July 13, 2005:

MINI Circuits – Missing States

Posted 07:05 pm | Comments: (18) | Uncategorized

Regular readers will know of my fascination with numbers (such as 42!); last year this evolved into finding where all the shipped MINI circuits ended up, by cross-referencing the ZIP code with TIGER map. The resulting “map of USA” looks like this:

Yesterday I shipped MINI circuit #750! Astonishing for a “hobby” where I originally debated whether or not to make as many as 30 …

The most popular ZIP codes are: 02138, 22182, 27502, 28277, 44612, 90026, 91001 (thanks RB!), 92610, 94127, 95062 (most popular of all) and 98499.

But even with 750 shipped, to 562 different ZIP codes, I have never shipped a MINI circuit to: Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, South Dakota, West Virginia or Wyoming.

So … the first person from each of those states to order a MINI circuit gets a special deal :)

2005/07/15: Thanks Craig – Iowa now filled in!
2005/10/05: Thanks John – Mississippi now filled in!
2005/10/24: Thanks Jim – Wyoming now filled in!
2005/10/28: Thanks Michael – South Dakota now filled in!
2005/12/19: Thanks David – Kentucky now filled in!

Comments: 18 (post new comment)

  1. RB (2005/07/13 @ 7:34 pm)

    My pleasure……Now let’s see……so far, I have ordered 3.

    My daughter loves the AutoUp and of course her MC that you helped me get for her.

    I was wondering which state has the most Mini’s ? I wonder if there is a way to find out that little bit-o-info?

    Congrats Ian, I hope you’ve made a few pennies for all your trouble! I still think you could sell them to dealers or folks like OutMotoring and such, but then I like eggs.

    You still sound like David Hobbs, to me and look a bit like the chap also, hope that’s not a slam. Of course I meant the younger Hobbs.

    RB

  2. GSKChicago (2005/07/13 @ 7:43 pm)

    “I have never shipped a MINI circuit to: Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, South Dakota, West Virginia or Wyoming.”

    How about Hawaii or Alaska? Do they have Mini’s there?

  3. Ian C. (2005/07/13 @ 9:06 pm)

    Yes … 2 to Alaska and 5 to Hawaii; unfortunately I don’t know how to make the Tiger map plot those US states.

    Of course there are also quite a few MINI circuits in non-US locations: Australia, Austria, Canada, England, Germany, Greece and Switzerland; can’t plot those either!

  4. Josh Wardell (2005/07/13 @ 10:38 pm)

    The more important statistic: Which state has the highest number of mini circuits per capita? I bet its a dual of mass vs cali :)

  5. Rick Broshears (2005/07/13 @ 11:02 pm)

    I know that guy in Nebraska. He’s my neighbor.

  6. ukpylot (2005/07/14 @ 11:19 am)

    ooh, that reminds me I need to order a circuit for the new MINI!

  7. Lee L (2005/07/14 @ 4:55 pm)

    Ian, pretty cool.

    FYI, there is now a MINI dealership in Charlotte, NC although it has only opened in the last few months.

  8. Rawhyde (2005/07/14 @ 10:32 pm)

    I can see my dot! I guess I’m the only person with the circuit in the NW corner of Georgia.

    This mod is something that I use every day. It’s great….thanks Ian!

    Rawhyde

  9. Ian C. (2005/07/14 @ 11:24 pm)

    Thanks Lee – MINI dealership @ 28227 now added ;)
    MINI USA should remember to tell me when they open a new dealership!

  10. blalor (2005/07/15 @ 10:14 am)

    Hey, if you send me that list of zips, I can make a google map from it! :-) It’ll be easier if you include the lat/lon, too.

  11. ukpylot (2005/07/15 @ 10:37 am)

    Now, a google map version would be very cool.

  12. snid (2005/07/15 @ 10:40 am)

    Oh yeah… google maps. When I helped Ian do this the first time, there was no google maps. :) I’m not sure if it would be easier to do with google maps or the way it is being done now, since I haven’t hacked google maps at all.

  13. Ian Cull (2005/07/15 @ 2:08 pm)

    The latitude/longitude marker file for TIGER is here – the first block (marked “statehwy1″) are the dealerships and the rest (with various “reddot” sizes) are the MINI circuit locations – a bigger “reddot” indicates multiple circuits at the same ZIP code.
    What can you do with it?

  14. Ian C. (2005/07/15 @ 10:08 pm)

    Josh – did some circuits per head of population calculations, and New Hampshire is the winner: 8 circuits with only 1.25 million population!

    Massachusetts and other close-by states are somewhat biased due to me not having ZIP codes for many of the people I have installed for … there are 48 circuits either hand-delivered or installed.
    Also, 11 circuits went to Sin City MINI club, unknown ZIP codes – but if I put them all in Nevada that would make Nevada tie with New Hampshire!

    Massachusetts would tie with New Hampshire if it had 18 more ZIP codes – I don’t think there are that many unaccounted for.

    Below New Hampshire is:
    Virginia (5.2/million)
    Hawaii! (4.0/million – another small population)
    California (3.9/million – 134 circuits, but a population of 34 million!)

    Phew! Hope you appreciated that ;)

  15. blalor (2005/07/15 @ 11:21 pm)

    I posted about my efforts. I’m pretty happy with the result thus far.

    I take a great deal of pride in being one of the few in Indiana with a circuit. :-)

  16. Big Jimmy (2005/07/17 @ 1:15 am)

    North Dakota here Representin
    I am half tempted to order one to my address in WV just to see what the special deal is…

  17. Josh Wardell (2005/07/18 @ 11:18 am)

    Thanks Ian…see how some data crunching always brings up interesting discussion!

    blalor that is really great. The green dot that I assume is for me is only a few streets away (Ian you do have my zip I hope)

  18. RB (2005/07/19 @ 11:14 am)

    Yada, Yada………Cal actually won on sheer numbers of units sold.

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