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Ikea opening attracts homeless, unemployed

Is waiting in line for over a week to get a gift card for cheap furniture "extreme endurance" or thrift? I don't know but I almost feel dirty in perpetuating this story about the frenzy in Massachussetts about the opening of a new store.

The Swedish chain was awarding gift certificates ranging from $500-5,000 to the first five customers, who stood in line for as many as 12 days. First in line and the top winner, Mike Rice, flew from Georgia to take part in the contest, which turned intense. Third-in-line Jeffrey Beaudette, who stood in line for seven days, told the Boston Herald: “If you look at the five of us now, no one’s really talking to each other.

Hm. Six to twelve days for $500 to $5,000? I wonder what the hourly rate on that works out to on that. The suits in Ikea's publicity department are clearly doing their job. Reminds me of another wiseguy publicity stunt, Elite Designers Against Ikea.