# What's with the people who only sell phone cases at kiosks at the mall/tourist places? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 2, 2024, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-people-who-only-sell-phone-cases-at-kiosks-at-the-mall-tourist-places/995520 "2024-01-02T20:54:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-people-who-only-sell-phone-cases-at-kiosks-at-the-mall-tourist-places/995520/1 "2024-01-02T20:54:32Z")
Are there REALLY that many people who desperately need a new phone case right that second? ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-people-who-only-sell-phone-cases-at-kiosks-at-the-mall-tourist-places/995520/2 "2024-01-02T21:01:56Z")
I desperately need a new phone case, but I don’t think of it when I’m in a position to buy one. If I was walking through a shopping area and saw one (especially one that had a design that made it a souvenir), I’d be ripe for an impulse purchase. ---
**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:** [January 2, 2024, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-people-who-only-sell-phone-cases-at-kiosks-at-the-mall-tourist-places/995520/3 "2024-01-02T21:59:27Z")
The one I saw in the mall also could attach screen protectors to the phones. Now, that’s something people can do themselves, but I once paid someone to do it for me. ---
**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:** [January 2, 2024, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-people-who-only-sell-phone-cases-at-kiosks-at-the-mall-tourist-places/995520/4 "2024-01-02T22:34:11Z")
Do some people own multiple phone cases, and swap them out depending on how they want to accessorize that day (kind of like jewelry)? If so, I could see someone like that buying one on impulse. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-people-who-only-sell-phone-cases-at-kiosks-at-the-mall-tourist-places/995520/5 "2024-01-02T22:43:26Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Are there REALLY that many people who desperately need a new phone case right that second? The mall is a place where people go to shop and impulse shopping is quite common. It makes sense to me you’d find such a kiosk at the mall. You know, where people are shopping for stuff. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-people-who-only-sell-phone-cases-at-kiosks-at-the-mall-tourist-places/995520/6 "2024-01-02T22:47:10Z")
OP, I’m curious what you think the other option is. The existence of these kiosks would suggest that the answer is clearly yes, there really are that many people who will buy a new case. Unless you think there is something else going on… ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2024, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-people-who-only-sell-phone-cases-at-kiosks-at-the-mall-tourist-places/995520/7 "2024-01-03T14:17:21Z")
Well, I too wonder about the “desperate need for a new phone case” part. The only times I’ve needed a new phone case are when I acquired a new phone. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2024, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-people-who-only-sell-phone-cases-at-kiosks-at-the-mall-tourist-places/995520/8 "2024-01-03T14:49:01Z")
I think this is it. People must be changing the “look” of their phone much more than me. When I got a new phone, I got a bland protective case at the same time, and have never changed it. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2024, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-people-who-only-sell-phone-cases-at-kiosks-at-the-mall-tourist-places/995520/9 "2024-01-03T14:51:05Z")
Yeah, usually I get a new phone, then put some thought and research into what sort of case I’m getting. Then that’s done until I break the original case or get a new phone. I don’t switch them out- I don’t even take the phone out of the case hardly ever. I can’t say that on the off chance that I’m at the mall in that short time between my case breaking and me buying one from Amazon, that a case from a kiosk would seem attractive enough to be an impulse buy. Then again, my phone’s not a fashion statement of any kind- it’s a tool, and has a matte black case. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2024, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-people-who-only-sell-phone-cases-at-kiosks-at-the-mall-tourist-places/995520/10 "2024-01-03T15:14:45Z")
Whenever I get a new phone I research new cases a lot online and end up buying a few in various colors and styles that I’ll switch out depending on what I am doing. But I would _never_ buy one from a mall kiosk! Those are all overpriced crap. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-people-who-only-sell-phone-cases-at-kiosks-at-the-mall-tourist-places/995520/11 "2024-01-05T14:06:29Z")
I’ve never bought one from a kiosk - but I buy cases more often than I buy phones. I suspect that this might differ between people who buy a phone case and those who buy a wallet or a cross-body bag