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High Schooler's Art Project Valued at $50,000 on 'Antiques Roadshow'

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It's actually worth a good deal less than that, but the mis-appraisal did boost its value

In a certain sense, who is really to say what a piece of art is worth? Art has no intrinsic monetary value, so really it's worth whatever someone says it's worth. In another sense, an appraiser on Antiques Roadshow made a pretty big blunder in appraising this vase at $50,000. The vase was soon revealed to have been created by a Oregon high schooler in the '70s and not, as originally thought, a "late 19th or early 20th century" work inspired by Picasso. Interestingly enough, however, the vase is now valued at $3,000–5,000 on PBS's website—still a pretty good potential payday for its owner who purchased it for $300 at a barn sale.

Oddity | High School Art Project Mistakenly Appraised at $50,000 [Cfile, via Hyperallergic]