Sanrio’s Hello Kitty, that adorable cartoon cat that comes to us from Japanese popular culture, has appeared on a host of commercial products from credit cards to the Hello Kitty Jet (an Airbus A330-220). The character, designed by Yuko Shimizu, debuted in 1974 as a decoration on a vinyl coin purse.

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of Hello Kitty in 2009, Sanrio partnered with crystal maker Swarovski and Japanese jeweler I.K. to create the Super Hello Kitty Jewel Doll. This 4-inch “doll” is made of solid platinum studded with thousands of precious gems, including 1,939 pieces of white topaz, 403 pink sapphires, a pair of black spinels for her eyes, a citrine for her nose and a 1.027-carat diamond on her signature bow.

The ultimate Hello Kitty doll was unveiled at Switzerland’s Baselworld watch and jewelry show and is valued at 15 million yen—about US $167,000!

Batman has become one of the most popular comic book characters of all time since his creation over 70 years ago. This success may be due to the fact that, unlike most costumed crime fighters, Batman has no superhuman powers; he relies on his extraordinary detective skills, peak physique and an array of high-tech gadgets to defeat his enemies.

Of course, 70 years of continuous publication have made certain early issues particularly valuable. These are the most expensive Batman comics of all time.

Batman #1 (Spring 1940) – $359,000

Despite being the first comic to feature Batman in its title, Batman #1 is not the first appearance of the caped crusader. A hero is defined by his adversaries, however, and this historical comic featured the first appearances of two of Batman’s most enduring foes—the Joker and Catwoman. The former is, of course, the dark knight’s most iconic nemesis while the latter has been Batman’s enemy, ally and lover over the years.

Detective Comics #27 (May 1939) – $1,380,000

Batman made his debut in this issue of the pulp-inspired comic magazine after which National Publications later took its name—DC Comics. The Batman of these days was, however, a bit darker than the Batman with which most readers are familiar. This Batman, as originally conceived by artist Bob Kane and developed (uncredited) by writer Bill Finger, had no qualms about taking the lives of the petty criminals he fought. It wasn’t until the introduction of Robin almost a year later that Batman began to lighten up on Gotham’s criminals and leave them breathing.

Like any historical work, first edition books can fetch enormous sums when sold at auction. This is especially true of those books written by influential authors, scientists and other extraordinary thinkers. The most expensive books in the world are the works of seminal masters whose legacies are all but impossible to ignore.

Ptolemy’s Cosmography – $4 million

This atlast is based on the work of the second-century Greek mathematician, geographer and astronemer, Ptolemy. Printed in 1477, only two copies are held by private collectors today. Atlases presented a unique challenge for early printers, as each map had to be etched into a printing plate by hand, precisely copying the original sources which were often over a thousand years old.

William Shakespeare’s First Folio – $5.1 million

Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories & Tragedies, a first edition collection of the bard’s plays, was the most expensive book sold at auction in 2006. The book was published in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare’s death, and contains a dozen plays that have never been reprinted, as well as many that are considered classics today. The original printing issued 750 copies of the book and perhaps a third of these still exist today, many of them incomplete. With its original price of twenty shillings per copy, the book has undergone a remarkable price increase. It was a literary custom and common practice for readers to make revisions, additions and annotations to original books and manuscripts and this piece is no exception, with many notes giving insight into the book’s readership.

The book was auctioned by Dr. Williams’ Library, a London library that contains a remarkable collection of first editions and manuscripts. It was said that the auction, carried out by Sotheby’s Auction House, would secure the finances of the library for the near future.

James Audubon’s Birds of America – $11 million

The most expensive printed book on record is James Audobon’s “Birds of America,” which sold in 2000 for $8.8 million. A second copy was sold in 2010 for a staggering $11 million. Audobon is a noted illustrator who pioneered much of early wildlife research, and the book’s dimensions reflect his attention to detail. Each original copy of this book measures 3 feet by 2 feet, because Audubon wanted to paint the birds in life size. His work vastly increased popular awareness of the breadth of species in our world, and is still very highly regarded today for its accuracy and poignant detail.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s Codex Leicester – $30.8 million

This notebook filled with original drawings, notes and sketches was sold to Microsoft founder Bill Gates in 1994. The manuscript takes its name from Thomas Coke who purchased it in 1717, decades before he was created Earl of Leicester. In the Codex, Da Vinci devotes his attention to such topics as the movement of water and the luminosity of the moon.

Gates didn’t keep the manuscript to himself, either. He had the contents scanned and distributed as a screensaver with Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95.

Some of the earliest pottery has been discovered in China, dating back to 9000 BC, and ceramic goods from the region can be traced back to the dynasties under which they were created. In fact, the first porcelain is believed to have been created under the Han dynasty from 202 BC to 220 AD. As China’s history is rich with beautiful ceramic art, it’s no surprise that the most expensive vases in the world are Chinese.

Ming dynasty vase – over US $10 million

The Ming dynasty ruled China from 1368 to 1644. That era in Chinese history saw the creation of a startling amount of carved lacquerwares, glazed porcelain wares, embroidered silks and works of art in a variety of other materials. The Empire of the Great Ming also produced a great number of forgeries designed to part unsuspecting purchasers from their wealth. This was such a problem, in fact, that guides were printed to help detect such forgery. We can be sure, then, that this vase is quite authentic.

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 expensive vase at the Christie’s Imperial Sale in Hong Kong for 78,520,000 Hong Kong dollars. Rather than keep it locked away in his private collection, however, he returned the vase to China by donating it to a Macau museum.

Qianlong vase – over US $80 million

The Qing dynasty succeeded the Ming dynasty and ruled China until 1911. The Qianlong Emperor became the fifth emperor of the Qing dynasty in 1736 and, during his time in power, imperial supervisor Tang Ying authored an illustrated memoir called “Twenty Illustrations of the Manufacture of Porcelain.”

This 18th-century porcelain vase was inherited by a mother and son who, if reports are to be believed, have gone into hiding due to the £12 million in taxes they will be expected to pay after the vase, only expected to sell for £1.2 million, reached an amazing £53 million at auction.

The buyer was a wealthy Chinese industrialist and collector of antiquities.

Scotch whisky is produced and aged, as the name suggest, in Scotland. By law, Scotch must be made from malted grain, must be matured in oak casks for at least three years and must have an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8% by volume. The age statement on a bottle of Scotch is determined by the youngest stock used in its production. The most expensive scotch whiskies in the world were each produced in one of the regions traditionally considered part of the Highlands region.

The Macallan 1926 – $54,000

This whisky, bottled in 1986 and rebottled in 2002, was auctioned in 2007 at Christie’s in New York. The auction was the first liquor auction allowed in New York state since the prohibition in 1920, and the Macallan was only expected to sell for between $20,000 and $30,000. The Macallan was produced in Speyside, formerly considered part of the Highlands region.

Dalmore 62 – $58,000

This single Highland malt Scotch whisky from the Dalmore Distillery in Inverness, Scotland, 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 for £32,000 at the Pennyhill Park Hotel in Surrey, where the anonymous 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.

Dalmore 64 Trinitas – $160,100

Yet another product of the Dalmore Distillery, Trinitas is so named because only three bottles of this expensive whisky have been made. The whisky is a blend of rare stocks, including some that have been maturing at the distillery for more than 140 years. Two bottles were sold in Glasgow in 2010, one to a US-based collector and one to a UK-based investor. It is the first Scotch to sell for six figures.

The Macallan 64 Year Old in Lalique – $460,000

A bottle of 64-year-old Macallan, the oldest whisky ever bottled by the Macallan distillery, became the most expensive whisky in the world when it sold at a charity auction in November, 2010. The catch, however, is that the auction also included a one-of-a-kind crystal decanter.

The decanter was created by Lalique using lost-wax casting, called “cire perdue” in French. The decanter was created to celebrate the anniversary of master glassmaker René Lalique’s birth. It is based on a decanter from the 1920s, when The Macallan distillery was founded. The crystal decanter and its expensive cargo have toured twelve cities to raise awareness for charity: water, including Paris, London, Hong Kong and its final stop at Sotheby’s in New York.

The entirety of the sale price of this expensive whisky was donated to charity: water. In addition, US $145,000 were raised for charity: water during the Macallan’s “tour du monde“.

Charity: water is a non-profit organization that distributes water to developing countries.

A movie poster collection may be anything from an extension of another hobby to a sign of serious passion for film history. One buyer may be willing to pay $10 or $20 for an original “Fellowship of the Ring” one-sheet while another pays $47,000 for one of the few remaining “Grand Hotel” posters. With the latter type of collector in mind, we turn to the most expensive movie posters in the world.

“Metropolis” – $690,000

A private collector acquired this expensive movie poster at auction from the Austrian National Library in Vienna in 2005. 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 $14 million to make, adjusted for inflation, 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.

“The Bride of Frankenstein” – estimated at $700,000

Heritage Auctions expects to sell this teaser one-sheet, the only surviving poster of its kind, at their Beverly Hills Signature Movie Poster Auction in November, 2010. The poster comes from the Collection of Todd Feiertag, likely the largest collection of vintage horror movie posters of all time.

“The Bride of Frankenstein” is the sequel to the original 1931 “Frankenstein,” starring Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s monster. In the film, the monster coerces his humbled creator into creating another monster to serve as his mate. The film cost just under $400,000 to produce, or around $6 million in today’s currency.

Some people see Halloween as a day to do something really spectacular. These are the people whose parties have everything from spooky ambient sounds to animatronic monsters. Of course, the right costume is an important part of the mix, and one could hardly go wrong with one of the most expensive costumes in the world.

Star Wars Supreme Edition Boba Fett – $899.99

A true Star Wars geek can wear this on Halloween or to conventions, opening night at the upcoming 3D Star Wars rereleases, job interviews—the possibilities are endless! The costume features a jumpsuit with gloves and cape, molded armor pieces, wookiee braids, shin weapons, a jetpack and a collector’s edition helmet!

DC Comics Collector’s Edition Superman and Batman – $999.99 each

Like Boba Fett, these costumes will look right at home at a convention or on Halloween. The real draw of these two costumes, it seems, is the incredible level of detail on the muscles sculpted into the thighs, torso and upper arms. As if that weren’t enough, check out Superman’s awesome plastic hair.

Ex Mortis Stalkarounds – $1,999

Wayne Toth, owner and operator of Ex Mortis, has had his work featured in a number of creepy movies and TV shows, including X-Files, Alien 3 and both the Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th film series. His Stalkaround Halloween Costumes are nothing short of amazing. Each one is a combination costume/puppet up to 8 feet tall and with an equally expansive arm span. Sixteen different Stalkarounds are available, including old staples like the Vampire, Werewolf and Living Dead as well as gruesome creations like the two-faced Freak shown here.

Many people read comic books growing up as kids, but a certain few retain their passion and become meticulous collectors of expensive comic books. Other people think of comic books as juvenile superhero fantasies, but the sophisticated storytelling and artwork of modern comic books and graphic novels is changing that perception. The most expensive comic books in the world, however, will inevitably be the earliest and most historic examples of the medium.

Any serious comic book collector can tell you that the world’s most expensive comic book is DC’s Action Comics #1 (1938). Written by Jerry Siegel and illustrated by Joe Shuster, this book contained our first 12-page glimpse of the iconic superhero, Superman. One may wonder why this comic would outsell, say, the first appearance of Spider-Man, especially considering the success of the Spider-Man movie franchise and the box office flop that marked Superman’s return to Hollywood in 2006. The answer lies not in the fact that Action Comics #1 contains the first appearance of Superman, but that it contains the first appearance of the modern superhero.

All of the stereotypical devices of the superhero genre are combined for the first time in this issue; superpowers, secret identities, pseudo-scientific origins and, yes, even tights. Superman was the amalgamation of Greek myth with Flash Gordan and just a smattering of everyday life. Ultimately, it was the same combination that we still see today, to some extent, in the immensely successful Batman, X-Men and Iron Man franchises.

A copy of Action Comics #1 was sold by ComicConnect.com in March, 2010 for $1.5 million. Alongside the Superman story, the book included ten other features, such as Tex Thompson and Zatara, Master Magician.

Action Comics #1 may lose its place at the top of the pile, however, if this special ashcan edition of Flash Comics #1 sells for its asking price. That’s a big “if,” however, as the asking price is $5 million.

So what makes this comic so special? As the story goes, publishers Fawcett Comics and All American Comics scrambled to publish ashcan editions of “Flash Comics” in order to secure the copyright. All American, one of the three companies that eventually merged to form DC Comics, won the race and published 104 issues of Flash Comics, starring the Flash.

Interestingly enough, Fawcett’s Flash Comics (retitled Whizz Comics) debuted Captain Thunder (renamed Captain Marvel), a character later awarded to DC in a copyright infringement suit based on his similarities to Superman.

If your passion for performance and luxury autos cannot be stopped, and your McLaren F1 is becoming a bore along with the rest of your exotic cars, it might be time to check out Top Gear’s “Car of the Decade,” the Bugatti Veyron. The most recent model, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, has an estimated price tag of $2.3 million and, if that figure is even close to the ultimate price, will be the most expensive car in the world.

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport “World Record Edition”

The Super Sport, unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August 2010, is not your typical luxury car. Its W16 engine—essentially two narrow-angle V8s sharing a crankshaft—with four turbochargers generates 1,200 hp and, along with improved aerodynamics over the original Veyron, allows it to reach a top speed of 268 miles per hour. That makes the Super Sport the fastest production car in the world.

The original Bugatti Veyron 16.4, which entered production in 2005, hits 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, does the quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds and reaches its top speed of 252 mph in just 55 secs. It came after a long absence from the market for Bugatti and helped the brand reclaim its title as the ultimate performance car and reign supreme as the world’s most expensive production car.

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4

The Veyron is named after Pierre Veyron, who won the 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans while driving a Bugatti Type 57 with Jean-Pierre Wimille.

Whether played for family fun or intellectual stimulation, board games have a long history and some even predate the written word. It isn’t surprising, then, that some are willing to shell out thousands—or even millions—of dollars to purchase the most expensive board games in the world.

Zontik Games’ Trivial Pursuit – up to $6,200

A beautiful and luxurious leather-bound edition of this popular trivia game is being retailed by Zontik Games. The board is meticulously leather-inlaid by hand and then embossed in gold or silver with felt-lined storage compartments for the game pieces. The dice cups and question card boxes are also inlaid with leather. Optionally, the game may include pieces inlaid with sterling silver. This expensive Trivial Pursuit board is not available in Canada or the US.

Outrage! Deluxe – $12,465

In this game, players attempt to steal the crown jewels from the Tower of London. The board in this deluxe edition is laminated and set in a solid mahogany cabinet with a drawer for the sterling silver playing pieces, solid gold crown jewels and cards edged with gold leaf. The board also features an individually numbered brass plate.

Kiseido Imports Go Set – $12,950

This ancient Chinese game is often played with a traditional board with legs. A complete set also includes a pair of bowls to hold the players’ stones. Kiseido Imports offers a masame wood board with legs for $10,000, a set of yuki-grade shell and slate stones for $1,950 and pair of mulberry Go bowls for $1,000.

Charles Hollander Backgammon Set – $1.5 million or more

Created for the Charles Hollander Collection, this amazing board game features 61,082 black, white, and yellow diamonds totaling 2071.48 carats. The set also boasts over 6.77 kg of yellow gold and about 150 grams of silver. This masterpiece of art and jewelry required over 10,000 hours to create.

Sidney Mobell Monopoly Set – $2 million

The most expensive Monopoly set is 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.

Jewel Royale Chess Set – $7.8 million

This single chess set is the most expensive and exquisite game set of any kind in the world. Constructed of gold and platinum, it contains diamonds, emeralds, rubies, pearls and sapphires. The king alone weighs 165.2 grams of 18k yellow gold and has a spiraling mid-section graced by 73 rubies and 146 diamonds. Boodles, a British custom jewelry company commissioned its production.

One major draw of the miniature wargaming tradition, from which the modern role-playing game evolved, was the collection of masses of miniature units, siege engines and single figures. Those minis came in handy for early Dungeons and Dragons players, as the original game system was a variation of the Chainmail wargame. While miniatures became an optional component of D&D for a time, with the release of the third and fourth editions of the game by Wizards of the Coast, as well as a line of pre-painted plastic miniatures, miniatures are once again an integral part of the D&D experience.

Huge Gold Dragon – $40

Introduced in the Giants of Legends set—the first to include huge figures—along with the Huge Red Dragon below, the Huge Gold Dragon is an excellent example of the skill of Wizards of the Coast’s sculptors and painters. As a “good” dragon, however, its utility in the game is limited—players just don’t fight good creatures as often as their sinister counterparts.

Huge Red Dragon – $55

A true D&D staple, the red dragon has probably graced the covers of more books than any other monstrous creature in the game. It certainly helps that this figure is almost as stunning as the Huge Gold Dragon.

Colossal Red Dragon – $350

This amazing miniature, if that word still applies, was released as part of the Icons line of sculpts of the game’s most terrifying, iconic and, above all, enormous baddies. Colossal Red isn’t just large, though; he’s also menacingly posed and exceptionally well painted.

Snowball – $350+

Snowball is a bit of an oddity. This miniature was distributed to Wizards of the Coast employees over the holidays in 2007. As such, it’s a very limited item and the exact number produced is unknown. Snowball is a beholder, one of the game’s most bizarre and unique monsters, rendered in a translucent white plastic to represent a very D&D-ish sort of holiday cheer.

To a collector of model cars, a model of the Bugatti Veyron might be the centerpiece of their collection. It is, after all, the world’s most expensive car. Of course, for the truly dedicated—and well off—collector, the only option is the world’s most expensive model car.

The Bugatti Veyron Diamond Limited Edition, a collaboration between luxury designer Stuart Hughes and Swiss model car engineer Robert Gülpen, is a 1:18 scale replica of the ultimate luxury car, rendered in 24k gold, platinum and 7.2 carats of single cut flawless diamonds. The hoods and steering are functional and the engine is highly detailed. This fantastic model car weighs in at 15 pounds and took two months to produce.

Only three of the most expensive model car in the world have been created, each accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, glass house, aluminum case and photographic documentation of its manufacture. Even more phenomenal, the Bugatti Veyron Diamond Limited Edition costs twice as much as the car on which it is based—US $3 million.

An original 1933 Zippo lighter

For more than half a century, Zippo lighters have been the lighters of choice for serious smokers, outdoorsmen and anyone else who might need to set something on fire in harsh conditions on a regular basis. While butane lighters are now preferred by some, Zippo still managed to celebrate their 75th anniversary in 2007 by selling the world’s most expensive Zippo lighter.

The Zippo Manufacturing Company was founded in 1932 and their first lighters were sold in early 1933. Zippo lighters are notable for combining the flint-wheel ignition typical of modern disposable lighters with a naphtha-soaked wick. This construction makes the lighters particularly wind resistant and more reliable in cold weather than butane lighters.

18k gold Zippo lighter

Around 25,000 lighters were produced throughout 1933. While the earliest Zippos were plain, the company began experimenting with embellishments as early as that first year. That tradition continues to this day, and thousands of different designs have graced the metal Zippo exterior over the past 75+ years.

During their 75th anniversary, Zippo sold one of the original 1933 Zippos for an extraordinary $37,000. Other high-priced Zippos include another 1933 Zippo lighter with diagonal lines on the lid, auctioned for $18,000 on eBay and an 18k gold Zippo lighter complete with a custom cherry gift box, available from Zippo for $8,675.95.

South Africa is hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and local jewelry house Shimansky is celebrating with the world’s most expensive soccer ball.

The ball took three months to design and is still in production. When finished, it will be festooned with 6,620 white diamonds and 2,640 black diamonds, for a total of 3,500 carats of South African diamonds. It will be the size of a standard soccer ball, but will weigh 4.8 lbs.

The ball is intended to entice wealthy tourists and soccer aficionados into purchasing some of Shimansky’s South African gemstones. Shimansky is also producing crystal replicas of the ball to be displayed in their local stores and auctioned off for charity.

The Shimansky diamond soccer ball is valued at a phenomenal 20 million South African rands—that’s US $2.59 million!

Aside from the ball, Shimansky has also created a 9.3 carat World Cup dome ring worth nearly $16,000 and a pair of silver commemorative World Cup cufflinks worth $129.

Since the turn of the twentieth century, collectors have swooned over rare and unusual stamps. In fact, there’s even a field of research, called philately, devoted to the study of valuable stamps. You might ask why someone would spend so much time and/or money on a small piece of sticky paper that once graced the top corner of an envelope.The reason is that, like similarly expensive collectibles such as comic books and baseball cards, many stamps rise in value phenomenally compared to other stamps.

The late Alfred H. Caspary is one of the best examples of a person who successfully profited from stamp collecting. Almost a century ago, Caspary started collecting stamps–but not just any stamps! Caspary only purchased the most valuable ones he could find. He did this with the intention of investing for his family’s future, a goal many stamp collectors still hold. His stamp collection went on to fetch world record setting prices upon his death with his heirs reaping all of the benefits.

The Treskilling Yellow – $2.3 million or more

The world’s most expensive stamp was printed in Sweden in 1855 and was the result of a printing error. Instead of printing the three-skilling stamp on green stock, it was printed on yellow/orange stock paper. In 1970, the authenticity of this misprinted stamp was questioned by the Swedish Postal Museum, but it was found to be genuine. Similar printing errors have resulted in many other expensive collectibles such as misprinted coins and baseball cards.

Only one copy of the “Treskilling Yellow” postage stamp is known to exist. The most expensive stamp in the world was part of the first Swedish stamp series in the years 1855 and, in 1886, a young collector named George William Backman discovered this stamp in his grandmother’s attic.

The stamp has changed hands numerous times since then. One of the stamp’s first owners since Backman’s discovery was Philipp von Ferrary, who acquired it in 1894 as an addition to his then unequaled stamp collection.

Ferrary’s collection was auctioned in the 1920s and made its way into the hands of such notables as Baron Eric Leijonhufvud of Sweden and eventually King Carol II of Romania.

It first achieved a million US dollar price tag when it was sold in 1990. Six years later, it was sold for 2.5 million Swiss francs–around US $2.3 million.

In 2010, the stamp made headlines again with a record-breaking sale to an international consortium. While the exact figure is unknown, auctioneer David Feldman–who sold the stamp from his own collection in 1984 and oversaw this most recent sale–revealed that it at least maintained the $2.3 million price achieved in 1996.

Andi Herzog Lenticular Stamp – $8.42

Old stamps aren’t the only expensive stamps, though. While it isn’t likely that anyone will ever pay millions of dollars for a new stamp, Austrians were recently given the option of buying the most expensive stamp in print.

This revolutionary stamp isn’t any ordinary stamp, of course. It’s a lenticular stamp featuring approximately three minutes of footage of Austria’s legendary football player, Andi Herzog. The footage shows the goal that allowed Austria to compete in the World Championships in 1998. It’s even shown from three different angles.

The most expensive stamp in print is also the largest one. It measures in at 6.5 by 4.7 cm (or around 2.5 by 1.8 inches). It can be purchased for €5.45 (around $8.42).

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.

Check out the most expensive Barbie dolls in the world:

Barbie No. 1 – $8,000

For those who prefer the nostalgia factor to the bling factor, this expensive classic Barbie is naturally the very first—Barbie No. 1. Featuring a ponytail and zebra-striped bathing suit, the vintage Barbie doll is truly a historic artifact.

De Beers 40th Anniversary Barbie – $85.000

On her 40th birthday, we were introduced to the most expensive Barbie doll of 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. Perhaps most interestingly, this Barbie is not the iconic blonde but rather a raven-haired beauty.

Barbie and the Diamond Castle promotional Barbie – $95,361

This doll, introduced in Mexico City, 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.”

Mr. Melloni is clearly breaking new ground there.

The doll was not created for sale but has been valued at 1 million pesos. 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.

Canturi Barbie – $540,780

To celebrate the new Barbie Basics Collection–a line of urban socialite dolls, each with a different hairstyle and skintone and wearing her own unique Little Black Dress–Mattel commissioned this stunning doll with accessories by renowned jewelry designer Stefan Canturi.

The necklace features 3 carats of white diamonds arranged in a Cubist style and surrounding a rare pink diamond from Australia’s Argyle mine. The centerpiece is emerald cut and weighs in at 1 carat. A ring adorned with another diamond decorates Barbie’s right hand.

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.

Holiday greeting cards have been around for as long as anyone can remember. Nowadays it can be practically required that you send one to each and every member of your family. They’re usually cheap, costing a few dollars apiece. That hasn’t always been the case, though, and certainly hasn’t been with the most expensive Christmas card.

The first greeting cards were commissioned in 1840 by the Victoria and Albert Museum’s first director, Sir Henry Cole, who was much too busy to pen holiday greetings to his friends, associates and loved ones. Designed by artist and Royal Academician John Calcott Horsley, the card angered temperance activists as it depicted a group raising their glasses in a toast to Christmas and the New Year. A run of 1,000 of these cards was printed in 1843 and they sold for a shilling each. At the time, they were considered a novelty for the well-to-do.

One of these cards became the world’s most expensive holiday greeting card when it was sold to Jakki Brown, co-owner of Progressive Greetings magazine and general secretary of the Greeting Card Association, for £8,469 ($17,083 USD). This particular copy was sent by an unknown party to Mary Tripsack, a close friend of renowned poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Sold to Brown at a Wiltshire auction, the 160+ year old card is one of an estimated ten of the original Christmas cards to survive to this day.

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.

How much would you pay for a tablespoon of dirt? Before you answer, you might want to ask about the quality of the dirt, what nutrients a hungry plant might extract from it. Those, as the world’s most expensive dirt will attest, are the wrong questions to ask. No, you need to know where it’s been.

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.

Cigar tobacco is grown in many places throughout the Americas and Caribbean, but certain cigars manufactured in Cuba are widely considered the best cigars in the world. Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar. As expensive cigars are symbols of wealth and success, the world’s most expensive cigars may hold far more value than their price tag suggests.

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.

Originally released in 1952 as a collection of body parts and accessories that could be attached to a real potato (or many other fruits and vegetables), Mr. Potato Head has become one of the most widely recognized toy brands in the US. It was more than ten years before a plastic potato body was added and almost another ten years before the size of the toy was doubled in order to comply with new US toy regulations. Of course, there’ve been a number of themed Mr. Potato Head sets such as Darth Tater, Optimash Prime and Taters of the Lost Ark. One set in particular has the distinction of being the most expensive Mr. Potato Head in the world.

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.

Watch collecting may be one of the most expensive hobbies in the world, but it’s also one of the most rewarding. Many antique timepieces are a testament to the brilliance of early and modern innovators.

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. If millions of dollars for a watch is too much for you, don’t worry you can find a Patek Philippe starting around $20,000 USD.

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.

Have you ever heard of The Quarrymen? No? Well, it may shock you to find out that that a vanity record pressed by this group is worth something like £100,000 ($200,000 USD). Even more surprising, the world’s most expensive record is a single—a cover of Buddy Holly’s “That’ll Be the Day.”

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.”

Talal Khouri, a Dubai-based stockbroker, made history recently when he became the owner of the world’s most expensive license plate. He won the expensive license plate after placing the winning bid during an auction to benefit individuals with special needs. Oddly, the expensive license plate displayed the number five. You would think the most expensive license plate in the world would at least read ‘1’ or maybe something clever alluding to the owner’s wealth.

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.

Audi’s Auto Union Type C pedal car just took a back seat as Hot Wheels unveiled the world’s most expensive toy car. What makes this car more expensive than any other toy car? Well, it could be all the diamonds.

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.