10 Most Expensive Things Sold on eBay to Date
Duane Beckett
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eBay revolutionized the online commerce space when it launched in the 1990s and allowed people around the world to auction their items to the masses. It has been used for decades to sell and buy a variety of items or services that range from clothing to cars.
Despite some restrictions on what you can sell on the site, there have been some wild auctions that have continually broken price records. From items that have made headlines to more obscure pieces that you may not have heard of, here are the most expensive things sold on eBay to date.
10. Black Lotus Magic Card – $250,000
Magic: The Gathering has become one of the most popular card games in the world with many of the individual cards becoming highly sought after. One such card is called “Black Lotus” and it comes from a limited edition alpha set, which were the first ever printed Magic cards. One of these cards sold on eBay for an extraordinary $250k since it was in perfect, mint condition.
9. Elvis Presley’s Baby Grand Piano – $375,190
Elvis Presley is an incredibly famous artist. His life, work, and career resonated with millions of people around the world. On the 40th anniversary of his death, his white baby grand piano went up for auction on eBay and fetched a pretty penny. Better still, a percentage of the proceeds were donated to a charity that provides hearing aids to people around the world.
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8. All Star Comics #8 – $936,223
Collectible comic books can be extremely valuable particularly if they feature the debut of an iconic character. In All Star Comics issue 8, Wonder Woman makes her first ever appearance which outlines her origin story. This makes this particular comic very valuable and a high grade one sold for almost a million dollars on eBay.
7. Albert, Texas (an entire town) – $2,500,000
There have been some obscure items sold on eBay throughout its history, but this next entry made headlines everywhere. An entire ghost town located in Texas, called Albert, was sold for 2.5 million dollars in 2007. It once had a population of 50 and includes a general store, pavilion, dance hall, tractor shed, and a house.
6. 1933 Duesenberg SJ Speedster – $2,600,000
The 1933 Duesenberg SJ Speedster is a particularly rare car since only a handful were ever produced. With an estimated five or fewer in existence, they can sell for a lot of money. When one popped up on eBay, it generated a lot of attention from classic car collectors and rocketed up to a final sale of 2.6 million dollars.
5. Action Comics #1 – $3,200,000
We have already featured a comic book on this list and chances are, you have heard of this sale before. As mentioned, comics that feature the debut of iconic characters are extremely valuable, and who is more iconic than Superman? In 2014, an Action Comics first issue in great condition was the center of a furious bidding war on eBay, ending at a total price of $3.2 million.
4. 1959 Ferrari 250 GT California – $3,260,000
Our second car on this list, the 1959 Ferrari 250 GT California, sold for over 3 million dollars. This was part of a deceased car collector’s personal collection and it quickly generated plenty of interest on the internet. Many initial valuations placed the supercar at a price of a million dollars, but by the time the eBay auction had finished, it fetched well over 3 times that.
3. Lunch with Warren Buffett – $4,567,888
Most people know who Warren Buffett is because he’s arguably the greatest investor of our time and one of the wealthiest people alive. Not only is he an extremely knowledgeable investor, he is also a very charitable man who gives back to the community every chance he gets. As part of this, he auctions a private lunch with him on eBay every year. Due to his legendary status, it always racks up a large figure. This money goes to charity and in 2019 the founder of TRON, Justin Sun, paid an incredible $4.6 million just to sit down and break bread with the investment icon.
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2. Gulfstream II – $4,900,000
For the extremely rich population, a private jet is the ultimate crown jewel that allows them to travel in style for business or pleasure. They don’t come cheap and eBay is an unlikely place to sell one. Well, in 2001, a private jet company called Tyler Jet listed a Gulfstream II on the auction site. This started a bidding war between private jet charter companies and after much competition, it went to an African company for nearly 5 million dollars.
1. Gigayacht – $168,000,000
So what could have been more expensive than a private jet? Well, an absurdly luxurious “Gigayacht” of course! In 2006, a Floridian yacht broker listed the 405 foot, ten story vessel on eBay. It features a fully equipped gym, spa, swimming pool, helipad, office, and more. After a starting price of just $6.50, it eventually sold for a whopping $168,000,000 to famous Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich.
The moral of the story? eBay gathers a lot of attention and is a great resource for collectors. Some might worry that because it is an e-commerce site for consumers to sell to other consumers, the bidding would lower the value of certain items. While we can’t always guarantee prices like these most expensive things sold on eBay, it is clear that when a value is known among experts and collectors, it will factor into the eBay bidding and final sale price. Luxury items can definitely sell on this platform, so if you are interested in selling or buying such items, eBay is a good place to start.