Surely OSHA Has A Regulation About This?

A while ago, Anna had a brilliant idea.
Anna's favorite color is blue.
Her friend Sebastian's favorite color is red.

Due to random decorating & merchandising issues, Sebastian has a potty seat with a blue border (to match their bathroom) and Anna has a potty seat with a red border (that's all the store had left).

I am sure, at this point, that I do not have to point out the obvious opportunity for increasing everyone's level of chromatic happiness here. A simple exchange. The Coase Theorem, as applied to preschool bathroom habits. I can just see the Wharton case study now.

And that is exactly what Anna suggested. She wants to trade potty seats.

All would be perfect, if only we could get past those "sanitation-related" transactions costs in the form of that random eeeeewwwwww feeling that creeps in whenever I think about this. I'd also have to balance in the social unhappiness generated by Sebastian's parents thinking we are total freaks.

All in all, an unexpected rejoinder to the often-heard complaint "But when am I going to use this stuff in the real world?" I mean, you just never know. I have no doubt that Ronald Coase would be shocked...