Wednesday 25 April 2012

V is for Value

I'm always astonished at the value that is placed on certain things/people. Take Queen Victoria's knickers (well, you can't, actually. They're probably in a safe somewhere. But you know what I mean). In November 2011, a pair sold for $14,000. They are obviously of no intrinsic use or value; they're just some old, enormous knickers (my granny had lots - at least as big, and perhaps even bigger - and they weren't worth anything at all). But - these belonged to Queen Victoria, so they are valuable. (I would very much like to know how anyone can prove they actually belonged to Queen V. DNA? Photographic evidence? If I could persuade someone that my granny's knickers were in fact royal knickers, would that increase their value?)


And then there are pictures. Famous pictures are obviously of more use than knickers. People can enjoy them (well not The Scream. I've never understood the attraction of that one). But Van Gogh's Sunflowers is atractive, if (dare I say) hardly worth the sums paid for it.


The Card Players by Cezanne (left) sold this year for $250m. It's a nice picture, but is it worth that much? And if it had been painted by, say, a talented sixth-former, what would it have been worth then?

And then, of course, there are footballers, who are paid obscene amounts of money, and (some) spend it very unwisely indded. No-one seems to mind about them. And "celebrities" (that word gives me the shivers), some of whom are just that, but haven't achieved anything at all.

Meanwhile, Titch was upset to learn that someone had offered a measly £1,000 for him (turned down, of course). That's a fourteenth of the value of the knickers. He's still trying to come to terms with that.

15 comments:

  1. You could tell Titch that his value is so high and of a nature that can not be expressed in monetary terms anyway, and therefore, the person who offered that measly sum simply didn't know how else to express their wish to be allowed near him.

    As for art - well, I am one of those conservative people (when it comes to art, at least) who often suspect that a lot of what is supposed to be modern art is actually a piss-take, and the "artist" (it is an art to draw people's money out of their pockets, true enough) has a good laugh on the expense of those who stand in front of their works, putting on their artsy, knowledgeable and sophisticated faces and look down on mere mortals such as myself who can't see the point in a blue square painted on the wall being worth millions.

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    1. Titch says he's glad someone appreciates him. As for art, I quite agree. Sometimes I think I'd do much betters painting coloured squares than writing novels...

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  2. Meike has hit the nail fair and square on the head. I could tell stories about art and its 'value' so I could. In fact I'll try and do a post one day ('one day' - I despair when I use that term) on the subject of art and value and vested interests.

    You are so right about footballers and their obscene earnings. If I were to mention that an oncologist attempting to cure cancer was paid very substantially (but at less per month than the pay of a premier league footballer) people would jib at his remuneration. Yet a footballer appeals to the masses so is lauded.

    It's a funny old world.

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  3. Laugh out loud funny, as usual.

    This comment page has a new look! I think it means you can reply to each individual comment instead of all in one block. More work for the blogger I think.

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    1. Actually, I think this is easier, Maggie. BTW what's happened to your blog?

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  4. By the way, I certainly didn't write my previous comment at 06.17AM!!!

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  5. You've hit the nail on the head again. Yuk to the knickers (queenly or not). We're always complaining about the value given to paintings and footballers, among other things.

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    1. And you can't eat paintings or footballers...

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  6. It always annoys me when people (usually salesmen or advertisers) tell me that they're offering something that is worth X amount. What they're really giving me is the cost. It's only worth X if I actually want it. (Usually I don't).

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    1. Sadly, people are prepared to pay huge sums for the oddest things!

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  7. Great post subject. Here in the U.S. we have numerous TV shows regarding the valuation of antiques and various items found in storage lockers, brought into pawn shops, and found by so-called "pickers", who travel around the country looking for stuff to buy and re-sell. With straight faces, these people look at a piece of rusted broken-down tidbits, and declare them to be worth a small fortune. I always wonder the same thing: to WHOM?

    Anyway, nice to meet you. I stopped by on a quick fly-by with the A-Z, and like your blog so much, I'm leaving as your newest follower. Nice to meet ya.

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    1. Thanks for the comment, Susan, and thanks too,for joining!

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  8. I don't seem to be able to reply to your reply so here's a new one. I gave up my blog, reluctantly. But I wasn't writing, and that was the whole point. It was too easy to get involved in all the tagging and awarding, so I chickened out. Maybe one day. You have done amazingly well with your A-Z challenge. Well done.

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  9. Maggie, I waste too much time blogging, but I do have a motive other than just enjoying it ( which I do.). I have a new book coming out soon, and like all writers, I need all the friends I can get! The A to Z thing is actually quite fun ( I did it last year) , as is the weekly Magpie challenge, as is....You get my drift!

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