Rob Walker's Blog, page 54
September 22, 2009
Cigarette Case
Object No. 64 of 100
[Bid on this Significant Object, with story by Margot Livesey, here.]
Lydia felt the unfamiliar weight even as she stepped over the threshold of Stacy's flat, and when, in the hall, she reached her hand into her pocket, the metal rectangle fitted snugly into her palm. She continued down the stairs, across the park and towards home, the metal warming, pleasurably, to her touch. Mine, she thought. It felt like a compact, the kind her mother used to have, when she still...
September 21, 2009
Choirboy Figurine
Object No. 63 of 100
[Bid on this Significant Object, with story by J. Robert Lennon, here.]
The day after the day I turned seventeen, three weeks after the recital in which I received the award for distinguished effort in solo violin performance, five months after my older brother was arrested for dealing cocaine and thrown out of college and came home and ever since had been living in his old attic room which he had transformed into his personal domain during the last semester of high school ...
Weekly Project Update
Spotted at the HQ of Significant Objects South.
Aggregate cost of objects, sold so far: $77.07
Aggregate sales, post-Significance: $1,851.45
Coming up this week: Object Nos. 63 through 67 (of 100), with Significance added by Margot Livesey, Matthew Klam, and others. Posting soon: J. Robert Lennon
Still on auction: Objects with Significance added by Tim Carvell, Myla Goldberg, Stephen Elliott, and others, in our eBay shop.
Recent reactions from elsewhere: Interesting post by Stephanie Syjuco on "a
September 19, 2009
No. 62 — of 100.
Yesterday we published our 62nd story, and closed our 57th auction. I mention this because maybe you've been thinking the number of Significant Objects will be infinite, that this experiment will continue indefinitely.
Neither of these is the case.
There will be 100 Significant Objects. That's it. In other words, we've already sold more than half our inventory. Fifty-seven percent of it, to be precise.
Josh has actually mentioned this in an LA Times interview. We've never been explicit about it ...
No. 63 — of 100.
Yesterday we published our 63rd story, and closed our 57th auction. I mention this because maybe you've been thinking the number of Significant Objects will be infinite, that this experiment will continue indefinitely.
Neither of these is the case.
There will be 100 Significant Objects. That's it. In other words, we've already sold more than half our inventory. Fifty-seven percent of it, to be precise.
Josh has actually mentioned this in an LA Times interview. We've never been explicit about it ...
September 18, 2009
Military Figure
[Bid on this Significant Object, with story by David Shields, here.]
The Mute World War II Airman
ROYAL AIR FORCE (RAF) MEDICAL CHIEF All war pilots will inevitably break down in time if not relieved.
BEN SHEPHARD In the Battle of Britain, a stage was reached when it became clear that pilots would end up "Crackers or Coffins"; thereafter their time in the air was rationed.
DICTIONARY OF RAF SLANG Frozen on the stick: paralyzed with fear
MICHEL LEIRIS If this were a play, one of those dramas I...
Project Update: Neologism
Will our particular usage of the phrase "significant object" outlive the SO project? Might people browsing thrift stores, yard sales, and flea markets in the future pick up certain items and muse, "Hmmm… looks like a significant object." And if so, what qualities or attributes might make an object — without a narrative — seem ripe for significating? Do all of the objects we've curated for the SO project share these qualities, whatever they may be?
Such questions suggest themselves, this...
September 17, 2009
Hand-Held Bubble Blower
[Bid on this Significant Object, with story by Myla Goldberg, here. ]
This is not a toy. Only the young or the hopelessly commonsensical dip it into liquid soap, content with bubbles. Curl your fingers around the handle, lift it to your mouth, and flick the switch. Say what you long to say. The fan is small, but its aim is true. You will be heard.
September 16, 2009
Hawaiian Utensils
[Bid on this Significant Object, with story by Stephen Elliott, here.]
I bought these Hawaiian utensils, a wooden spoon and fork, while living in Alaska in the mid-eighties with my first wife. We were living outside the Eskimo village Wales on the western edge of the state, three miles outside of Tin City Air Force Station. The Air Force station was the location of a long-range radar for air surveillance. It was originally built in the 1950s but Reagan gave it a serious upgrade during his...
Top Ten Sales To Date
Out of curiosity, we recently went through our list of published stories so far to see which 10 objects have sold for the most money to date. We long ago proved that this experiment works — the stories we've published have increased the value of every insignificant object we've put up for sale. But perhaps our hypothesis could be refined if we carefully scrutinize this slice of the data.
Help us out, readers. We welcome your thoughts: Why did these objects/stories sell for more than the...
