Expensive
Related: gold - rare - scarce - value - economics
Cheap: cheap
Expensive records
Clifford asks - 'What criteria validate an authentic cultural or artistic product? What are the differential values placed on old and new creations?'. Recently (1999) a copy of Frank Wilson's 'Do I Love You?' an extremely rare and coveted disc which was pressed (made) in the mid-1960's but never released to the public was bought by a Scottish collector for £15 000, the most ever paid for a seven-inch single anywhere in the world, even though because of its dancefloor popularity (within British Soul culture at least) it has been reissued on a newer labels or CDs several times since its original (non)introduction. No CD has ever been sold for more than its face value or played at any respected Northern Soul Event. Just last week I bought a CD entitled 'For Millionaires Only', an eighteen track compilation CD designed to cater for those, like me, who love this music but cannot and would not pay large amounts of money for an 'original'. The total 'value' of tracks on the CD probably nears £10 000, for which I paid the normal CD price of £12. Of course, in reality the original could be considered to be a studio 'performance', that is the live playing and recording of the music, and it's musical production and editing. This 'performance' however was in a studio, designed to be recorded and produced, and I feel therefore that the recording of the work must be included as part of the work and thus the recorded piece is an extension of the studio performance, not merely a copy, echoing the Benjamin quote above as 'it enables the original to meet the beholder halfway, be it in the form of a photograph or a phonograph record.' -- Paul WynneList of most expensive paintings
This is a list of the highest prices paid for paintings. Very valuable paintings, if sold, are usually sold at auction.
Most of the world's most famous paintings are owned by museums, who very rarely sell them once acquired. As such, they are quite literally priceless; if for some reason paintings like the Mona Lisa were to become available, it is highly likely that they would sell for far higher values than the paintings listed below. The Guinness Book of Records lists the Mona Lisa as the highest insurance valuance for a painting in history. It was assessed at US$100 million on December 14, 1962, prior to the painting touring the U.S. for several months. [1] (http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/gwr5/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=50934) Taking into account the time value of money, this would be approximately equivalent to US$626,821,192.00 in 2004. The Louvre chose to instead spend the money on security.
List of highest prices paid at auction
1. Garçon à la pipe by Pablo Picasso * Sold for $104.1 million on May 4, 2004 at Sotheby's, New York (time value: $106,910,700.00)
2. Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent van Gogh * Sold for $82.5 million on May 15, 1990 at Christie's, New York (time value: $116,793,226.33) †
3. Bal au moulin de la Galette, Montmartre by Pierre-Auguste Renoir * Sold for $78 million on May 17, 1990 at Sotheby's, New York (time value: $110,422,686.71) †
4. Irises by Vincent Van Gogh * Sold for $49 million on November 11, 1987 at Sotheby's, New York (time value: $78,402,796.71).
5. Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens * Sold for £49.5 million ($76.7 million) on July 10, 2002 at Sotheby's, London (time value: $77,927,200.00)
6. Les Noces de Pierrette by Pablo Picasso * Sold for $49 million on November 30, 1989 (time value: $72,697,766.77)
7. Portrait de l'artiste sans barbe by Vincent Van Gogh * Sold for $65 million on November 19, 1998 at Christie's, New York (time value: $71,691,040.02).
8. Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier by Paul Cézanne * Sold for $60.5 million on May 10, 1999 at Sotheby's, New York (later resold at a loss)
9. Femme aux Bras Croisés by Pablo Picasso * Sold for $50 million on November 8, 2000 at Christie's, New York (time value: $52,851,507.20). --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_paintings [Apr 2005]