$128 of thrift store junk sold for $3,612 on eBay.

In 2009, Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn went to garage sales and bought the cheapest crap they could find. A ceramic horse head, a jar of marbles, a wooden mallet. Average cost: $1.25. For each one, they had a writer make up a short story about it. Who owned it, what it meant, why it mattered. They listed all of it on eBay, story attached. The 99-cent horse head sold for $62.95. A plastic toy horse went for $104.50. $128 of junk became $3,612. Nothing about the objects changed. The clay was the same clay. The only thing added was a story. These days, I sit across from advisors who tell me they're different. They say they provide the best service. Have a deliberate process. Provide holistic planning. The advisor down the street says the exact same thing in the exact same words. All while I can't help but think about the ceramic horse. "Show me."