# The Pricemaster The PriceMaster is a viral 30-minute video documenting a 2001 performance art yard sale in Denton, Texas, where a masked figure played by Nathan Austin bellowed absurd prices at confused local shoppers. Uploaded to YouTube in 2008 and again in 2014, the footage broke through on Twitter in late 2022 and inspired an annual PriceMaster Day tradition on February 10. ## Overview The PriceMaster, sometimes written as Pricemaster or The Price Master, is a 30-minute video of a performance art project staged as a yard sale in Denton, Texas on February 10, 2001[1]. The centerpiece is a masked figure in a red and silver outfit and a gold mask, standing on a small stage with a reverberating microphone and responding to price inquiries with wildly inflated numbers like "FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS" or "FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS"[1]. Each transaction ends with the booming declaration "THE PRICEMASTER HAS SPOKEN," delivered over a dissonant noise soundtrack[3]. The masked man was Nathan Austin, and the event took place at a shared house called the Fast House on Normal Street, home to art students and friends connected to the University of North Texas[1]. Rick Perry, who later became creative producer of Dropout's Dungeons & Dragons show Dimension 20, filmed the day and helped originate the concept as an experiment in what the residents pitched as "Captive Market Capitalism"[2]. The joke that made the video a cult favorite once it hit the internet is the contrast between the confused Denton shoppers trying to bargain for a nunchaku or half-full box of dominoes and the PriceMaster refusing to price anything reasonably[3]. ## How It Spread For years, The PriceMaster mostly circulated as local Texas lore, occasionally showing up on public access television and shared in small corners online[3]. Real virality started in late 2022. On December 26, 2022, Rick Perry, whose X handle is ThatsRickPerry, replied to a since-deleted tweet with a link to the full video and behind-the-scenes context about the 2001 project[6]. The following day, Twitter user drewcoffman posted a short clip of the PriceMaster shouting "FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS," and it collected over 3.1 million views and 47,000 likes over the following three years[4]. Coverage rolled into 2023. Film blog The Solute ran a January 12, 2023 writeup calling the piece a mismatch between the masked provocateur and Denton locals "who take yard sales extremely seriously"[3]. BoingBoing followed on February 17, 2023, describing the footage as "what the internet was made for"[2]. Fans learned during this wave that Nathan Austin, the man in the mask, had died on February 9, 2022, after a crash on Keeler Avenue in Wichita Falls that police believe was triggered by a medical episode while he was driving his Jeep[7]. The clip kept jumping platforms through the mid-2020s. On December 24, 2023, the official Dimension 20 TikTok account posted a clip about Rick Perry's role in the original project, drawing 70,400 likes[8]. On August 6, 2025, the Instagram account foundfootagefestival shared the original 2001 footage to its page, contributing to another viral wave[4]. In January 2026, organizers in Denton announced a 25th anniversary PriceMaster Day parade for February 10, 2026, featuring live music, original cast members, and a live segment where the PriceMaster would price items brought by attendees[1]. ## How to Use Most people share The PriceMaster by clipping one of Austin's absurd price callouts, a common convention being the "FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS" or "FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS" line, and pairing it with reaction posts about overpriced goods or hostile customer service[2]. Fans in Texas often mark February 10 as PriceMaster Day, tied to the anniversary of the 2001 yard sale, with the 25th anniversary in 2026 expanding the format to include a full parade and live pricing segment run by a costumed PriceMaster[1]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is The Pricemaster? The PriceMaster is a viral 30-minute video of a 2001 performance art yard sale in Denton, Texas, where a masked figure played by Nathan Austin sets absurd prices for junk items being offered for sale[1]. ### Where did The Pricemaster come from? The event took place on February 10, 2001 at the Fast House on Normal Street in Denton, Texas, organized by Rick Perry as an experiment in refusing to bargain with pushy garage sale hagglers[1]. ### What does The Pricemaster mean? The character was pitched by his creators as a mascot of what they called "Captive Market Capitalism," delivering wildly inflated prices while refusing to negotiate with shoppers[2]. ### How do you use The Pricemaster? Fans typically share short clips of Austin bellowing prices like "FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS" or "FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS" as reaction posts about overpriced items or hostile customer service[2]. ### Is The Pricemaster still popular? The video saw a fresh resurgence in early 2026 around a 25th anniversary parade in Denton scheduled for February 10, 2026[1]. ### Who played The Pricemaster? The masked figure was played by Nathan Austin, a Denton-based artist who died on February 9, 2022 after a car crash in Wichita Falls, Texas[7]. ### Who filmed The Pricemaster? Rick Perry, who later became creative producer of Dropout's Dungeons & Dragons show Dimension 20, filmed the day and helped originate the concept[1]. ### When did The Pricemaster go viral? The video hit mainstream virality in late December 2022 after Rick Perry linked the footage in a Twitter thread and a separate clip of the "FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS" line pulled millions of views[6]. ### What is PriceMaster Day? PriceMaster Day is an annual tradition held on February 10, the anniversary of the 2001 yard sale, celebrated especially by fans in Texas[1]. ### Where was The Pricemaster filmed? The yard sale took place at a shared house called the Fast House on Normal Street in Denton, Texas, home to art students connected to the University of North Texas[1]. ### What happened at the 25th anniversary event? Denton organizers planned a February 10, 2026 parade with live music, original cast members, and a live segment where a costumed PriceMaster would value items brought by attendees[1]. ### When was The Pricemaster first uploaded to YouTube? A four-part edit was posted to the PricemasterOfDenton YouTube channel on February 11, 2008, with the full 30-minute cut following on December 7, 2014[5]. ## References 1. [https://www.chron.com/culture/article/pricemaster-film-anniversary-denton-21347129.php]() 2. [https://boingboing.net/2023/02/17/the-pricemaster-determining-garage-sale-prices-in-this-22-year-old-footage-is-a-work-of-performance-art.html]() 3. [https://www.the-solute.com/lunch-links-the-pricemaster/]() 4. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/the-pricemaster]() 5. [https://www.youtube.com/@PricemasterOfDenton]() 6. [https://twitter.com/ThatsRickPerry]() 7. [https://www.newschannel6now.com/2022/02/09/wichita-falls-man-killed-keeler-avenue-crash/]() 8. [https://www.tiktok.com/@dimension20/video/7316216866710621471]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/the-pricemaster Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library