I get paid to wait in line for everything from sample sales to celebrity trials. I’ve learned there are 2 key things people will pay for.
In 2023, Gigi Principe, a 26-year-old who found herself at a personal low after graduating college in 2019, turned to an unconventional job: line-sitting. After a series of unsatisfying jobs and the financial instability exacerbated by the pandemic, Principe was introduced to Same Ole Line Dudes, a line-sitting company. Her first assignment was at a Jimmy Choo sample sale, where she was surprised to find that she could earn around $74 just for waiting in line. What started as a one-time gig quickly transformed into a full-fledged career as she discovered the lucrative potential of line-sitting. Principe soon became addicted to the hustle, taking on more assignments for high-profile sample sales from luxury brands like Versace and McQueen, as well as waiting in line for popular restaurants that don’t accept reservations, such as Lucali’s in Brooklyn.
As Principe became more entrenched in the line-sitting world, her workload increased significantly. She transitioned from part-time gigs to full-time line-sitting, even managing to balance it with a day job. Her experiences included waiting in line for notable trials, including those of Donald Trump and other high-profile figures, often working grueling hours from early morning until late at night. Principe’s role expanded as she was promoted to manager, where she not only earned a commission but also learned valuable lessons about consumer behavior. She noted that people are willing to pay a premium for convenience and the chance to be first in line, revealing how much these small victories can mean to individuals. The job, while physically demanding, provided her with a stable income and a sense of purpose, ultimately transforming her life.
Principe’s story highlights the evolving gig economy and how individuals can find unexpected opportunities in challenging times. Her journey from struggling to make ends meet to becoming a line-sitting manager illustrates the resilience of the human spirit and the innovative ways people adapt to life’s obstacles. As she continues to navigate this unique profession, Principe remains committed to helping clients enjoy the little pleasures of life, like being first in line, while also reflecting on the deeper lessons about value and convenience that her job has taught her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4-qgWbdzTM
Principe became a line-sitter in 2023.
Gigi Principe
Gigi Principe, 26, became a line-sitter in 2023 when her life was at a low point, she said.
She has waited in lines for access to restaurants , sample sales, and trials for lawyers, the press, and the public.
Principe said she has learned there are two key things people will pay for.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Gigi Principe, 26, who has been working for Same Ole Line Dudes, a line-sitting company, since 2023 and is now a manager. Business Insider has verified her employment. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
Life after graduating college in 2019 meant bouncing from job to job, burning myself out at each one. Getting furloughed during the pandemic didn’t help, but I eventually started working odd gigs again and auditioning for acting roles. There were times when I would struggle financially, then do okay, then struggle, then do okay. It was a pattern that I hated, but a pattern I was used to. It was so stressful.
The job came at the right time
In 2023, at my lowest year personally, a friend referred me to Same Ole Line Dudes, a company that pays people to wait in lines on their behalf. My first gig was a Jimmy Choo sample sale in October of 2023. When I first got the Google Invite form for the job, I thought it was a scam. All I had to do was show up and sit in line, and I’d get paid around $74.
I was only planning to be there for four hours, but I relooped to the back of the line for another client and made extra money. I basically got addicted, and soon, I was hustling. Once the company figured out I was in it for the long run and was broke, they kept calling me back for more sample sales —
The Row
, Versace, McQueen. You’ve got to understand what 74 bucks was for me.
Principe sat for many sample sales at the beginning.
Gigi Principe
At my previous job, I had a moment where I wished someone would pay me to do nothing, and then boom. I didn’t mind sitting out in the winter. Bring a blanket! It was sample sale, sample sale, sample sale, then Lucali’s, a pizza place in Brooklyn that doesn’t take reservations. It was a top restaurant for us at the time, so getting that job was a sign I’d made it in the company. Lucali’s cost $32 an hour, and it was easy peasy to put someone’s name down. I knew my way around Brooklyn and kept coming back despite the cold, because, again, I was broke!
Jobs got bigger and bigger
The managers started rewarding me, and eventually, they brought me on full time. I think I spent almost every day of 2024 line-sitting. Donald Trump’s trial was huge for us — I would line sit from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m., or sometimes midnight to 8 a.m., and then take the subway to my day job uptown. There were days I might have bailed if I hadn’t had my tent.
Principe brings supplies, like chairs and tents, with her to wait in line.
Gigi Principe
I also did the Daniel Penny trial, the
Luigi Mangione
trial, and the
Diddy trial
. I can’t talk about my clients, but I’ve sat for the press, lawyers, and the public. Sometimes, I travel for clients. (We charge for travel time, and clients pay for the tickets.)
How people spend says a lot
Hourly rates depend on the event — sometimes $25, sometimes $32, sometimes $50 — and I’ve been getting commission since I became a manager in March. This job is hard, it’s taxing on the body, but it saved my life, and it really helps people. I get paid to wait, but also to watch wrestling videos, or write, or rest.
The money keeps flowing in, and that’s also taught me a lot about what people are willing to pay for.
First, people will pay a lot for convenience. That’s clear when I’m traveling and people pay for my plane tickets, train tickets, or rental cars.
And people will pay to be first. The number of times I hear, ‘I want to be first in line,’ or at least in the first group, is crazy. I want to make that happen for people, but it’s not a simple request — because everybody wants to be first. But I’ve seen that the little things in life, like being first in the door, really matter to people.
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Business Insider
