The Significant Objects Project is one designed to back up the idea that what would typically be considered a meaningless object – or, well, junk – can be made significant or valuable when it has a story behind it.

The fathers of the project, Joshua Glenn and Rob Walker, have both written books about how people place importance on inanimate objects. They set up the Significant Objects Project to prove their theory.

How does it all work? Well, first of all, Glenn and Walker purchase a variety of useless objects at garage sales and thrift stores. Then they assign the objects to participating creative writers, who write a single work of fiction about each one. Each object is given “significance” by the story it is paired with. The now “significant” objects are sold on eBay, with the profits given to each of the objects’ respective authors. The objects and stories are mailed to the winning bidders, and the test results are recorded on the SOP website.

Check out SignificantObjects.com. You’re sure to get caught up in the well-written, cute and touching stories behind each plastic hot dog or “small stapler.” You may even decide to buy something. Consider it an investment.

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