Throwback Taco Bell paintings sell for thousands of dollars
(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - When most people visit a Taco Bell, they're looking for a quick bite; maybe a Crunch Wrap or a Baja Blast.
But for some, Taco Bell is the perfect place to pull off an art heist stealing the decor right off the walls and selling it for thousands of dollars.
They were the height of heists that rocked the art world. Back in 1911, the Mona Lisa was snatched from the halls of the Louvre. Fast forward to 1990, two men dressed as police officers brazenly walked out of Boston's Gardner Museum with 13 paintings, totaling $500 million.
Now, another scandal unfolding, and it's hitting the art world right in the Chalupa. That's right: Artwork mysteriously gone missing, and it's not from a museum or gallery, but from Taco Bell. They're now going for big bucks on the black market!
"I kind of think of it as the Gamestop of art heists," said Bill Powers, art dealer & gallery owner.
"Kind of comical"
Reports of paintings disappearing from the franchises started in 2015. More than a decade after, artist Mark T. Smith had been commissioned to create them.
"It's kind of comical because the way it was framed, it was like this great art heist, you know, and just like 'The Thomas Crown Affair,'" Smith expressed.
Smith is an accomplished painter, shown in galleries across the country, and has done work for campaigns like Absolut Vodka and the 2008 Olympics; work that fans wanted to collect. The Taco Bell art is a different story.
"I wasn't expecting that with Taco Bell, frankly. It's a nice endorsement. It's not like somebody's giving you a compliment at a show of your work. It's just more authentic," Smith declared.
The pieces, now selling on eBay, are mere copies of Smith's original work, and yet, one seller is selling Smith's work for $10,000!
Art is in the eye of the taco holder
There are also Reddit groups popping up telling people where to find them, with some speculating employees may be in on it, snagging the prints when locations were renovated.
"I think in the age of social media, it's definitely bragging rights. And that's a big part of it...Actually, it's easier to sell something that's a print rather than an original. Not that I would know personally," Powers said.
One eBay seller, Key Toothman, said he found the prints for sale on Facebook and recognized them instantly.
"It was like...something triggered inside of me. I'm like, 'Oh my god, I totally remember those.' Iconic, these things are iconic, man. Nostalgia wins every time," Toothman shared.
It turns out the old saying is true, but with a twist: Art is in the eye of the taco holder.
