When Robert Samuel lost his job as an AT&T sales representative in 2012, he became desperate for a job.
So he put out an advertisement on Craigslist offering to wait in line for anyone who wanted to grab the latest iPhone.
At the time, he said he would charge only $100 for it but in three years, he began making up to $1,000 a week just waiting in long lines for other people.
With his professional line sitting company, Same Ole Line Dudes (SOLD), Samuel and other colleagues wait in lines for sample sales, video game releases, Broadway shows, among others.
Starting at $25 for the first hour, and $10 every half hour after that, a line waiter can make up to $1000 a week to stand in line during peak seasons.
“Whether it’s iPhones, the latest Air Jordans, or the hottest Broadway tix in town, Same Ole Line Dudes, understands your wants & needs and is here to help. We even go above and beyond with our Delivereach premium service by not just waiting, but including purchase & delivery and even shipping if you’re out of state! Whatever the event or product, we show up & do the work so you don’t have to, freeing you up for important things like…LIFE,” the company writes on its website.
With over 8 million people, New York City is often busy and packed with lots of activities.
Samuel, who calls his business “Uber of line waiting,” said his business idea has brought relief to many people who would want an exclusive product but wouldn’t want to run into long queues for that.
“People want these things like it’s the end of the world,” Samuel told The Post in 2013. “When I show up to their offices with a sleeping bag in one hand and the Cronuts in another, they know they’re getting their money’s worth.”
People who are based outside town have also hired him to wait for “Saturday Night Live” tickets from midnight to 7 a.m. and to hold their places for concerts, The Post added.
Samuel, who has even waited in line for 48 hours just because someone wanted a new iPhone, is now among many other professional line sitters who are making money by enabling customers to buy their way to the front.
As people continue to live in challenging times, job readiness and availability do become scarce.
As such, some individuals like Samuel have honed in on their organic skills and decided to obtain income using materials or providing needs others may overlook.
Even though Skip The Line, InLine4You app, Lugg: Uber for Movers, and Minibar: Uber for alcohol and Breathe are all in the genius business of line sitting, the most well-known is Samuel’s and his company is not doing badly at all.
