This could be something that you bought for a higher price than what most people would guess based on the item, or it could be something you bought for a normal price that has gained significant value as time has gone on.
What made me think of this question is a LEGO minifigure I got with my “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” disc. It is Bilbo Baggins in a blue coat that was apparently only sold in that movie box only at Target stores. Even considering the exclusivity, I would have guessed maybe $10-20 for such a tiny piece of plastic, but there are sold listings on eBay from $80 to $225. I could possibly even get towards the higher end of that number since I still have everything in the original box in good condition. It’s not worth a ton compared to some other items people may own, but I think most people would not expect nearly that amount.
I had a free book reward from Thriftbooks, which I used for a copy of Long Dark Teatime of the Soul by Douglas Adams. When it came, I was kinda bummed that some kid had scribbled on the title page, but eh, it was free. At least it was a first edition in otherwise good condition, I won’t complain.
As I was reading, I got a little itch in the back of my mind, and it of curiosity looked up his signature. Turns out, it looks like some kid’s scribbling
Probably why no one realized.
So I got a signed first edition, which goes for about $200, totally free.
WHAT. That’s crazy! What a story- great find!
I discovered that a small strip of dead land at the side of my friends’ brand new house was available to buy for loose change from the original land owner (a once giant estate that had been broken up into parcels at auction) Fast forward three years or so later and the developer started stage two of the house building, another 850 houses. Guess whose tiny parcel of land was needed for utilities and access due to the terrain? We basically picked a number out of the air and the next day the cheque / check arrived. Paid off the mortgage, sold the house and paid about 90% the price of their dream home straight away and had a bit left over too. Can’t help but think that somebody somewhere lost their job/contract over that.
One Christmas, my mother-in-law gave me an unopened bottle of whisky they had in their cabinet for a while. It was some of the best whisky I’ve ever had. About halfway through the bottle on Boxing Day, I took a moment to look up the cost (it’s since gone up in price, but you’ll get the idea)
https://dekanta.com/store/suntory-hibiki-30-years-old/
I. Was. Horrified. I have exactly two ounces left, that I will probably consume with my wife on my deathbed.
Bruhhhh
Don’t downvote this guy, ‘bruhhhh’ is right.
Ok but you said “some of”, not “the” best, I wanna know which whiskey you’ve had that’s better than the $12,000 bottle!
Uncle Jethrow’s bathtub special is surprisingly smooth and you don’t even go blind with this batch.
I own a full size Batmobile model from a canceled game bundle Batman Arkham Knight: Batmobile Edition. It was canceled due to quality control issue and was shipped to select people before getting canceled. So that’s a pretty rare find. All the electronics still works and it can switch normal and battle modes with a remote. Had some people offering multiple thousand bucks for it, and I got it just randomly without knowing it’s rare.
What does full size mean can you get inside it and drive it around
I went to a Hotel Furniture liquidator for some new furniture. Saw a good looking office chair and they only wanted $20 for it.
Brought that bad boy home and only then did I find out that they had sold me a new Herman Miller Aeron for only $20. Completely insane.
I’ve heard those chairs are super nice and super expensive. Great find!
I’ve sat in one. It’s a nice chair, but… well let’s just say office chairs are very subject to diminishing returns. I’d definitely buy one for $20 though.
I have four tyres in pretty good condition on my car, that’s $1000 right there.
I had a friend over who complimented my teapot, I love it because it’s a nice color, good size and has a stainless steel infuser that fits inside. So I offered to get her one of her own only to find out that this particular color is highly collectible and worth 6-7x what I paid for it originally. Now I have a nice teapot I’m paranoid about anything happening to, haha.
If you never intend to sell it then value doesn’t really matter. It can be a fun story when someone is over for tea, but you aren’t losing anything if something happens.
I’m not cool like everyone else here who got bargains or things that went up in value but for things that are more expensive than they seem to rational people, I have $6k headphones and up to $9k pens. Got them for a little under msrp (for the headphones, the cost of the pens went up).
Rational people don’t generally expect the prices of things like that to get so high, but they actually get a lot higher, I’m also not cool like the people who have those. There’s likely other things like this I can’t think of rn, but pens and headphones easily get the biggest “what’s wrong with you?” probably because they’re handheld non-jewelry
I own a Planet Arlia Vegeta Funko Pop. Currently worth approximately $5000 USD.
Because my wife liked it and wanted one. We got it many, many, many years ago before it cost that much. I think it was around $100 when I bought it. I had just got a new job that was paying me way more than I was being paid before, and it was her birthday, and she had been talking about how much she wanted one for years. I figured if $100 makes her happy, why not? It wasn’t until shortly after that that the price started skyrocketing, and hasn’t really stopped since.
I buy and sell used books. I came across one nondescript worn hardback in a box and for some reason decided to research it. It’s worth five figures. Cost about 25c.
Tell us the details
Was it very old? Signed? Good condition?
Moderate condition, ex-library so there are stamps and labels. However it’s about 120 years old and a first edition. There was one for sale last year, now there are none for sale anywhere in the world, AFAIK. It was the first book of its genre and is recognised as influencing the later masters. Think Poe influencing Conan Doyle. I’m reluctant to mention the details because I don’t want it showing up in a search. Sorry to be so cagey! I’d be annoyed by this post myself if I read it.
No worries don’t doxx yourself, I’m happy you got to enjoy this book, I can see how happy you are when you talk about it.
Okay. What is it?
I have a copy of X-Men #4 (first appearance of Juggernaut) signed by Stan Lee.
I also have a few highly sought-after lego sets. :)
I picked up a used Bucky O Hare NES cartridge for $8 back around 2000. Had no idea what the game was, but the picture on the cartridge was ridiculous. Now it sells for $150-$200 on eBay. More like $600 if you have the box and manual.
Also have Sparkster for Sega Genesis including the box and manual which sells for around $400.
I have a handful of games like that. They were either bought new when I was a kid in the 90s or I bought them cheap in the 2000s. I might sell them when I’m 80.
Not me but my mom. Her great grandmother gave her her “mad money” stash that she’d saved over the years, all in silver dollars. She didn’t think much of it, just kept it as a memento.
Turns out it’s 300 silver dollars minted between 1900 and 1905; some of them are worth over $1k by themselves.
I own a Zune. Despite owning it for over a decade, it’s still worth about what I paid for it.
I’ve got a game in a pile of about 100 sandwiched in between some penny priced games that is worth $500. I’m not creating a shrine for it. Just putting in with the rest of the group.
