I am DEFINITELY in the wrong business

[Howard Rosenberg]

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3026064/buy-this-50-block-of-wood-to-remind-you-to-stop-buying-so-much-stuff?partner=newsletter

[Troy Turner]

You and me both. We should go into business together :D

[Peter Kelly]

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Apparently this was for for sale up your way...

[John Coloccia]

Here's my latest creation. I call it "Unfortunate Bookends". Only $65 on my Etsy store.

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[Phil Dowd]

Anybody remember "Pet Rocks

[Peter Quinn]

In my younger days I had a friend, an artist. Iconoclast to say the least. He was involved in a local annual art show. He was a cabinet maker by trade, artist by nature, cynic by choice I'd imagine. He felt the annual show had been over run with dilettantes and posers. So he built a very nice pedestal. And he collected dog poop. Put the poop in a brown paper bag. Went to the show, put the bag on the pedestal. The local illuminate conversed all night about "what the artist meant" by the simple statement of the pedestal and bag.....discussed the form.....blah blah blah. My friend felt art was meant to be felt, not discussed. Just before "judging time".. this was a juried show....he walked up to the bag, covered it in lighter fluid and lit it. The judges gasped, what did the artist mean to convey now? What statement was he making? A study in the transformation of man in modern society? Blah blah blah...so they made the mistake of asking him what he meant. At a certain point a burning bag of dog poop starts to smell. At that point he told them "Problem is you people can't tell the difference between art and a flaming bag of dog poop" He was never invited back to that show.

Personally I'd rather have the bag of dog poop than that block of nothing to remind me not to over consume. Though if you find yourself with so much extra money you can't find anything better to do with it than buy that block of nothing, you could certainly use it to bang against your head in hope the crack it made might let in some sense. Art is meant to be felt.

[Joe Scharle]

Anybody remember "Pet Rocks


I knew some girls that actually bought them!

[Rick Potter]

Peter,

You made me laugh. A lot.

Rick P

[Jeff Erbele]

Woodworkers have the talent and tools to make one of these, while many do not.

[Andrew Kertesz]

The guy that started Pet Rocks made 4.5 million before the fad wore off.....

[Jim Matthews]

The guy that started Pet Rocks made 4.5 million before the fad wore off.....

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public. (http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/858.html)
H. L. Mencken

The "nothing" guy? I would like to kick his ass. It's despicable to do something artless, and sell it as worthwhile.
The World will be none the poorer without this sort of smug, ironic crap.

[John Coloccia]

The thing is, the workmanship isn't even that good. Even in the picture, I can see the grain coming right through the finish. If you're going to do something like this, I would expect it to be perfect with attention to detail. That's what makes me think he's not taking it seriously as any sort of art but just a convenient way to get people's cash.

[Pat Barry]

These are hilarious. Even serialized to show authenticity.

Maybe inspired by this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/Led_Zeppelin_-_Presence.jpg

[John Coloccia]

If you really want to laugh...

http://www.machinadynamica.com/

And yes, it's serious, and yes, people buy the stuff. Scroll down...you'll even find a bag of rocks.

[mike holden]

Reminds me of the stuff in woodwork magazine.
Mike

[John Piwaron]

If you really want to laugh...

http://www.machinadynamica.com/

And yes, it's serious, and yes, people buy the stuff. Scroll down...you'll even find a bag of rocks.

Fool and his money are soon parted.

[Joe Hillmann]

From a business point of view it is a great product, the man is a genius. The article suggest that he has sold at least 100 of these things. That means with a day or two's labor and very little in material he has made close to $5,000.

[Tom Walz]

Believe the pet rock guy went broke trying to do it a second time.

[Ryan Mooney]

If you really want to laugh...

http://www.machinadynamica.com/

And yes, it's serious, and yes, people buy the stuff. Scroll down...you'll even find a bag of rocks.

Ok that is just genius. And John they're not just rocks they're "resonance control devices" rofl. I think my favorite there though is the "Pretzel Logic Reef Knot Device".. Pretzel logic indeed. Although truly that one is a gift that just keeps giving oh man, thanks for sharing that. I've seen some crazy RF stuff but that's gotta be the best so far.

Peter Quinn: awesome story. I'm mildly surprised the judges didn't meta analyze his terminal statement and invite him back for a repeat performance the next year personally.

Some folks skip straight to the point: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Rich

[Edward Oleen]

I don't know where you guys hang out, but in my neck of the woods (NYC - aka The Big Apple) there is a street called 5th Avenue which is amply stocked with stores selling useless items to people with more money than brains or judgement. I'm talking Daddy Warbucks class spenders.

I mention this because I think your "Unfortunate Book Ends" would get at least high 3 figures (to the LEFT of the decimal point) and possibly even 4.





Just as long as they were... ...wait for it... ...one of a kind

[Jamie Lynch]

If it were to raise money for some sort of charity and he wasn't keeping a dime, sure I could see the point. Doesn't seem that way though.
Just another horn rimed glasses-skinny jeans wearing-"that band sucks because everybody knows who they are now", hipster.

[John Coloccia]

I don't know where you guys hang out, but in my neck of the woods (NYC - aka The Big Apple) there is a street called 5th Avenue which is amply stocked with stores selling useless items to people with more money than brains or judgement. I'm talking Daddy Warbucks class spenders.

I mention this because I think your "Unfortunate Book Ends" would get at least high 3 figures (to the LEFT of the decimal point) and possibly even 4.





Just as long as they were... ...wait for it... ...one of a kind

Well, I had to do something with all of the failures that occur...they were taking up too much space, and I didn't want to burn them because of the glue. So I started cutting them to toss them out and my wife thought they'd make good bookends for the shop. Maybe I should start selling them...

[Justin Ludwig]

Peter,

You made me laugh. A lot.

Rick P

+1 I busted out reading that story.

[John Coloccia]

Oh, hey...I found a new use for the Unfortunate Bookends sculpture. My wife is expecting twins in a few weeks, and her feet have become....how shall I put this tactfully...slightly inflated. Her doctor said that it will help if she sleeps with her feet elevated just a little...and it was late, and I was tired, so anyhow:

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[Tom Walz]

http://shop.coolmaterial.com/products/the-desk-caddy/&utm_source=coolmaterial&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=DeskCaddy&utm_campaign=productads