Goodness, Gideon, that is just about the worst question to ask. Autor pulls out a brochure that Mia gave him, and gestures to the notes he's peppered throughout.

He wants to know about size, speed, cost, difficulty of breaking in a used carpet, current inventory and how often the store restocks, and oh, yes, how are your payment plans?

Be prepared to haggle, too.

"In essence, something used, but reliable," Autor says. "The looks don't matter, as long as I can fly in it."

Then he tilts his head and cracks a sheepish grin. "And preferably? Fast. But mostly reliable."