[HN Gopher] It's nearly impossible to buy an original Bob Ross p...
___________________________________________________________________
It's nearly impossible to buy an original Bob Ross painting (2021)
Author : rmason
Score : 65 points
Date : 2025-06-15 20:21 UTC (2 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (thehustle.co)
(TXT) w3m dump (thehustle.co)
| ahofmann wrote:
| While the article is interesting, the lede is buried literally at
| the very end of the article:
|
| > Ultimately, the real reason there aren't more Bob Ross
| paintings up for sale is that the artist never wanted them to be
| a commodity.
| wkat4242 wrote:
| What artist does though?
| warmedcookie wrote:
| The painter of light
| hn_throwaway_99 wrote:
| On that point, I saw a pretty great documentary about
| Thomas Kinkade called "Art for Everybody" a year or so ago
| at a film festival. Was pretty fascinating. I won't give
| away too much but was really interesting to go into the man
| (and his other artwork) behind the facade.
| p1anecrazy wrote:
| Thank you, I found this very insightful.
| dehrmann wrote:
| I'd pay a decent amount of some of his darker paintings.
| egypturnash wrote:
| Any artist who wants to be able to pay their bills without
| doing anything besides "making art".
|
| If you can convince giant bags of money pretending to be
| people that one of your paintings is worth several years
| worth of the median wage, it's no more a less a commodity
| than if you're selling hundreds of thousands of prints of the
| same image for $5 apiece.
| jart wrote:
| He doesn't get to decide that. They belong to the people now.
| Let them have it.
| nkrisc wrote:
| Seems like he does, because those who have them are honoring
| his wishes.
| jart wrote:
| If they were smart, what they would do is sell them
| directly to consumers who will cherish them and give the
| paintings good homes. Then make the buyers sign a contract
| of some sort that they can't be resold for X number of
| years. That way the paintings bring joy and value to
| others, while respecting Bob's wishes of not being a
| commodity.
| IncreasePosts wrote:
| And then they would be involved in lawsuits with normal
| people who didn't honor the contract. Legally okay, but
| would be a bad look for the foundation.
| jart wrote:
| [delayed]
| earnestinger wrote:
| People who hold them, sued Bob Ross's son for using "Ross"
| i.e. his last name.
|
| Slimy people.
| rcstank wrote:
| Who are "the people" you're referring to?
| paulnpace wrote:
| I'm not clear on the use of the word "commodity" here.
|
| I think if the artist doesn't want the work to be highly
| commercialized, then maybe the better way would be to have no
| copyright on their works?
| blueblimp wrote:
| > Today, 1,165 Bob Ross originals -- a trove worth millions of
| dollars -- sit in cardboard boxes inside the company's
| nondescript office building in Herndon, Virginia.
|
| This seems like a bit of a waste given that there's demand for
| them.
| margalabargala wrote:
| > given that there's demand for them.
|
| Yes, just think of the commercial opportunity!
| ahofmann wrote:
| I wondered also, but then I've read to the end of the article.
| The article seems to be a bit disingenuous, because the real,
| real reason seems to be, that the Bob Ross Inc. respects the
| wish of Bob Ross to not make his paintings a commodity.
| arp242 wrote:
| They put him in a Mountain Dew ad:
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q51bomzSQ_s
|
| The Kowalskis sued to exclude Bob Ross from the company
| bearing his name in the final days of his life, when he was
| struggling with cancer.
|
| So let me carefully suggest that Bob Ross Inc. is not as
| benevolently looking out to preserve the heritage and legacy
| of Bob Ross as you might think.
| hinkley wrote:
| There's wanting to own one as property, and then there's
| wanting to own a souvenir of an experience. Like a patch, or a
| t-shirt, or a trophy.
|
| Maybe they should do some Bob Ross events and give the
| paintings away either as a prize or do a charity raffle. Shit
| make a foundation to get art supplies to underprivileged kids
| and use the sales to establish a trust for the foundation.
| prmoustache wrote:
| The scarcity makes the demand. I doubt there are that much
| people wanting low/average quality paintings, even if it has
| the signature of a person as famous as him. But the 3 of them
| are willing to spend a lot of money on it. If anyone could buy
| an original batmobile, people would grow tired of seeing them
| in the street and they would lose their appeal really quickly.
|
| Most fans of Bob Ross would probably have painted something
| similar. What he teached was that the enjoyment came from the
| process and that anyone could paint similar low/average
| uninspired stuff.
| LPisGood wrote:
| I don't care about art very much and I would be pay a
| thousand or two for one. I know that's much but given that
| I've never bought a painting before and I don't think I'm
| particularly unique, I believe this signals there is pretty
| large demand.
| prmoustache wrote:
| Because he was a celebrity?
|
| I paint myself occasionally some similarly uninspired
| stuff, and bar 2 painting I hung in the living room and
| corridor, I throw them away (or rather reuse the canvas)
| because I don't even consider them art but rather artisanal
| decorative items.
|
| 2 thousand can get you much more interesting paintings.
| There are many talented but barely known artists anywhere
| in the world waiting for you. You just have to visit
| galleries whenever you are visiting a town.
| tanewishly wrote:
| No, because he painted something that I find pleasant to
| look at and consider it worth money. The price is higher
| because of the artist's fame, that much is true - but
| that is always the case with art.
|
| I mean, you're basically arguing about taste... Bob Ross
| was a lot more famous than most other artists, not in the
| least because many people liked what he produced.
| prmoustache wrote:
| He was more famous because he appeared on TV, and
| transfered/the joy of painting, not because of his
| paintings. They were unremarkable to say the least.
|
| A lot of people are trying to make a living painting
| landscapes with the same painting for dummies style that
| Ross used (not invented). It seems counterproductive to
| give money to speculators for an unremarkable painting of
| a dead man when you can spend a fraction of that to buy a
| similar decorative painting and contribute to the income
| of someone who actually worked and spent time on it.
| LPisGood wrote:
| Maybe it's indirectly because he's a celebrity but moreso
| because the show brought me tremendous joy and I'd like
| to own some of that.
| robocat wrote:
| I found a friend's painting in the free pile at an
| opshop. Told them about it and they thought it was a
| hilarious - they'd sold it for $65.
|
| I have the painting to another friend as inspiration
| about the value of art - they love it.
|
| Too many people suggest to artists that they should
| monetise their work, which is kinda sad I think.
|
| It is good to make art because you want to (assuming one
| can afford to), not because you want money or $status. If
| you want to chase money then that's fine too, but
| understand the negatives that come with that choice.
| dehrmann wrote:
| The thing with art is that there's always more of it
| getting created by people who either do it as a hobby or
| will accept low prices out of desperation to "follow
| their dreams," they're competing with all the existing
| art out there, and while some gets lost to natural
| disasters and neglect, the better stuff sticks around.
| tayo42 wrote:
| 2k I think could get you two paintings by some of the
| most famous current water color artists(going off memory)
| moron4hire wrote:
| If you really want to support working artists, go to
| craft shows. They're a good time and you'll get to meet
| the artist.
| EduardoBautista wrote:
| It's honestly not that much money. Paintings from artists
| who are not as famous as Bob Ross can go for thousands.
| hn_throwaway_99 wrote:
| > that anyone could paint similar low/average uninspired
| stuff.
|
| I hated this sentence. What is wrong with art that is
| actually, you know, pretty to look at. Obviously Bob Ross
| paintings aren't very complicated, as they're designed for
| amateurs to be able to follow along in the instructions. But
| I find many of his paintings quite beautiful, and if anything
| the joy in seeing how simple brush strokes can create such
| beautiful paintings.
|
| Tracey Emin's "My Bed" "sculpture" sold for two and a half
| million pounds. So people pretending there is some high
| objective or moral difference between "high art" and
| "low/average uninspired stuff" are, frankly, full of
| themselves IMO.
| prmoustache wrote:
| I myself paint similar stuff. I don't consider that art,
| rather artisanal decoration. I didn't invent my own style,
| nor did he. I am not pushing any boundaries or trying to
| make people question my goals, process and results.
|
| You can find something pretty, that doesn't mean it is art.
| And you can find something ugly but it is art even if you
| don't subscribe to it. It is also unrelated to the actual
| effort in hours spent. I would say the difference lies in
| the process and state of mind of the author.
| MisterBastahrd wrote:
| If he didn't want them sold, he should have destroyed them.
| Because even if his current heirs decide to keep them locked
| up, eventually someone is going to come to the realization that
| they don't need to work anymore if they sell a few of them, and
| why would you spend your life working for someone else when you
| could just get rid of something that only takes up space to
| begin with?
| Bayaz wrote:
| There were plans for a Bob Ross Wii game that sadly never came to
| fruition. Maybe it can be revisited in AR/VR.
| HPsquared wrote:
| VR painting in general sounds cool. I wonder if there's
| anything you could do with painting 3D shapes.
| jrm4 wrote:
| Having played with VR painting? I'm genuinely shocked that it's
| not a killer app for VR. Feels like it should be BIGGER than it
| is.
| ToucanLoucan wrote:
| Maybe this is the wrong site for this viewpoint, but I don't
| see what in the world the best damn AR/VR painting game in the
| world has over actually painting.
|
| Like an expensive canvas is what, $20? And paint can be had for
| like $5-10 a tube, and unless you just slather the shit on your
| paintings, you can go quite a long ways on a tube.
|
| Like I play Call of Duty because I don't actually want to
| experience a warzone. Who wouldn't want to actually paint?
| hinkley wrote:
| VR is not going to be able to reproduce the experience of
| applying pen to paper or brush to canvas. So does it even
| really work as useful practice?
| xandrius wrote:
| 0 gamification, no incentives and no in-app purchases with
| real painting.
| ToucanLoucan wrote:
| .. are these supposed to be the upsides? Or were you just
| answering what's different, haha.
| Bjartr wrote:
| Being able to do it without having physical materials and
| tools on hand is more convenient.
|
| Yeah, you can get by with very simple tools and materials,
| but a digital version doesn't limit you to only the simple
| things.
| egypturnash wrote:
| No drips.
|
| No cleanup.
|
| No need for figuring out what to do with the canvases.
|
| Any color of paint you want, possibly including ones like
| "polka dots" or "tiled faces of Nic Cage" or "color-cycling
| rainbow".
|
| And your brush strokes can be 3d contours of virtual paint
| hanging in the air instead of marks on a flat canvas.
| probably_wrong wrote:
| > _Like an expensive canvas is what, $20? And paint can be
| had for like $5-10 a tube_
|
| I think you're oversimplifying how much of a hassle painting
| can be. Sure, one canvas and one tube of paint cost you $25,
| but you also need to include brushes (duh), an empty jar for
| water, a palette or an old plate, an easel or a table where
| paint spills are not a problem, plus the time to set it all
| up, clean your brushes afterwards, and tear it down (unless
| you have an empty garage, with people in apartments typically
| don't). And then there are the lessons which, if you're a
| beginner, mean several one-hour chunks (and several canvases)
| until you feel even mildly comfortable on your own.
|
| I think VR painting is to painting what Guitar Hero is to
| playing a guitar - you may not be a "real" painter
| afterwards, but as long as it's fun...
| wishfish wrote:
| I'm very surprised there's not a Bob Ross painting app. One
| which would have presets for every color, brush, and blade from
| the show. People could fire up the app and use their Apple
| Pencil or stylus to follow along.
|
| I did that once on a boring Saturday. Used Procreate and a
| Pencil to follow along with a couple of shows. Had to pause it
| more than once to find & download a matching brush in
| Procreate. Was quite fun. I think a dedicated app would sell
| extremely well.
| paulnpace wrote:
| When the licensing expo was in town here in Las Vegas, two
| separate attendees told me that Bob Ross licensed products fly
| off the shelf.
| bluefirebrand wrote:
| I think that "I don't want people to just buy my art" is
| consistent with the persona of Bob Ross, at least presented on
| TV. Maybe he was a different person in private, I don't know.
|
| But Bob Ross the personality trying to teach people The Joy of
| Painting? I think he would rather people paint their own than buy
| the ones he painted
| Footkerchief wrote:
| When did clickbait headlines become acceptable here?
| NaOH wrote:
| (2021)
|
| Previous discussion when submitted by rmason:
|
| _It's nearly impossible to buy an original Bob Ross painting_ -
| https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27014367 - May 2021 (85
| comments)
| CubsFan1060 wrote:
| Fun video about the same topic:
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDs3o1uLEdU
| paxys wrote:
| I don't know why the article and everyone here is coming away
| with the conclusion that Bob Ross didn't want his art to be sold.
|
| A simpler reasoning is that there wasn't any demand for his
| paintings while he was alive. His show ran from 1983-1994 and he
| died in 1995. He was reasonably popular at that time, sure, but
| Bob Ross as we know him only blew up in the 2010s in the
| internet/YouTube/streaming age.
|
| Now there is a trove of 1,165 paintings which are no doubt
| valuable, but cannot all be sold because they would flood the
| market and decrease their own value. So Bob Ross, Inc. is
| cleverly keeping them under lock and key and letting the scarcity
| drive prices up.
| earlyriser wrote:
| Yeah, this was what happened when Warhol died, the market was
| flood with thousands of works.
| lurk2 wrote:
| > He was reasonably popular at that time, sure, but Bob Ross as
| we know him only blew up in the 2010s in the
| internet/YouTube/streaming age.
|
| He remained popular after his death. I can remember seeing
| memes of Bob Ross as early as 2008.
| Modified3019 wrote:
| Going back further, from what I saw he had notoriety even
| back in 2003/2004 on 4chan.
| Rendello wrote:
| Peep Show was calling him "God" in 2003:
|
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74sDcT7Z3M0
| derektank wrote:
| Yeah, I grew up watching reruns of his show on PBS in the
| early 00's. It was much more fun to watch when home sick than
| Antiques Roadshow.
| tanewishly wrote:
| Bob Ross was known in my country (in Europe) due to his show at
| the time. Not quite universally, but probably closer to a
| household name than any other living painter was at the time.
| Dunno how it was in other countries in Europe, but still. The
| man was relatively well known for paintings, paintings that
| were regarded well by the general audience (experts: dunno).
|
| So while maybe he couldn't be selling his paintings for 1000s
| to the decently-off, there clearly was ample demand. If he
| truly wanted to make a boatload, he easily could have.
|
| Related: the treasure trove could easily be sold 1 painting at
| a time. Just don't make it regular - not once a year, but
| sometimes 2 in 2 months, and then 5 years nothing. That really
| wouldn't spurs the value that much, if at all.
| Nashooo wrote:
| Genuinely curious to your age, as I'm suspecting some recency
| bias? As Bob Ross certainly was well known throughout Europe
| way before the 2010s.
| khazhoux wrote:
| > He was reasonably popular at that time, sure, but Bob Ross as
| we know him only blew up in the 2010s in the
| internet/YouTube/streaming age.
|
| No, he was well-known already in early 90s (at least on my
| college campus), and his sayings were pre-internet memes. He
| was perfect match for slacker stoner culture
| RobRivera wrote:
| > cannot all be sold because they would flood the market and
| decrease their own value. So Bob Ross, Inc. is cleverly keeping
| them under lock and key and letting the scarcity drive prices
| up.
|
| Personal pet-peeve.
|
| And yes, I know it doesn't really matter to most people.
|
| Still urks me.
|
| "CANT OR WONT!?"
| brandonmenc wrote:
| > Bob Ross as we know him only blew up in the 2010s in the
| internet/YouTube/streaming age.
|
| Uh, what?
|
| Bob Ross was very popular in the early 90s while he was still
| alive.
|
| So much so that he even did a promo for MTV.
|
| https://youtu.be/PuGaV-BvPlE
| ourmandave wrote:
| The paintings are nice, but I think his ASMR content is worth way
| more.
|
| Fond memories of zoning out on the couch watching Bob beat the
| devil out of a 3" brush.
|
| His only nearest competitor was Mother Angelica's Religious
| Catalog on EWTN.
|
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLEVtOGGC5U
| erickhill wrote:
| As a kid I enjoyed his mentor, too: Bill Alexander.
| neilv wrote:
| > _"He was about as uninterested in the actual paintings as you
| could possibly be," says Kowalski. "For him, it was the journey
| -- he wanted to teach people. The paintings were just a means to
| do that."_
|
| That could be true. Though, someone is sitting atop a treasure
| trove, the value of which is pinned to the legend being promoted
| by this article.
|
| For Bob Ross, I wonder whether he might've been too humble to
| consider that his shows touched many people, such that -- besides
| whatever personal creative journey he encouraged them on -- some
| might appreciate having a tangible, more direct link to him, of
| one of his own paintings.
___________________________________________________________________
(page generated 2025-06-15 23:00 UTC)