For over half a decade, Business.com reigned as the world’s most expensive domain name after its 1999 sale for $7.5 million. That was shortly after the site was founded by former Walt Disney Internet Group chairman Jake Winebaum and Earthlink founder Sky Dayton. The domain retained its record until 2006, when Match.com founder Gary Kremen decided to get out of the adult entertainment industry and sold Sex.com for $14 million (or $12 million, depending on who you ask) in 2006.

While the current market for internet domains is nowhere as solid as it was during the dot-com peak, the market remains strong and is experiencing solid growth. Each year tens of millions of dollars are exchanged during the resale of domains.

The record for most expensive domain name ever sold changed hands again in late 2009, when internet marketing firm QuinStreet purchased Insure.com for $16 million. Other top dollar domain sales of 2009 include Toys.com, purchased by Toys ‘R Us for $5.1 million in March of 2009, and Candy.com, sold for $3 million in June of 2009.

Enough with the preamble, though—check out the world’s top ten most expensive domain names:

1. Insure.com, sold to QuinStreet for $16 million in 2009.
2. Sex.com, sold for $12-$14 million in 2006.
3. Fund.com, sold for $9.99 million in 2008.
4. Porn.com, sold for $9.5 million in 2007.
5. Business.com, sold for $7.5 million in 1999.
6. Diamond.com, sold to Ice.com for $7.5 million in 2006.
7. Beer.com, sold for $7 million in 2004.
8. Israel.com, sold for $5.88 million in 2004.
9. Casino.com, sold for $5.5 million in 2003.
10. Toys.com, sold to Toys ‘R Us for $5.1 million in 2009.

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When you hear the phrase “most expensive camera in the world,” you probably imagine a super high-tech digital camera—maybe one used by NASA to take pictures of Mars or the moon or some cool camera capable of going underwater to extreme depths.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

The first cameras used the daguerreotype process, pioneered by Jacques Mande Daguerre, to form images. A daguerreotype image is achieved by producing a direct image onto a polished silver surface. Unfortunately, a daguerreotypist couldn’t produce copies by means other than daguerreotyping the original and the process was obsolete within a decade.

1839 Susse Freres daguerreotype camera

In May 2007, a daguerreotype camera dating back to 1839 became the world’s most expensive camera when it sold at auction for €576,000—about US $775,000 at the time. The camera, designed by Frenchman Susse Freres, was housed in a sliding wooden box frame and was also believed to be the oldest commercially manufactured camera in the world, heightening its appeal to collectors.

In May 2010, another daguerreotype camera will go under the hammer and possibly become the most expensive camera in the world. Undocumented since 1839, this camera was built by Alphonse Giroux, brother-in-law to Daguerre, which may make it the oldest camera ever built. It was even signed by Dagguere, which can only increase its value to enthusiasts.

1839 Alphonse Giroux daguerreotype camera

The Camera will be on sale at the WestLicht Auction in Vienna—the same auction that sold the Susse Freres daguerreotype in 2007—where bidding will open at €200,000. It is expected to fetch between €500,000 and €700,000—that’s upwards of US $978,000.

Via LuxuryLaunches \ BornRich

Iconic pop artist Andy Warhol strove for a unique and trendsetting look—even going so far as to commission mismatched footwear with patches sewn onto the right shoe. Then, of course, there’s the famous wig he began wearing in the mid-1960s.

While the silver-grey wig was originally intended to cover up his receding hairline, it became an integral part of the Andy Warhol look. In 2006, almost twenty years after Warhol’s death, the wig was sold at a Christie’s auction along with a few other items formerly owned by Warhol. The wig even had Warhol’s toupee tape still attached to its interior.

The wig sold for $10,800, making it one of the most expensive wigs in the world.

Other Warhol memorabilia sold at the auction included a 1977 photo of Muhammed Ali, signed by Warhol, and a 1975 Polaroid of Mick Jagger. The photos sold at $19,200 and $15,600, respectively.

Rolex, according to BusinessWeek, is one of the world’s 100 most valuable brands. The Swiss company’s timepieces are almost synonymous with wealth and status, but Rolex is curiously absent from the list of the world’s top ten most expensive watches. That’s why we’ve decided to let you know about the most expensive Rolex watches in the world.

The most expensive Rolex ever sold at auction was a “Paul Newman” Rolex Oyster Cosmograph “Daytona” sold at a Sotheby’s event in June, 2003. This prototype wristwatch, featuring a red dial and black sub-dials, was produced in 1979. It sold for £210,000—around US $350,000.

Rumors persist regarding a Rolex sold at Selfridges in London for a fantastic price of £8 million—over US $15 million—but they seem to be rumors only.

Sold in a coin-shaped, commemorative format, the eminently salable sod comes from the now defunct Yankee Stadium. Originally purchased from Beam Clay, provider of turf for “The House that Ruth Built” since 1952, the exceptional bit of New York Yankees memorabilia was used in the very last game played there on September 21st, 2008—when the Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-3.

The dirt was then pressed into coins under the watchful eyes of Steiner Sports Marketing authenticators and can be purchased in framed sets like the pictured “Yankee Stadium Final Season Game Used Photomint” sold by Highland Mint for $89.95.

By contrast, Beam Clay sells unused dirt by the ton for $75.

If anyone ever offered you “ABC” gum in elementary school, then you’ve probably had the distinctly repulsive experience of holding a sopping wet piece of Already Been Chewed bubble gum. Would you believe that the world’s most expensive bubble gum is exactly that?

The expensive chewing gum was part of a minor eBay trend in 2004 wherein sellers would claim that their offering had been chewed by none other than bubble gum pop star Britney Spears. As can be expecting, most listings would include a photo and a story of how the seller came to possess so prestigious an item as a gob of discarded chewing gum. Typically, the gum sold for between $50 and $100.

One seller’s offering, however, managed to reach a final price of $14,000. He didn’t likely get to keep the money for the most expensive chewing gum in the world, however—he drove the price up by bidding himself.

Starting in 2011, J. R. R. Tolkien fans across the globe will be able to see two of the world’s most expensive Tolkien books in person. GTC AG, a Swiss company, has recently acquired both books and is planning an exhibition that will bring them to the general public.

In early December, GTC AG acquired a signed copy of “The Hobbit” from Peter Harrington’s for over $78,000. Little more than two weeks later, they announced the acquisition of an even more expensive set of books—a signed first edition set of the Lord of the Rings trilogy dedicated, in Elvish no less, to Elaine Griffith, “The Queen of the Hobbits.” Griffith, a student of Tolkien’s, earned that title by convincing him to seek publication for The Hobbit.

Also acquired in that auction was a lot of Pauline Baynes’ original art. Baynes was Tolkien’s favorite illustrator and passed away last August at the age of 85.

GTC Roadshow’s 2011 exhibition, thought to be the largest collection of Tolkien material ever assembled, will coincide with the release of the upcoming live action film. The Hobbit, directed by Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth) and produced by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, is scheduled for a December 2011 release.

The first Barbie dolls were introduced by Mattel, Inc. in 1959. Produced in Japan, their clothing was hand-stitched by home workers. Creator Ruth Handler based them on a German doll called Bild Lilli, which was itself based on a comic strip character. Since then, of course, the Barbie doll has become a household name. Having been around that long, Barbie’s been through quite a few editions.

On her 40th birthday, for instance, we were introduced to the most expensive Barbie doll at the time. Created by jeweler De Beers, this unique Barbie’s dress is covered in diamonds—160 of them, to be exact. She also wears 18k white gold jewelry. This expensive Barbie has an extraordinary price tag of $85,000.

For those who prefer the nostalgia factor to the bling factor, the most expensive classic Barbie is naturally the very first—Barbie No. 1. Featuring a ponytail and zebra-striped bathing suit, this vintage Barbie doll is considerably cheaper than the De Beers Barbie at an estimated $8,000.

Currently, the world’s most expensive Barbie doll is one that was introduced in Mexico City. The doll was created to promote a new Barbie movie, Barbie and the Diamond Castle. According to Giancarlo Melloni, Barbie’s brand manager in Mexico, the film has themes near and dear to the hearts of young women—“friendship, music and shiny jewels.”

Barbie and the Diamond Castle promotional doll

Mr. Melloni is clearly breaking new ground there.

The most expensive Barbie doll was not created for sale but has been valued at 1 million pesos (US $95,361). It features a total of 318 diamonds weighing in at 20.66 carats. Forty-four of the gems decorate her dress while the rest adorn her white gold accessories.

Altadis’ Behike

When Altadis of Spain launched their “Behike” cigars, they were the most expensive cigars in the world. The expensive cigars were reportedly named after the tribal chief or sorcerer of the Cuban/pre-Colombian Taino tribe. A mere four thousand of the limited edition Cohiba brand cigars have been released and each box includes forty expensive cigars and allegedly retails for around $18,846. Yes, the expensive cigar will cost you $420 for each smoke.

Gurkha’s His Majesty’s Reserve

They’ve been outdone, however, by Gurkha’s premier cigar, His Majesty’s Reserve. Rightfully touted as the most expensive cigar in the world, these cigars aren’t just made with premium tobacco—they’re also infused with a generous portion of Louis XIII Cognac in a process that retains the flavor of the tobacco. Louis XIII Cognac, as you may know, is one of the finest cognacs on the market today.
Each year, fewer than 100 boxes of His Majesty’s Reserve cigars are produced and Gurkha’s president oversees their allocation to retailers. At $750, just one of these most expensive cigars will probably cost more than your vintage smoking jacket, but for the true aficionado, it may be a smoke too good to pass up.

These sparkling Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head sets were created and signed by Jay Strongwater. Available in only a limited number, these expensive toys were hand-jeweled with over 50,000 Swarovski crystals in seventeen different colors. That includes everything from the potato body to the plastic ears.

The world’s most expensive Mr. Potato Head was featured in the Neiman Marcus catalogue in 2004 and sold for $8,000 apiece.

Vacherin Constantin’s Tour de l’Ile – $1.5 million
Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin marked its 250th anniversary in 2005 with the world’s most complicated wrist watch—the Tour de l’Ile. The watch is so complicated that it required over 10,000 hours of research to create. Its name refers to one of the historical sites of the venerable company, located next to the current Maison Vacheron Constantin on the Quai de l’Ile.

Only produced in a limited edition of seven pieces, this expensive watch is also the most complicated double-face watch. Tour de l’Ile is made with a totally original combination of horological complications (that is, features beyond the simple telling of the time of day) and astronomical indications composing a list of sixteen different points including a minute repeater, sunset time, perpetual calendar, second time zone, a tourbillion device, the equation of time and a representation of the night sky.

At $1.5 million, this is one of the world’s most expensive watch produced in recent years.

Patek Philippe’s Platinum World Time – over $4 million

The Platinum World Time created by Patek Philippe was sold at auction for over $4 million USD in 2002. It is believed that only one was created and, at the time, it was the most expensive wristwatch in the world.

In fact, Patek Philippe had produced all of the ten most expensive watches in the world. The company, headquartered in Geneva, made their first wristwatch in 1868. They had already made a name for themselves prior to that, however, by providing watches to Queen Victoria herself in 1851. Other notable customers include Pope Pius IX, a king and queen of Denmark, an Italian king and Saddam Hussein’s son-in-law.

Patek Phillipe’s Supercomplication- $11 million

Patek Philippe’s most expensive watch was a yellow-gold pocket watch created in 1932 for New York banker Henry Graves, Jr. The watch, Supercomplication, was created as part of a vain competition Graves had with Ohio automobile engineer James Ward Packard to have commissioned a watch with the most complications in the world. This watch, of course, guaranteed that Graves won the contest. Supercomplication wasn’t surpassed until over fifty years later, when Patek Philippe created the 18k gold Caliber 89 which had a total of thirty-three different functions.

Graves’ watch became the most expensive watch in the world when it was sold at auction in 1999 for over $11 million USD. Caliber 89 went for a mere $6 million.

Chopard’s $25 million watch

Yes, you read that right: twenty-five million dollars. This gaudy timepiece by Chopard is adorned with three heart-shaped diamonds—a 15-carat pink diamond, a 12-carat blue diamond and an 11-carat white diamond. For good measure, they threw in 163 carats of white and yellow diamonds to bring the total to 201 carats of diamonds. The result is something that looks rather like a geode that’s been turned inside out and dipped in lemon Kool-Aid. Add to that the fact that the size of the watch’s face must make telling time into a fun game of Where’s Waldo and you’ll see that Chopard has truly created a recipe for success.

Of course, its $25 million price tag guarantees its place as the world’s most expensive watch for years to come.

If you’re wondering how a cover by a nobody band could be worth so much, perhaps it’d help to know that three of the band’s members went on to form three quarters of the legendary pop rock group, The Beatles. Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison are all featured on the most expensive record, along with fellow Quarrymen Colin Hanton and John “Duff” Lowe.

Most members of the band attended Quarry Banks grammar school, from which they derived the name. The band lasted until 1958, when Lowe and Hanton left the group. After that, the group went through several names before settling on The Beatles.

Sir Paul McCartney still owns the world’s most expensive record. Record Collector, a magazine, arrived at the £100,000 figure through information from experts, collectors and dealers.

The expensive single also contains an original B-side by McCartney and Harrison, “In Spite of All the Danger.”

Well, now it does.

Saeed Khouri, a businessman from a wealthy Abu Dhabi family, recently purchased a license plate emblazoned with the number one from an auction that sold around ninety other vanity plates. The auction brought in $24 million which, ironically enough, will benefit a rehabilitation center for victims of traffic accidents. $14 million of that came from the sale of the ‘1’ plate.

Comparatively, only $6.2 million was paid for the ‘5’ plate. That price was almost ten times as much as the former most expensive license plate, ‘M1’, which fetched about $660,000 in Yorkshire, Northern England.

Reporters asked Talal Khouri if the number ‘5′ had any special or sentimental meaning to him. “The number does not mean anything to me. I will keep it and after my death it will be re-auctioned and probably raise more money that will again be given to charity and humanitarian work,” he added.

The owner of the current most expensive license plate, on the other hand, was not so humble. He reportedly said of the purchase, “I bought it because it’s the best number. I bought it because I want to be the best in the world.”

Unlike standard license plates in the UAE, these vanity plates include only a single Western digit and no Arabic letters or numerals.

Most Expensive License Plates in the US

The world’s most expensive license plates may have been issued in Abu Dhabi, but that doesn’t mean they get to have all the fun. While the UAE’s wealthy seek the prestige of affixing a license plate with a low number to the back of a luxury auto, the most expensive license plates in the United States are more likely to end up in the collections of license plate enthusiasts.

License plate collectors in the US are similar to stamp and coin collectors in that they’re interested not in how fashionable a plate will look on their car but rather in the scarcity and history of a plate. For example, Mississippi’s oldest license plates come from 1912—a time when that state was the poorest in the nation. Now, a 1912 Mississippi license plate is the third most expensive in the US at $35,000. Strangely enough, there are more surviving 1912 plates than 1913 plates. That’s why the second most expensive plate is a 1913 Mississippi plate that sold for $50,000.

The most expensive license plate in the US is one of only four 1921 Alaska plates known to have survived since the time before the territory was officially a state. The plate’s rarity can be attributed to the fact that, in those days, Alaska just didn’t have the roads to support a lot of cars and even getting the auto to Alaska was an expensive undertaking. This particular license plate was sold in 2000 in a Wendy’s parking lot in Maine for the hefty sum of $60,000.

To commemorate their 40th anniversary, as well as their 4 billionth car, Hot Wheels commissioned jeweler Jason of Beverly Hills to coat an 18k white gold casting of their Custom Otto with over 2,700 blue, white and black diamonds. While even the tires are set with them, diamonds aren’t the only precious stone used in the costly 1:64 scale car. Its tail lights are actually rubies.

Underneath the hood of the car, the familiar Hot Wheels logo is also given the diamond treatment.

The most expensive toy car in the world is valued at $140,000. 98 Degrees’ Nick Lachey had the privilege of not only unveiling the car, but also choosing which charity the car’s sale would benefit. The actor/singer chose Big Brother Big Sister and the auction will happen later this year.

While the world’s most expensive toy car is worth ten times as much as the previously mentioned Type C, that car may still be the world’s most expensive pedal car. Built at a 1:2 scale, the car can accommodate a driver up to just under four and a half feet tall. It was made to commemorate the Type C car that dominated auto racing back in 1936, when Audi was known as Auto Union. Like a full-sized Audi race car, the space frame and body are made from aluminum paneling. It also features a hydraulic dual-disc brake, seven-speed hub gear and leather upholstery.

The expensive pedal car was unveiled to a rapt audience at the Paris Motor Show in 2006 and had a limited run of 999 models.

You probably know that the advent of the web has caused a steady decline in newspaper circulation. Eventually, printed broadsheets may become a thing of the past entirely, relegated to museums and rare book libraries. In that case, certain newspaper copies may command exceedingly high prices for their historical value.

For now, though, it’s the stamps that matter.

The world’s most expensive newspapers is an issue of the Romanian newspaper, Zimbrulu and Vulturulu (The Aurochs and the Eagle), that was mailed to Galati when it was published in 1858. Because of its weight, the newspaper required no less than eight Cap de Bour (Bull Head) stamps. These stamps are now quite rare, quite expensive and quite coveted by philatelists (i.e. stamp collectors).

The priceless paper found its way into the hands of the David Feldman auction house. From there it was auctioned to art collector Joseph Hackmey for €829,500—over $1.3 million in the US! That makes it not only the most expensive newspaper in the world but also one of the most expensive philatelic objects in the world.

How would you like to gain a piece of television and fashion history while helping out children with learning difficulties? Bid on one of the most expensive sweaters and you may be able to do just that.

Erinn Cosby, one of Bill Cosby’s four daughters, is auctioning off three of her famous father’s notorious sweaters “just in time for Father’s Day.” Bidding starts on June 2nd and proceeds from the sale of the three sweaters will go to the Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby foundation.

When playing Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show (1984-1992), Bill Cosby most often wore shirts with loud, geometric, swirling and/or patchwork patterns. This habit gave rise to the term “Cosby sweater,” used to describe similar sweaters.

Bill and Camille Cosby set up Hello Friend after the murder of their son, Ennis Cosby, while he was studying for his master’s degree in education at Columbia University. Having struggled with dyslexia as a child, he wished to become a special education teacher. The Ennis William Cosby Foundation seeks to help teachers address the needs of children with similar difficulties.

The most expensive sweaters are being auctioned on eBay. Bidding starts at $5,000.

In 1981, select English consumers were introduced to Cadbury’s Wispa bar. In 1983, it was released nationally in the UK. Twelve years later, Cadbury launched the caramel-filled Wispa Gold. In 2003, the Wispa brand was discontinued due to declining sales.

In 2009, a special edition of Wispa Gold—covered in actual gold—is being sold for £961.48 (US $1626.73) as “the world’s most expensive chocolate bar.”

Wispa first resurfaced in 2007, when a Facebook campaign convinced Cadbury to temporarily relaunch the candy bar with an eye towards a more permanent return. The relaunch was successful and Wispa returned for good one year later.

Wispa Gold, however, is still on hiatus until September 2009, when it will also receive a limited relaunch. The special edition bar, covered in edible gold-leaf and packaged in a gold wrapper, is being sold at Selfridges in London to promote the return of Wispa Gold and to raise money for the UK Lowe Syndrome Trust.

Interestingly enough, an expired Wispa bar was auctioned for charity on eBay in early 2008. Unfortunately, the winning bid of £2,550 was, according to the auction giant, “unauthorized.”

Prior to the Wispa furor, the most expensive candy bar was a piece of Lost memorabilia—a limited release Apollo bar made for the show’s accompanying alternate reality game and auctioned on eBay for about $130.

Starpics, an Australian company known for plectrums made of precious metals, created a completely unique pair of guitar picks. Like their other picks, they’re guaranteed to last pretty much forever and to significantly reduce string breakage. So what makes these picks so special?

They’re made of meteors.

These two luxury picks were fashioned from pieces of Gibeon meteorite. Said to be around 4 billion years old, Gibeon meteorites were discovered in 1836 in Namibia, Africa, where their sale and export were banned by the local government. Despite that fact, over twenty-five tons of the meteorites have been recovered and it is the most commonly found meteorite on the market today. One of the most interesting things about the meteorites is the pattern of Widmanstatten lines created by their frigid passage through space. These patterns are preserved in the picks and can be seen in the picture above.

The most expensive guitar picks in the world are priced at $5,000 AUD ($4,674 USD).

He may have authored such famous works as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet and a remarkable number of histories regarding England’s many kings, but only six copies of Shakespeare’s autograph are known to have survived to the current day. In fact, these are some of the only examples we have of the legendary bard’s handwriting, as not a single manuscript handwritten by Shakespeare has yet been discovered. Three of the surviving signatures are attached to his will. The other three adorn the deed to a house in London, the playwright’s mortgage and his testimony in a legal case.

Considering the autograph itself, it isn’t surprising that so few examples of his handwriting still exist. In fact, his atrocious penmanship may explain at least some of the many variants on his surname—from the dull and pedestrian Shaxberd to the evocative and famous Shakespeare.

Sold by the Austrian National Library in Vienna at auction in 2005, the most expensive movie poster was acquired by a private collector for $690,000. Only three other copies of the poster are known to have survived to the current day—one in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, another in a private collection and a second copy in the Austrian National Library. The expensive poster was created to promote Fritz Lang’s 1927 science fiction masterpiece, “Metropolis.”

The German film, set in the year 2026, dealt with the schism between two societal castes in the film’s titular city—the wealthy thinkers and planners and the underground working class. The film cost roughly $200 million, in modern currency, to make and was the most expensive silent movie at the time of its release. Sadly, much of the original footage has been lost and it cannot be viewed in its intended form.

On a related note, collector and business consultant Doug Taylor will be opening the auction for his collection of original promotional posters for movies that won Best Picture at the Academy Awards during the 80th annual Oscars ceremony on February 24th, 2008. The collection, lacking only three Best Picture posters, is the most complete collection of such posters outside of the Academy itself. He hopes to make at least a million from the sale.

The game, in which players take on the roles of dueling wizards, has spawned an organized tournament circuit, Duelists’ Convocation international or DCI, and a field of professional players. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the game, however, is the secondary market formed around valuable cards. Certain cards become highly valued through rarity or utility and may be purchased for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

The world’s most expensive Magic: The Gathering card is an Alpha Black Lotus. The Black Lotus, a particularly powerful card in game play, was released in two limited sets—Alpha and Beta. The Alpha set, limited to only 1.1 million cards as opposed to Beta’s 4 million cards, consists of some of the rarest MtG cards out there. This particular Alpha Black Lotus was given the highest possible PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) grading, GEM MINT 10, and features artist Christopher Rush’s signature. It’s currently owned by renowned MtG authority Daniel Chang.

An exact figure on the price of the most valuable Magic: The Gathering card is unavailable, but collectors have paid $15,000 for lesser Black Lotus cards.

Monopoly is actually based on a game patented by Elizabeth J. Magie in 1906. The Quaker woman hoped to use The Landlord’s Game to explain Henry George’s single tax theory. Despite Magie’s original and renewed patents of the game, several versions of the game were created in the years before the game was published by Parker Brothers. The name “Monopoly” was first applied to the game in 1910 when a shortened version called “Auction Monopoly,” eliminating the Georgist elements of the game, became popular.

In 1933, Charles Darrow copyrighted his own version of the game, simply called “Monopoly,” and began shopping for publishers. Despite having rejected Magie’s original Landlord’s Game twice and Darrow’s Monopoly once, Parker Brothers eventually elected to publish the game n 1935. Despite having gone so far as to acquire Magie’s patent, as well as a lengthy lawsuit from 1976 to 1985 over the rights to the game, Parker Brothers doesn’t acknowledge the history of the game prior to Charles Darrow’s version.

Monòpoli, the Fascist Edition

In spite of the game’s complex history, the most expensive Monopoly game is not a rare, antique board. That is not to say that there are no prized old editions of the game.

One particularly rare version, the fascist edition of Monòpoli published in 1940s Italy, may have some value to collectors. This version was not published by Parker Brothers and was created to circumvent the fascist trade laws of Italy’s government at the time. The exact value of this version, however, is unknown.

Sidney Mobell’s Monopoly set

The most expensive Monopoly set, though, is a more recent creation. Instead, it’s a special board created by jeweler Sidney Mobell. It was crafted with rubies, diamonds, sapphires and 23k gold. Even the dice are encrusted with diamonds. This expensive Monopoly set is worth $2 million USD and has been certified by Guinness World Records as the most expensive Monopoly set in the world.

Representing two years of work on the part of its creators, this expensive toy is, as its name suggests, made almost entirely of platinum. Fourteen hundred grams of pure platinum were used in the 89 parts that make up this figure. Why is it only almost entirely made of platinum? A .15 carat diamond was used in the camera eye on the figure’s head.

The figure was unveiled at Baselworld 2007 in Basel, Switzerland, the world’s largest international watch and jewelry show.

The .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge, one of the most successful cartridges ever, was designed only a year earlier by American firearms designer John Browning. It has been used in a wide variety of firearms since, owing part of its success to the fact that it isn’t prone to overpenetration and is, therefore, less likely to injure anyone standing behind the original target. Additionally, due to its inherent subsonic nature when fired from handguns or short-barreled submachine guns, it is one of the most powerful pistol calibers able to be suppressed.

Of the two .45 ACP Lugers submitted to the US Army, only one, marked serial number 2, is known to have survived. Serial number 1 is assumed to have been discarded, possibly damaged after the initial trial. For unknown reasons, DWM withdrew from the trials after the first round of tests. At least three more of the .45 ACP Lugers were made, one a carbine bearing serial number 21.

Most recently, the world’s most expensive handguns have been valued in excess of $1 million.

Despite the continuation of the line, the most expensive Beanie Babies are the same ones that were rare and valuable during the original Beanie Baby craze. For instance, fewer than 2,000 wingless Quackers the duck dolls were produced and the rare Beanie Baby may now be valued in excess of $1,300. An only slightly lower value may be attached to Spot, a dog with no spots at all.

The most expensive Beanie Baby ever, though, is the royal blue Peanut. This elephant was originally intended to be a light blue, but a production error rendering the doll in a much darker shade made a very small number of Peanut dolls very valuable indeed. Since the incorrectly colored dolls were created in 1995, two more runs of royal blue Peanuts have been produced—one in 1998 and one in 2000 as part of McDonald’s Teenie Beanies “Legends” collection. That didn’t keep an original from being sold at auction for $3,005 in 2000, though. This may have been quite a bargain, as the most expensive beanie baby has been valued at a possible $5,000.

Most recently, Ty Inc. announced Beanie Babies 2.0, combining successful elements of the original Beanie Babies and the more recent Ty Girlz dolls. Like Ty Girlz, Beanie Babies 2.0 will be tied to an interactive website in order to appeal to today’s computer savvy youth.

Hailing from the time of Hongwu, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, the expensive vase was most recently purchased at auction by Steve Wynn. The Las Vegas casino owner and insatiable art collector is often criticized by the art community for paying high prices for second-rate pieces, but this purchase is certainly an exception. The 14th century vase is decorated in copper red scrolling flowers and is, well preserved as it is, quite rare.

Mr. Wynn purchased the most expensive vase in the world at the Christie’s Imperial Sale in Hong Kong for 78,520,000 Hong Kong dollars (over $10 million USD). Rather than keep it locked away in his private collection, however, he returned the vase to China by donating it to a Macau museum.

The smallest and most expensive die for sale

Iriso Seimitsu, a Japanese company, has created exactly that. Smaller than a pencil lead (as shown), these dice make up for their diminutive size with an enormous 100,275 yen (around $880) price tag. Each of these expensive dice is made of 0.00016 grams of brass. The six sides of each die measure in at 0.3 mm each, with 0.05 mm pips. Even with the latest micromachine technology, these dice take nine hours each to produce.

It’s made of meteors!

The second most expensive dice for sale are offered by Crystal Caste, a company specialized in dice made from precious materials. Their 16mm d20 Meteorite Dwarven Stones are, as their title suggests, twenty-sided dice made of meteorite. Despite the title, though, it’s doubtful that dwarves were actually involved in the making of these dice.

The Meteorite Dwarven Stones can be ordered for $200 through Crystal Caste’s website. The most expensive die in the world may be ordered, with an accompanying case, through Nippon Style—if you know Japanese.

The Roman glass gaming die

The most expensive die in the world, however, is far older than either of those. A Roman glass die from the 2nd Century C.E., this die was discovered in Egypt in the 1920s. The discoverer passed the die on to his son, who became a professor of fine arts in Maryland. He must have been strapped for cash, because the die ended up in a Christie’s auction in 2003.

The die is just over 2 inches wide and deep blue-green in color. Each side is engraved with a different symbol. I’m no expert on the subject, but the symbols on the dice look more Greek than Roman to me.

While several such dice made of various materials have been discovered, scholars have not yet figured out what game they were used for. Maybe Romans played their own version of Dungeons & Dragons. Probably not.

The lot sold for just under $18,000, making this historic polyhedron the most expensive die in the world.

The 1982 World’s Fair PEZ dispenser is believed to be an extremely rare promotional item. In fact, only two are currently known to exist. One features a blue stem and an astronaut with a matching blue helmet. The other, featuring a green stem and white helmet, was at one point advertised for sale at $100,000. Most recently, it resurfaced on eBay in 2006 and sold for $32,205.

EBay may seem like an especially fitting context for the auction of the world’s most expensive PEZ dispenser, as an often-circulated rumor states that eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in order to help his girlfriend sell PEZ dispensers. Unfortunately for PEZ fans, such rumors are false. The first item Omidyar sold on eBay was actually a broken laser pointer.

Dalmore 62 Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky

The expensive scotch was one of only twelve bottles produced in 1943 from four single malts dating from 1868, 1876, 1926 and 1939. Each was labeled with its own unique name, this one being called Matheson after the Dalmore Estate’s owner, Alexander Matheson. It was purchased at the Pennyhill Park Hotel in Surrey, where the buyer reportedly shared it with five of his friends. It has been speculated that the buyer and his friends are the only people to have actually enjoyed a bottle of the expensive vintage.

Macallan 1926

The most expensive scotch broke a record previously held by another bottle of the same vintage, the Kildermorie, sold at auction in 2002 for £25,877 (over $40,000 USD) at McTear’s auction house in Glasgow.

The most recent expensive scotch purchase happened at Christie’s in New York, where a bottle of 1926 Macallan Scotch, bottled in 1986 and rebottled in 2002, was auctioned for $54,000. Taking place this past weekend, it was the first liquor auction allowed in New York state since the prohibition in 1920. It was expected to sell for between $20,000 and $30,000.

Barber, or “Liberty Head”, coinage was produced around the beginning of the 20th century and can be identified by the, well, Liberty head. The condition of the coin can be quickly assessed by the state of the word “liberty” written on her headband, as it tends to be the first bit to wear.

A Barber Dime

This particular Barber Dime is famous for the mystery surrounding its origin. Thought at first to be minted to make up a balance at the San Francisco Mint, the currently accepted story is that 24 of these coins were minted to be given to banker friends of the mint’s superintendent, John Daggett. Each of the seven bankers received three of the dimes while the last three were given to his daughter who, reportedly, spent one of them on ice cream. Collectors account for only nine of the expensive dimes.

The most expensive dime was sold by Oakland businessman Daniel Rosenthal to an anonymous buyer who does not, in fact, plan to spend the dime on ice cream. It was transported by a Virginia Beach coin dealer who didn’t eat, sleep or drink until the coin was in the hands of the buyer.