The value of an Oscar statuette is obviously more about the sentiment and experience than anything else, but what is that little gold man really worth in cold hard cash?

There are several ways of looking at it:

• Resale value for Oscars won after 1950 are limited because the Academy makes all winning celebrities sign an agreement that if they want to sell they have to first offer the statue back to them for $1.
  
• Based on the current price of the gold if melted down each Oscar is worth about $500.
• If sold on the sly (or for pre-1950 Oscars that can be sold in the open) big-name Oscars will easily clear $60,000+, with many hitting 6 figures.

That's not all that much, all things considered. I think if I ever win one I'll be happy to just keep it (hey, I can dream!).