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People Have Been Spending Good Money On NYC Garbage For Ten Years Now
By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 1, 2011
Modified Aug 1, 2011
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 1, 2011
Modified Aug 1, 2011
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New York City-based artist and self-proclaimed “recovering advertising art director” Justin Gignac made a bet with a co-worker back in 2001 that he could sell people garbage if the packaging was right. (He talks about this around the 8:30 mark in the video below.) He picked up authentic trash from the "fertile" streets of New York City, encased it, and signed and numbered each little package—all “limited editions." The cubes are still selling 10 years later.
The trash includes everything from Pinkberry containers to broken Coca Cola bottles to Mets tickets. According to Laughing Squid, Gignac has even tracked where each package of trash has been sent, and "since he began, over 1300 cubes stuffed with trash have been sold to fans in over 30 countries."
Interestingly, many of the $50+ cubes have been sold to New Yorkers, who have access to authentic city garbage 24/7!
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garbage
justin Gignac
nyc garbage
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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