The works stolen in Messina may be worth as much as €80 million, yet they are virtually impossible to place on the legitimate market. From criminal bargaining chips and ransoms to secret collectors and trophies, the history of major art thefts helps explain why an unsellable masterpiece can still be extraordinarily valuable.
Why steal a masterpiece you can never sell? The strange economy behind the Antonello da Messina heist
The works stolen in Messina may be worth as much as €80 million, yet they are virtually impossible to place on the legitimate market. From criminal bargaining chips and ransoms to secret collectors and trophies, the history of major art thefts helps explain why an unsellable masterpiece can still be extraordinarily valuable.
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