Needs for Sale

I came across Wants for Sale a couple of months ago and was struck by how creative the concept was.  Basically, Wants for Sale is a webpage that a 20-somethings couple in New York created to get people to buy things for them.  Artist Justin Gignac and his girlfriend, Christine, paint the object they want on canvas and sell you the piece for exactly what the item would cost.  For example, a Nintendo Wii costs $270.92.  So, for $270.92 you can buy a painting from them of a Nintendo Wii and they turn around and buy an actual Wii.  Though Wants for Sale may have been a clever scheme to get stuff they wanted, it wasn't all about greed and Guitar Hero. Wants for Sale also had its soft side with paintings aimed at donating money to help kids in both New Orleans and Africa.

It's this thought that drives their newest project, Needs for Sale.  All proceeds go directly to charities they believe in and would like to support but don't have the money.  All of the paintings Justin and Christine sell go to help various causes; for instance, Habitat for Humanity says that a $100 donation buys a front door, so the site has a painting of a front door on sale for $100. Ultimately, the couple hopes to donate between $5,000 and $10,000 to various charitable organizations this Holiday season.