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Writing backstories…for eBay?

Would you buy an otherwise random, possibly useless toy or gadget if it had a great backstory? That’s what the bloggers over at Significant Objects are trying to find out. Taking such…umm…heirlooms as Christmas-themed nutcrackers and toy hot dogs, they have written intricate stories surrounding each object in the hopes of drawing potential bids from folks on eBay.

So…take a look and see if you would be convinced to part with your well-earned dollars in exchange for a piece of made-up history.

Here’s a sample of one:

[Bid on this Significant Object, with story by Jenny Davidson, here.]

I blame it on the book: a pocket-sized lined notebook with a black matte cover, bound at the left-hand margin and with a band to hold it shut. I used to tuck a pen inside, a pen whose nib was narrow enough to inscribe my tiny Brontë-like lists of calories consumed and exercise taken. It came to be the case that I could no longer eat unless I had documented it beforehand — I remember the first day I noticed that physical reluctance in my esophagus, that hand-dependent hypergraphic inability to eat without having written.

As a child, I loved Beatrix Potter’s story of the two bad mice, Tom Thumb and Hunca Munca, who broke into the doll’s house where “the dinner had been bought ready-made, in a box full of shavings. There were two red lobsters, and a ham, a fish, a pudding, and some pears and oranges. They would not come off the plates, but they were extremely beautiful.” Tom and Hunca Munca smashed dinner when they found it could not be eaten; I keep the hot dog to remind myself that food does not have to be beautiful.

The significance of this object has been invented by the author; see the project description for details. Click here to receive email updates.

I see that smile.

One Comment

  1. JR's Thumbprints
    JR's Thumbprints July 15, 2009

    A backstory would certainly catch my attention, and if it involved someone famous, I just might make a purchase.

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