‘The Price Is Right’ Ruffles Feathers For Alleged Counterfeit Art As Prize
Images via The Price is Right and Richard Moonstreet Ceramics
It turns out the “prize” wasn’t quite right. British ceramic artist Richard Moonstreet, known for his playful clay creations, has accused The Price Is Right of giving airtime to counterfeit copies of his work during a recent episode.
Moonstreet has built a niche following with his hand-sculpted ducks and geese, often christened with tongue-in-cheek names like “Ed with the Bread” or “Quackson Pollock.” His pieces sell through his website and Etsy, where their distinct style has become recognizable to fans. Those same followers were the first to alert him that a duck on display during the show’s prize showcase looked suspiciously like his originals.
The artist traced the issue to replicas churned out by overseas factories and sold through online marketplaces. Moonstreet said he has seen his protected Round Boy duck vase—first introduced six years ago—circulating widely on platforms such as Amazon, Temu, and Wish.
While some retailers have removed the copies when flagged, others, he claims, have continued to list the quack works despite his proof of ownership under a registered UK/EU design protection.
What surprised the artist most was not the existence of the fakes but how they waddled their way onto a national television stage. The Price Is Right, Moonstreet explained on Instagram, displayed one of the counterfeit duck vases as a legitimate prize without conducting due diligence. This, to him, was not only a personal slight but also a missed chance to champion authentic craftsmanship over mass-produced imitations. He has since called on the show’s producers to feature one of his real works instead, offering to supply it himself.
“Higher or Lower? They couldn't get any Lower!” Moonstreet proclaimed.
CBS, which airs the long-running game show, has not publicly commented on the incident.
[via Richard Moonstreet, images via various sources]
