Custom Search

World’s Most Expensive Board Games

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.

Similar Posts:

• Most Expensive Trivial Pursuit Game
• Most Expensive Chess Set
• Most Expensive Backgammon Set
• World’s Most Expensive Pokémon Cards
• World’s Most Expensive Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures
• Most Expensive Monopoly Set

Custom Search

World’s Most Expensive Comic Book

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.

Similar Posts:

• Most Expensive Batman Comics of All Time
• Most Expensive Newspaper
• World’s Most Expensive Books
• Most Expensive Charles Dickens Book
• World’s Most Expensive Written Manuscript
• Most Expensive Tolkien Books

Custom Search

World’s Most Expensive Movie Posters

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.

Similar Posts:

• Most Expensive Movie Ever Made
• Most Expensive Silent Film
• World’s Most Expensive Star Wars Memorabilia
• Top 6 Most Expensive Movies Ever Made
• World’s Most Expensive Music Box Sets
• Most Expensive Movie Actress

Custom Search

World’s Most Expensive Vases

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.

Similar Posts:

• Most Expensive Stool
• Most Expensive Piece of Furniture
• Most Expensive Chair
• World’s Most Expensive Stove
• Most Expensive Trash Can
• Most Expensive Pool Table

Custom Search

Most Expensive Batman Comics of All Time

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.

Similar Posts:

• World’s Most Expensive Comic Book
• World’s Most Expensive Written Manuscript
• Most Expensive Newspaper
• World’s Most Expensive Magazines
• World’s Most Expensive Halloween Costumes
• Most Expensive Tolkien Books

Custom Search

Most Expensive Mr. Potato Head

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.

Similar Posts:

• Most Expensive Beanie Baby
• Most Expensive Doll
• World’s Most Expensive Barbie Dolls
• Most Expensive Teddy Bear
• World’s Most Expensive Baked Potato
• Most Expensive Potato

Custom Search

World’s Most Expensive Wig

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.

Similar Posts:

• World’s Most Expensive Soda Can
• World’s Most Expensive Beatles Memorabilia
• World’s Most Expensive Paint
• Most Expensive Trash Can
• Most Expensive PEZ Dispenser
• Most Expensive Salons