You won't find Kincade's work at auction (Sotheby's, Christie's, for example) where the real value of items is set. The true test is if the galleries that sold his work will buy them back from you at "market value". If you like his work and paid under $5K for it, then not a problem. If you paid more than thinking it is an "investment", oh-oh...

Wow, 1 in 20 American homes have one of his prints? Are they counting jigsaw puzzles?

Disgusting. Too bad more people don't seem to know or care about what kind of person he was or the way his company defrauded business partners and investors out of millions of dollars.

Ugh, why would people put this awful junk in their houses?

I like his "San Francisco, Late Afternoon at Union Square." This article features some of his early works -- looking at them you'd never know it was the same guy that did the twee home shopping channel stuff.

For me, this falls into the category of "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." If having nostalgic, dreamy landscapes makes somebody happy, I'm not going to trash that person. Definitely not my taste, but to each his own. There's art from every era and category that I wouldn't put in my house.

HUm, I wonder if the value of the (really) La-z-boy chair, Thomas Kinkade edition will improve in value.

http://chicago.ebayclassifieds.com/furniture/buffalo-grove/la-z-boy-thomas-kinkade-recliner/?ad=17868805

@Jean, thanks for sharing. Kincade's earlier impressionistic styles caught my eye and I really liked them, and this is from somebody who normally don't have patience or tolerance for the more abstract impressionistic paintings. Kincade undoubtedly was very talented and he found a way to made mucho money and whom am I to deny him that opportunity. If more people prefer his "cottage" style than his impressionistic style then more power to them and him.

Laura Miller did a nice piece on Kinkade over at Salon, calling him "The George W. Bush of art" http://www.salon.com/2012/04/09/thomas_kinkade_the_george_w_bush_of_art/

I don't care for his work, but the story of his run-in with the Winnie-the-Pooh statue gave me a new appreciation for the man....

I think his paintings are beautiful. If you've ever seen them in the art galleries with the proper lighting, it really brings out the light even more. Sadly, I don't have the money and have to make due with his calendars. Art is completely subjective, it can't all be everyone's taste, but what JonDean find's fantastic, I might find hideous and vice versa apparently. I would love to have some of his painting in my home. To me, good art is when you look at something and it evokes feelings, which his do for me.

The Madness of Thomas Kinkade

"Do not misunderstand me, here. Kinkade’s art does not evoke Clown Fear, or Marionette Fear, or Dick Cheney Fear, or Disney Audio-Animatronic Fear I’m talking about that Mother of All Fears: When Paradise Turns into Hell."

My definition of 'good art' is something that pleases the (my) eye, so what do I know or care what some auction house/dealer thinks? If I like it, I like it. Don't like these though, not even a tiny bit.

A little piece of my soul dies every time a Thomas Kincade piece is bought.

Elfay, thanks for posting that! Loved it. :)

Help support amateur and "up and coming" artists by purchasing original works for your home.

The first time I saw one of his pictures was YUK. I never understood why so many people like his artwork. To me, it's overwhelming to the eye and total fantasy land. I think this is where Jehovah's Witnesses will go when they die.

Correction to the author: The ironic sales of Kinkades has spiked. Its a big difference. I'll bet all the sales are to Williamsburg, BKLYN.

May he rest in peace. And let's hope he didn't have any disciples.

I'm shocked the Dali museum was not on the 50 Coolest Museums piece. It has the distinction of being the only museum that had the living artist's direct input. (And why do commenters always obsess on the top story of Design news?)

Yonella, I also love the Dali museum.

You just know that a lot of rubes with money are saying to themselves, "Hey, if a painter dies the value of his paintings goes up, right?" Not realising that this only applies to good painters, who haven't already flooded the market with their work.

He is a stunning example of H.L. Mencken's witticism. "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." I am sad to hear of his untimely death, however.

I find his work too brutal and hard-edged. There aren't any unicorns, there are rarely more than three rainbows in the sky, and I just think his world would be nicer if the cottage gate had a sign on it that said "I like you! Tee hee!"