Can a $1.25 item be sold for a few hundred dollars? And can you do that multiple times?
Yes, and it’s all thanks to storytelling!
Here’s the fascinating experiment of Significant Objects
1: The Beginning
In 2009, Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn bought 200 random objects from dollar store and garage sales. The kind of items most people would ignore.
They wanted to transform these mundane items into unique, valuable artifacts.
2: Army of storytellers
They enlisted around 200 writers to craft compelling stories about each object. Some tales were humorous, others poignant, but all were designed to give the item a personal history.
The objective was to make every item “interesting”.
3: The selling
The objects were then sold on eBay with their new stories. And the results were remarkable! Some items sold for hundreds more than their original price.
And so, from a simple investment of a few hundred bucks, they got over $8000.
Which all went to charity.
4: Stories sell
Why did this experiment work? It’s simple: stories create emotional connections. When we see a story behind an object, we value it more.
It’s no longer just a thing; it’s a memory, a dream, or a piece of someone’s life.
5: From ordinary to Extraordinary
The Significant Objects experiment is a powerful reminder of the transformative power of storytelling.
It shows us that even the most ordinary items can become extraordinary when given a mighty narrative.
6: Check it out
Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn, founders of this project, launched a new book. Learn more about this experiment and their book on their site: https://significantobjects.com/
(and no, they haven’t paid me for this – I just think it’s a cool experiment and every storyteller should know about it)