Significant Objects
Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn
Fantagraphics Books © 2012

When it comes to art, the story behind the work – its history or provenance – is vital to determining its value. The editors of Significant Objects, Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn, have taken this principal and turned it on its ear. They have taken ordinary objects – knickknacks, if you will – and have manufactured a history or story that brings these kitsch items to life and gives them value beyond what you would expect.

While it is easy to say that the story brings value, how do you prove it? Well, you run an experiment by putting the items on eBay with their false histories, auctioning them to the highest bidder, and seeing how much more valuable the pieces have become.

The results are staggering.

In this book, you will find 100 short stories about ordinary objects written by some of today’s most talented contemporary authors. The variety of the authors’ approaches to the objects is all-encompassing. Some will leave you laughing hysterically, others rather melancholy, and, a few, simply dumbfounded. So if the story is able to increase the value of the object, is there a formula for making something more desirable? This is exactly the premise of the book…

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