We buy a lot of Christmas trees (Update)

*Note: This episode originally ran in 2020*<br><br>'Tis the season for Americans to head out in droves and bring home a freshly-cut Christmas tree. But decorative evergreens don't just magically show up on corner lots, waiting to find a home in your living room. There are a bunch of fascinating steps that determine exactly how many Christmas trees get sold, and how expensive they are.<br><br>Today on the show, we visit the world's largest auction of Christmas trees — and then see how much green New Yorkers are willing to throw down for some greenery. It's a story where snow-dusted Yuletide dreams meet the hard reality of supply and demand. We've got market theory, a thousand dollars in cash, and a "decent sized truck"... anything could happen.<br><br><em>This episode was produced by James Sneed. It was edited by Bryant Urstadt. It was engineered by Gilly Moon. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer. <br><br>Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ </em><a href="http://n.pr/PM-digital"><em>in Apple Podcasts</em></a><em> or at </em><a href="https://n.pr/3HlREPz"><em>plus.npr.org/planetmoney</em></a><em>.</em>