Whilst browsing news.com.au an unusual article caught my eye*, a freshly restored electric car was valued at $1.6 million. What was so unusual about this was that the car was over 50 years old, had a top speed of 40 kilometres per hour and was hardly an impressive sight. The reason for this excessive price was simple; it was one of Thomas Edison’s first 3 electric cars and it was from this that its value came.

Thomas Edison was the original creator of the light bulb, despite what people say. Because of the enormity his inventions have had on the present, certain people aspire towards him and use him as a role model. Since the number of aspiring inventors outnumbers Thomas Edison in his singular there becomes a conflict of interest over who can be more like Thomas Edison in his achievements which can ultimately include possession of his personal artefacts. This, in turn, leads to a supply and demand situation in which a limited supply item gains a value way in excess of its actual value. With Thomas Edison’s electric car there are many people who would pay large amounts of money in an attempt to acquire his vehicle solely due to greed, worship or an intense personal value on history. Either way the past’s milestones no matter how small when compared to the modern equivalent will always influence the present, even if it’s only by pushing the price of an extremely mediocre car to higher then a Ferrari.

* http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/world/last-known-electric-car-ready-to-run/story-e6frfkui-1225929669415