As the rent neared due on April 1st, Brooklyn resident Allegra Horton wondered what she would do to make ends meet: her waitressing and babysitting income had dried up two weeks ago, her landlord sent a letter saying that rent was still due despite the pandemic, and with little money in her bank account, she racked her mind for goods or services she could use as bartering leverage.
As her eyes searched her apartment for things of value, it finally occurred to her: She had hoarded at least 350 Scünci hair ties from CVS over the past year.
They were the black ones; the ones that don’t break easily. Surely these were in high demand.
Allegra studied the packaging.
“I wasn’t sure how many I was willing to let go of. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I’d have to get by on just one hair tie from now on. Maybe two.”
Allegra packed the hair ties together and knocked on her landlord’s door.
“He was confused and said he didn’t need hair ties,” said Allegra. “His wife has short hair. He reiterated that the rent was $1600. I tried to explain that that kind of money doesn’t exist anymore, but these hair ties are worth something on the street.”
Allegra kept pressing the hair ties into his hands to no avail before he angrily shut the door on her.
“I’ll think of something. I have some really good Tupperware my mom got me for Christmas. And a lightly used Quip toothbrush.”
