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.
13. 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. And thanks to it’s popularity, one of the cards found its way on the most expensive things sold on eBay list.
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.
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12. 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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11. All-Star Comics #8, $936,223
Collectible comic books can be extremely valuable particularly if they feature the debut of an iconic character. And one of the most expensive things sold on eBay to date is one of the All-Star comics.
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.
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10. Honus Wagner Baseball Card, $1 Million
In 2000, a baseball card happened to become one of the most expensive things sold on eBay, hitting a price of $1 million. Wagner was a baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, mostly with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He was named the “Flying Dutchman” due to his excellent speed and German heritage. He was also known for being a versatile player. In 1936, the Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Wagner along with four others as the very first five members of the hall. The sale doesn’t compare to the price of the card now, which reaches around $6 million or higher through other auctions.
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9. A Tiny California Town, $1.78 Million
Weirdly enough, this isn’t the first, nor will it be the last time we see a whole town being sold on eBay. Bridgeville, California was listed and is one of the most expensive things sold on eBay today.
The tiny town is located around 260 miles northeast of San Francisco and only has about 25 residents, consisting of only about 10 houses and a few cabins. Bridgeville was apparently owned by a company of an anonymous Los Angeles businessman who used the power of the internet to sell the town off.
8. House with Bunker, $2 Million
EBay is full of wacky items for sale. Along with some of the other most expensive things sold on eBay, a Missouri house was actually for sale as well. The windowless shack outside of Kansas City, Missouri started as a weird and unexpected listing. But once viewers saw what the shack held, the value of $2 million made more sense.
The top held an unassuming shack, but underneath there was a doomsday shelter, up to 10,000 square feet of space, and all beautifully decorated. The shelter is fitted with a laundry room, kitchen, and bathrooms, so you can live your life sheltered from any detrimental events on the surface.
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7. The Town of Albert, Texas, $2.5 Million
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 included a general store, pavilion, dance hall, tractor shed, and a house.
6. 1933 Duesenberg SJ Speedster, $2.6 Million
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.
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5. Action Comics #1, $3.2 Million
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, 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.
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4. 1959 Ferrari 250 GT California, $3.2 Million
Our second car on this list, and one of the most expensive things sold on eBay ever, is the 1959 Ferrari 250 GT California 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.
Also Read: Most Expensive Cars in the World
3. Lunch with Warren Buffett, $4.5 Million
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, but 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, he 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.
2. Gulfstream II, $4.9 Million
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.
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1. Gigayacht, $168 Million
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.
