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Marketing, Narratives, and Consumer Desire within Auction Catalogs of Cultural Objects

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Thisarticleuses thelensofcommoditytheoryand, inparticular, thescarcityeffect toconsiderways that consumerdesireisreflectedwithinauctioncatalogsforculturalobjects.TakingBrodieandManivet’s(2017:3) assertionthat“auctionsalesdonotofferaclearwindowontothebroaderantiquitiestrade”asamotivating initialhypothesis,Ifindthatauctioncatalogsdorepresentmarketingmaterialthatcanprovideatleastablurry windowontotheneeds,wants, anddesiresofconsumersactingwithinthemarket forarchaeologicaland heritageobjects.Consumermotivationatanauctionisnotoriouslydifficulttoassessexternallyandhaslong representedagapintheanalysisofpublicantiquitiessales.Failurestoeffectivelyregulatemarketconsumption mayrelatetoamisunderstandingofthepeoplewhoarebeingregulated.Usingmorethan50yearsofauction salesofPacificcultural itemsasacasestudy, Ipresentauctionnarrativeanalysisasamethodtoconsider consumerdesireandtherebyinformheritagepolicyandmarketinterventions.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)17-30
Number of pages14
JournalAdvances in Archaeological Practice
Volume13
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Feb 2025

Keywords

  • antiquities market
  • auction catalogs
  • commodity theory
  • consumption
  • desire
  • Pacificcultures

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