Comments on: Price of rare goods skyrockets while infinite digital goods crash http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:11:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Bazilisk http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html#comment-101648 Bazilisk Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-101648 Reminds me of one of R. Crumb's "Waiting For Food" art books, printed collections of his doodles he makes while at restaurants, mostly. In the prologue, he gives the advice to aspiring artists to make real, physical art, THEN make digital copies or versions of it (mostly because if you are concerned about selling it some day, you know...way valuable useful if it only or mostly exists in real life...) This was published between 5 and 10 years ago. Reminds me of one of R. Crumb’s “Waiting For Food” art books, printed collections of his doodles he makes while at restaurants, mostly. In the prologue, he gives the advice to aspiring artists to make real, physical art, THEN make digital copies or versions of it (mostly because if you are concerned about selling it some day, you know…way valuable useful if it only or mostly exists in real life…)

This was published between 5 and 10 years ago.

]]> By: Mantari http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html#comment-101650 Mantari Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-101650 Would you say the same holds true for classic games in the arcades? Is Galaga worth more or less because you can play it on your PC with an emulator? What if you collected arcade games? Would that make Galaga more valuable to collectors, or less? Would you say the same holds true for classic games in the arcades? Is Galaga worth more or less because you can play it on your PC with an emulator?

What if you collected arcade games? Would that make Galaga more valuable to collectors, or less?

]]> By: Ian70 http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html#comment-101685 Ian70 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-101685 So, if I understand this correctly: the extreme scarcity of sense in the New York Times is intensified by the extreme ubiquity of the New York Times? (how is that not a surprise?) And yes, #11, to some people a real honest-to-goodness coin-up version of Galaga is far more satisfying than any MAME version, no matter how good your emulation and homemade cabinet is. (however the homemade cabinet downstairs in my current residence is, admittedly, a work of art.) #9, the reason the real Rembrandt is worth so much money to people is because they can re-sell it years later for even more money. Classic original painted art is a great investment.. and that's about it. So, if I understand this correctly: the extreme scarcity of sense in the New York Times is intensified by the extreme ubiquity of the New York Times? (how is that not a surprise?)

And yes, #11, to some people a real honest-to-goodness coin-up version of Galaga is far more satisfying than any MAME version, no matter how good your emulation and homemade cabinet is. (however the homemade cabinet downstairs in my current residence is, admittedly, a work of art.)

#9, the reason the real Rembrandt is worth so much money to people is because they can re-sell it years later for even more money. Classic original painted art is a great investment.. and that’s about it.

]]> By: Brian Damage http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html#comment-101444 Brian Damage Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-101444 I should start blogging on papyrus! I should start blogging on papyrus!

]]> By: Halloween Jack http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html#comment-101451 Halloween Jack Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-101451 I think that the real difference is the increasing concentration of wealth in the hands of a very small number of people. Bill Gates' children won't go hungry, no matter how many scraps of Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks he snaps up; Paul Allen can snap up every last headscarf and guitar pick that belonged to the late Jimi Hendrix, if he has a mind to. And there's nothing magic about digital reproductions; I had a good copy of the Magna Carta hanging on my wall back in the late seventies, ditto for various Picasso and Dali reproductions. It has less to do with the magic of digital copies than with all of these people who literally have more money than they know what to do with. I think that the real difference is the increasing concentration of wealth in the hands of a very small number of people. Bill Gates’ children won’t go hungry, no matter how many scraps of Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks he snaps up; Paul Allen can snap up every last headscarf and guitar pick that belonged to the late Jimi Hendrix, if he has a mind to. And there’s nothing magic about digital reproductions; I had a good copy of the Magna Carta hanging on my wall back in the late seventies, ditto for various Picasso and Dali reproductions. It has less to do with the magic of digital copies than with all of these people who literally have more money than they know what to do with.

]]> By: johannm http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html#comment-101708 johannm Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-101708 I remember Philip K Dick covered this in "Man in the High Castle" (and probably elsewhere) - do you want to own the gun that shot Lincoln? They're making them in China! I remember Philip K Dick covered this in “Man in the High Castle” (and probably elsewhere) – do you want to own the gun that shot Lincoln? They’re making them in China!

]]> By: hyperkine http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html#comment-101479 hyperkine Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-101479 "Worn parchment and fading ink" may make James Gleick pause, but that doesn't do it for me. Different strokes. “Worn parchment and fading ink” may make James Gleick pause, but that doesn’t do it for me.

Different strokes.

]]> By: jyq http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html#comment-101502 jyq Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-101502 Sounds like Walter Benjamin was right all along: see the Wikipedia note on The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Work_of_Art_in_the_Age_of_Mechanical_Reproduction Sounds like Walter Benjamin was right all along: see the Wikipedia note on The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Work_of_Art_in_the_Age_of_Mechanical_Reproduction

]]> By: Splash http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html#comment-101512 Splash Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-101512 Hang on, isn't this one of the main points in Andrew Keen's "The Cult of the Amateur" ? Hang on, isn’t this one of the main points in Andrew Keen’s “The Cult of the Amateur” ?

]]> By: roboshobo http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html#comment-101521 roboshobo Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-101521 this makes sense if you look at how the music industry is reshaping. the cost of digital downloads is dropping rapidly and more bands are giving the music away for free. what isnt going down are the price of tickets for a real physical performance by these artists. LiveNation is going to reap massive profits from understanding this trend early on. this makes sense if you look at how the music industry is reshaping. the cost of digital downloads is dropping rapidly and more bands are giving the music away for free. what isnt going down are the price of tickets for a real physical performance by these artists. LiveNation is going to reap massive profits from understanding this trend early on.

]]> By: jphilby http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html#comment-101564 jphilby Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-101564 It's a good thing diamonds are rare, or they'd be really cheap. Then we'd all have to pony up for Magna Cartas, or, at least, Butcher Block covers. It’s a good thing diamonds are rare, or they’d be really cheap. Then we’d all have to pony up for Magna Cartas, or, at least, Butcher Block covers.

]]> By: mrsomuch http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html#comment-101827 mrsomuch Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-101827 #12 - it's not just that it has a high resale value, one reason that the originals hold so much fascination and therefore value is the inherent level of skill involved in it's creation and all the associated history. If I look at a reproduction I am merely looking at a 2D image and can evaluate the picture on those merits (which is fine) but if I'm infront of the original there is a much more to evaluate, less tangible admittedly, but still very valuable. I think that is the point of the article, in our new digitised domain reproductions and counterfeits are par for the course so hold less value, a 'hard copy' or original will therefore be worth much more (to the right person obv.) #12 – it’s not just that it has a high resale value, one reason that the originals hold so much fascination and therefore value is the inherent level of skill involved in it’s creation and all the associated history. If I look at a reproduction I am merely looking at a 2D image and can evaluate the picture on those merits (which is fine) but if I’m infront of the original there is a much more to evaluate, less tangible admittedly, but still very valuable. I think that is the point of the article, in our new digitised domain reproductions and counterfeits are par for the course so hold less value, a ‘hard copy’ or original will therefore be worth much more (to the right person obv.)

]]> By: help i cant comfirm my username themelonbread http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html#comment-102366 help i cant comfirm my username themelonbread Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-102366 @Jphilby: Diamonds are artificially rare; if it weren't for the cartels' strict regulation of their industry, we'd all be swimming in diamonds. @Jphilby: Diamonds are artificially rare; if it weren’t for the cartels’ strict regulation of their industry, we’d all be swimming in diamonds.

]]> By: Fnarf http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html#comment-101605 Fnarf Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-101605 You can't (yet) digitally reproduce paintings, because paintings are three-dimensional objects, not two as commonly stated. In addition to brush strokes and so on, there is the reflectivity of glass to consider. Anyone who thinks they're getting the full experience of a Rembrandt or a Pollock from a JPG is participating in a process of cultural loss. You can’t (yet) digitally reproduce paintings, because paintings are three-dimensional objects, not two as commonly stated. In addition to brush strokes and so on, there is the reflectivity of glass to consider. Anyone who thinks they’re getting the full experience of a Rembrandt or a Pollock from a JPG is participating in a process of cultural loss.

]]> By: Elrohir http://boingboing.net/2008/01/07/price-of-rare-goods.html#comment-101627 Elrohir Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-101627 I'm one of those weird people who disagrees. The real “Rembrandt” doesn't have any more value to me than a copy good enough that I can't tell them apart. Of course, for somebody interested in analyzing the process of the picture's creation by trying to find what's under the visible layer of paint, and doing a chemical analysis of what Rembrandt sneezed into the canvas while painting, the actual original is needed, but this is something 99.9% of the people are never going to do. I don't even think there's a really an original, since it's never been painted. The actual original is what Rembrandt intended to paint, and what came out is a lossy copy of that. I’m one of those weird people who disagrees.

The real “Rembrandt” doesn’t have any more value to me than a copy good enough that I can’t tell them apart.

Of course, for somebody interested in analyzing the process of the picture’s creation by trying to find what’s under the visible layer of paint, and doing a chemical analysis of what Rembrandt sneezed into the canvas while painting, the actual original is needed, but this is something 99.9% of the people are never going to do.

I don’t even think there’s a really an original, since it’s never been painted. The actual original is what Rembrandt intended to paint, and what came out is a lossy copy of that.

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