ABSTRACT
Let me state my conclusion up front: cultural goods are exceptional and therefore easier to distinguish from other goods. They are not exceptional because they have an intrinsic value that sets them apart. They are exceptional because of the “conversations” that make them “cultural goods.” They are “discursive constructs.” That is, goods become “cultural” when people treat them as such: in the way they talk about them and in the processes of “valuation, evaluation, and valorization.”2 For instance, the Dutch will experience the sale of Rembrandt’s Nightwatch to a Chinese businessman dramatically differently from the sale of a container company to that very same businessman. Selling Nightwatch is inconceivable, no matter how dire the circumstances. The sale of the container company is a mundane business deal that actually took place.
