Some people have too much money

[Geronimo '74]

'Wilson' volleyball head from Cast Away film sold for $308,000

The volleyball used as a prop in the 2000 film Cast Away has sold at auction for a staggering $308,000 (£230,000).

The film depicts Tom Hanks as a lone survivor stuck on a deserted island. The ball, which his character names Wilson, is depicted as his only friend.

The ball was originally made to look dirty, and spent a lot of time in the water during filming, according to Prop Store, the auction house that sold it.

Hanks was given an Oscar nomination for best actor in the Robert Zemeckis film.

The movie star lost out to Russell Crowe for his role in the film Gladiator.

During the film, Hanks talks to Wilson as a way to keep his sanity while struggling to survive.

The ball is described by the auction house as "heavily distressed with paint applied to create a worn, dirtied appearance".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59242756


300K, really?
That's a lot of money for what basically is nothing but a deflated sack of air...

I wonder if the buyer is a forum member...

[john70t]

"Bah. Those are rookie numbers, You've got to pump them numbers up, son"

How about the concept of ownership?
https://www.ledgerinsights.com/jack-dorsey-sells-his-first-tweet-as-an-nft-for-2-9-million/

[Geronimo '74]

I don't understand the reason why anyone would spend that amount of money on a digital, non tangible, piece of nothing.

I would be ashamed having to admit that I was the buyer of that tweet.
Why, why ??

Even if I had that kind of money, I could not justify a purchase like that.

[ckelly78z]

For $50 you could replicate Wilson, so you would be paying $299,950 for the privilege of telling the story to your friends.

[GothingNC]

Yup

https://wgntv.com/news/banksy-artwork-that-self-shredded-3-years-ago-sells-for-25-4-million/

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by Geronimo '74

Why, why ??

Simply because they can.

There are a good many people in this world for whom the price of anything they want means absolutely nothing...their desire to acquire or experience something is all that's relevant. These folks take trips into space, own private islands and multiple homes in the most desirable places on the planet, travel on personal jets and super yachts the size of small cruise ships, and they own a significant portion of Earth's habitable land. Spending $300K for a movie prop has less of an impact on them than buying a Big Mac would be for most of us.

[john70t]

Crash and burn:
https://financebuzz.com/finance-nicolas-cage-buying-spree
Think your money troubles are bad? Trying blowing through $150 million, going broke, then owing the IRS $13 million. Yes, we're talking about Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage.

https://www.ranker.com/list/how-mike-tyson-went-bankrupt/hugh-landman
How Mike Tyson Made $400 Million Yet Still Declared Bankruptcy

[Steve Carlton]

I liked Wilson on Home Improvement better.

[McLovin]

People who have a lot of dollars are nervous about sitting on those rapidly deflating dollars, and are pushing them into all manners of hard assets. I.e., it’s a hedge against inflation investment.

[varmint]

private vices, public virtues.


you are witnessing wealth redistribution from stupid people to smart people. the money will be put to much more productive use by its new owner.

[LWJ]

McLovin for the win.

Art is an amazing hedge.

However, a volleyball??? Damn.

[aschen]

Wonder how many volleyballs were on that movie set in aggregate.

[McLovin]

It’s also a way to take cash “off the books” and make it disappear.
There’s no bank or brokerage reporting possession of the volleyball to the govt.
There’s no risk that “unrealized gains” on the ball can be taxed down the road.
It’s also a way to convert cash (like actual cash bills) into an asset with no reporting.
As inflation continues to kill the dollar (at the rate now of close to 1% per month), there’s a very good chance this turns out to be a savvy financial move.
It’s not bought by some idiot who was just a big fan of the movie, lol.

[Steve Carlton]

I get it. $308,000 is safely converted into a $300 volleyball. Smart!

[McLovin]

No, it’s converted into a one of a kind asset of which no more can ever be produced.
It’s the same reason Bitcoin is at $64k, and Bitcoin isn’t even a $30 volleyball. It doesn’t even exist at all.

[70SATMan]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

I liked Wilson on Home Improvement better.

[Noah930]

Holy shyte! I have a friend in the movie biz who has a Wilson prop from the movie (because he worked on it). It just sits in his living room on top of the TV bureau.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by McLovin

People who have a lot of dollars are nervous about sitting on those rapidly deflating dollars, and are pushing them into all manners of hard assets. I.e., it’s a hedge against inflation investment.

Only if someone else is willing to pay that amount plus inflation .... quite a gamble imo. Methinks a rich dude or dudette just wanted the ball.

It won't be me

Owner of the Panthers just paid Cam 10M .... it's chump change to him ... but he wanted a Fig Newton... same thing imo.

Us peons just can't fathom how rich some are....

[McLovin]

Your minds are really going to be blown when you find out about these things called NFTs.

[KFC911]

^^^^ I'm sorta askeered to search.... I might not return

I reckon I had heard of NFT after all....

New Fangled Tulips