The world has gone crazy

[horseless carriage]

How much would you pay for this lavatory pan?

In August of 2010, a toilet that belonged to John Lennon sold for $14,740, which was ten times what the auction house had estimated for it. John Lennon allowed the workers who replaced the toilet in his home to keep it, saying they could “put some flowers in it or something.” This actually makes sense when you see the toilet. It’s pretty cool looking and would make a great addition to any toilet garden.

The purveyor of John Lennon’s toilet was most likely inspired by a man who a few weeks earlier had listed J.D. Salinger’s toilet on eBay. The "buy it now" price was one million dollars, but he did offer free shipping. The toilet received numerous bids but for some reason no one was willing to shell out the requested million dollars for it. Cheapskates, all of them.

Perhaps the low-ballers on eBay might have been more inclined to throw cash at the toilet if it had been the one he used while writing The Catcher In The Rye. However, the toilet in question was mainly used by Salinger later in life, which auction experts feel lowered its value. Also probably lowering its value: the fact that the seller advertised it as "uncleaned. (" Gross!")

 

[Mr. Ed]

 

[fuzzybuddy]

I seem to recall that there a reason for high art values. Art is a form of investment. A dead artist can't make any more art, so the more people want his art , the more expensive it becomes. It's supposed to be some kind of hedge against inflation?

 

[Fyrefox]

Art, as it has been well said, is in the eye of the beholder. Art is also meant to be experienced rather than possessed, a distinction which escapes wealthy private collectors for whom the main attraction of art is its rarity and brag value. It enables them to think that they are better than others because they, unlike many, can exclusively own such a thing. Their hearts are far from the soul of art.

Then there is the art crafted by animals, primarily primates although elephants and other species have also done some. Some of the abstract art is as good or better than that done by humans, and has drawn rave reviews by critics unaware of the species of the artist…