldn’t, preorder: **Instant Gratification.** ---
**Author:** ![qubed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f07891/32.png) [@qubed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qubed)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/38 "2014-09-20T15:59:14Z")
A six minute video on the darkside underlying it: [Black Market Takes Over the iPhone 6 Lines - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef_BznBwktw) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/39 "2014-09-20T16:09:52Z")
Because it’s been so long since the same geeks (or their ilk) could do the same for the latest\* Star Wars\* movie. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931/40 "2014-09-20T16:22:13Z")
Amazon’s new ad: Flavor Flav walks past a bunch of guys in line for Apple products. “Don’t believe the hype!”…then he proceeds to order stuff online. I should charge for that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-lining-up-for-apple-products/698931.md?page=3)