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14 comments

[–] [Deleted] 4 points (+4|-0)

This made me laugh a little bit after reading the article. There's a boutique hardware shop downtown that only deals in antiques etc. (Think door handles, knockers, type antiques. They sell gallons of "Authentic Barn Red Paint" for like $50 a gallon. Cracked me up when I read it's literally the cheapest paint made and all these people were eating this crap up and buying it.

[–] Owlchemy 1 points (+1|-0)

Now that's funny. Hell, when I was a kid my Grandpa used to whitewash the fences. That stuff must have been cheap as hell, too ... he mixed up himself and worked great. No need for that fancy paint stuff - LOL. Of course we'd kill weeds by spraying them with kerosene, too.

[–] Owlchemy 1 points (+1|-0)

Sounds plausible, but I don't trust Google.

[–] [Deleted] 1 points (+1|-0) Edited

Smart not to. It just cracked me up b/c of this niche shop downtown. Check out my other comment. If it is in fact the cheapest paint on the market it's absolutely hilarious.

[–] [Deleted] 1 points (+1|-0)

Also it's literally the only color of paint they carry w/ what looks like some faux old timey labels printed off and slapped on some cans. Just cracks me up the crap people pull.

[–] Owlchemy 1 points (+1|-0)

It is funny, you should go in and ask 'em what makes it 'authentic'.

[–] [Deleted] 1 points (+1|-0)

I'm guessing they just buy the cheapest red paint they can source dump it in a blank can and slap a laser printed label on it. There's also some sign about it being an exclusive product only available there.

[–] Sarcastaway 1 points (+1|-0)

Its an interesting theory, but uncolored paint is cheaper than red paint. If it was a cost-driven choice, plain old oil would be the optimal choice. I've heard various theories. The most likely (imo) is either a way to imitate the look of brick, or rust being added to oil as an anti-moss treatment.

[–] [Deleted] 1 points (+1|-0)

That makes too much sense. Really makes me wonder about the article.

[–] Sarcastaway 1 points (+1|-0)

The article is a valid explanation for why red is such a popular color, so I wouldn't say its a bad article at all. It does explain why a modern farmer might paint a metal barn red, it just fails to explain the tradition.

I do sort of think the google guy is a little isolated from the reality of pre-industrial farm life though. If you had a farm in the 1700's, would there really be enough people around to justify making your storage building look pretty? I think (for the most part) everything that was done in the pre-industrial world had a utilitarian motive. My money is on the anti-moss thoery.