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Rat · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2002 1:48 pm

Just a blab I cooked up off the top of my head in about three minutes.

What, I ask, is the point in buying a copy of something valuable? I mean, its only real value is that of the material it’s made of, which is often nearly nothing, yet it’s sold sometimes for hundreds of dollars. The only copy that has any real value for what it is, is the original, which is often worth millions.

Right now, they’re selling copies of the only remaining original of a 1933 American $20 coin. The copies are selling now through TV ads for $19.99. Later, the price will be bumped up to around $35, yet the copies are only worth the value of the 24 carat gold they’re made of. The original is valued around $8 million, and is due to go up for auction soon.

Do people actually think copies have even a good size fraction of the value of rare originals? I mean I would never waste my money on a worthless copy of something, though if I could afford it, I’d go for an original.

I’m not saying that all copies of things are totally worthless, but they can be. At any rate, no copy will ever make the same value as the original, at least not at the same time.

[Shizo] · member Member # Joined: 22 Oct 1999 Posts: 3938

You mean you actually look at these $19.99 advertisings?
Ehehehe.. stop playin' boy! Only dumb people buy this garbage from TV cause they'll sell you ANYTHING they can think of. A couple years ago i saw a "snow ball maker" - be prepared for these fun snow-ball fights for only $19.99.

Nilwort · member Member # Joined: 26 Jan 2002 Posts: 319

I remember hearing somewhere that collectors items or just anything in general is only worth as much someone will pay for it...I have a whole bunch of old comics that I'm hoping will be worth money when I'm an old geezer...it's all relative maaaaaaaaaan!

Novacaptain · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2002 2:18 pm

well...why do baseball cards have any value? after all...they're just photographs of athletes. Not the actual athletes (who are worth millions to their teams) so if even just a photo of the original can have some value, it seems rather reasonable that a copy (which is a solid, palpable and 3 dimentional replication of the original)could be worth a few buck too

Rat · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2002 2:20 pm

quote:
Originally posted by Novacaptain:
well...why do baseball cards have any value? after all...they're just photographs of athletes. Not the actual athletes (who are worth millions to their teams) so if even just a photo of the original can have some value, it seems rather reasonable that a copy (which is a solid, palpable and 3 dimentional replication of the original)could be worth a few buck too

That's what I've been wondering for god knows how long. I was talking more about coins, though.

Nilwort · member Member # Joined: 26 Jan 2002 Posts: 319

I think the problem that we're running into here is that when you buy something you aren't actually paying for the material thing you are buying, but just paying money to convince someone who's attached to an item to give it to you...it's really just up to the seller on how much they think they can get away with selling a thing that is a representation of someone elses work or ideas....

(edit) I suck

[ July 04, 2002: Message edited by: Nilwort ]

Impaler · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2002 2:41 pm

The American dollar is physically worth about 62 cents.

Awetopsy · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2002 3:16 pm

heh.. same as what the canadian dollar is worth... physically and exchange compared to the us dollar

Coaster · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2002 4:43 pm

This is probably keeps the economy from collapsing.. selling stuff for far more then what its worth because of its sentiment.

radical travis · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2002 6:41 pm

a lot of people agree with you.

thus they download movies, cds, games, and software, or get a copy from a friend, cause HOW CAN something have value to you that you can essentially produce yourself for free? what a fun issue. common sense, ethics, and all that jazz colliding.

Coaster · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2002 6:50 pm

Well the thing is, a while ago products had value (mostly) relative to their physical cost (to make etc.) but with software and music your only paying for the work that the person put into it (and sum for the equipment they used, but thats not a relative cost).

I think people are going to end up appreciating the non-physical cost more in the future.

Either that or it won't work out at all and no one will bother anymore.