The Pricemaster
| The Pricemaster | |
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| Directed by |
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| Starring |
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Release date |
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Running time | 32 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
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The Pricemaster is a 2001 American short film directed by Richard H. Perry and Nova Martin.
Plot
The short film depicts a garage sale in Denton, Texas on February 10, 2001, where local passersby browse through unmarked household items arranged on a lawn. The garage sale is presided by a costumed and masked figure referring to himself as the "Pricemaster", who responds to prospective buyers from a low stage, through a loud, reverberated microphone connected to a portable amplifier, demanding unusually high amounts for the items.
Attendees interact and attempt to bargain with the Pricemaster, but he refuses to negotiate, as he repeatedly states the item's price—from $17.42 up to $500 billion—regardless of an item's condition. Several shoppers question him, decline the items, or walk away.
Production
Director Richard H. Perry conceived The Pricemaster after helping an ex-girlfriend with her garage sale, describing the older, disgruntled attendees as "very serious garage sellers".[2] Perry brought the idea to his friend Nathan Austin, who developed, and subsequently played, the role of the eponymous Pricemaster.[3] The idea for the garage sale was further developed so that Perry and his friends could disallow attendees from purchasing anything by raising an item's price.[4]
The nine-hour-long garage sale took place on Normal Street in Denton, Texas on February 10, 2001.[2][3] The only item sold was a one-dollar bill for 65 cents.[2]
Release
Nova Martin recorded the footage on a borrowed camcorder, which was then submitted as a 30-minute short film to Denton's public access TV channel.[3][4] The Pricemaster was played periodically throughout the next decade until the film's tape wore out.[3][5]
Legacy
The Pricemaster experienced a brief resurgence on Twitter in December 2022.[3][6] Denton locals celebrated the short film's 25th anniversary at the University of North Texas Co-Lab on February 10, 2026.[3]
Nathan Austin, the performer of the Pricemaster, died following a car accident in Wichita Falls on February 9, 2022.[3][7]
Notes
- ↑ Martin is transgender and uses the pronouns she/her.[1]
References
- ↑ Perry, Rick; Martin, Nova (January 25, 2023). "Price Master Stretch & Strange Interview". Stretch & Strange Radio Hour (Interview). Newtown Radio. Retrieved May 26, 2026 – via YouTube.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 McPhate, Christian (February 6, 2026). "From absurd garage sale to local legend, Denton marks 25 years of the PriceMaster". Denton Record-Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 10, 2026. Retrieved May 26, 2026. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Rosenthal, Abigail (February 12, 2026). "The oral history of 'The PriceMaster,' Texas' weirdest garage sale". Chron. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Zook, Austin (February 6, 2026). "Denton Celebrates 25 Years of The PriceMaster". D Magazine. Archived from the original on May 18, 2026. Retrieved May 26, 2026. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Gaudet, Amber (October 14, 2025). "A guide to Denton culture: Landmarks, legends and local lingo explained". Denton Record-Chronicle. Retrieved May 26, 2026 – via NewsBank.
- ↑ Italiano, Eric (December 29, 2022). "A 20-Year-Old Video Of A Bizarro-World Yard Sale Featuring 'The Pricemaster' Is Going Viral". BroBible. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
- ↑ Taggart, Olivia (February 9, 2022). "Driver's death in pin-in wreck under investigation". KFDX-TV. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
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