Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn set out to test a fascinating hypothesis:
Could a compelling story make a cheap, seemingly worthless object significantly more valuable—just by changing how it’s described?
To find out, they launched a project called “Significant Objects.” The premise was simple but brilliant: buy inexpensive, often random items—usually costing just a dollar or less—from thrift stores or garage sales, and then resell them on eBay. But here’s the twist: they didn’t just list the items plainly. Instead, they asked talented fiction writers to craft short, emotionally engaging stories to accompany the listings—transforming ordinary items into meaningful, almost magical artifacts.
The Ceramic Horse Head That Sold for $62.95
One standout example?
A small ceramic horse head, originally purchased for just $1.
With no practical value and no notable history, it was easily overlooked.
But once it was paired with a fictional, emotionally charged backstory, the object took on new life. Suddenly, buyers weren’t just bidding on a knick-knack—they were buying a narrative, a slice of a life, a feeling.
Final sale price? $62.95
That’s a 6,258% increase in value—driven purely by storytelling.
The Bigger Picture: $1 Turns Into $8,000
In total, the “Significant Objects” project involved over 200 items, all paired with imaginative stories.
The combined purchase cost of the items was just $128.74, and yet they sold for a staggering $8,000+. Every single piece owed its increased value to narrative, not utility.
Key Takeaway: Storytelling Sells
This experiment powerfully illustrates how human beings don’t just buy products—they buy meaning, emotion, and identity. A good story adds context, personality, and resonance to even the most mundane objects.
Whether you’re selling on eBay, marketing a startup, or crafting a pitch deck, this principle holds:
Facts tell. Stories sell.