As we all know, gold is a precious metal that society has cherished since the beginning. Initially, it was used only as a currency, a stable way to exchange goods and services. As time went on, things changed. Although money to an extent is backed by gold, it is more prominently known as a status symbol. In most cases, gold doesn’t make an item “better”, it is simply there for the sake of being there. While it makes sense to have gold jewelry, as it is a rather appealing, shiny color, there are many things it is added to just to raise the price. People buying these items just want the status that comes with having gold, as gold is closely related to luxury. To give some examples of these items, here are the top 10 most ridiculously expensive golden objects.
Top 10 Most Outrageously Expensive Everyday Objects
10 Gold Grill – $400
Starting off with a classic, the gold grill, a statement of wealth popular within the music industry. Grills became popular in the early 80’s, appearing in many rap/hip-hop music videos. This trend is still around today, although it is no longer as connected to rap as it once was. There are many shops/jewellers that can fit you with your own custom grills for around $400.
These are quite ridiculous though because they don’t really serve any purpose aside from status. In addition to their lack of function, they can also be quite bad for your teeth as the gold metals can be quite acidic and can harm your teeth. Repairing these ailments caused by grills will most likely end up costing more than the grills themself. So unless you have the spare cash to fix your teeth as well, you may want to avoid this one.[1]
9 Gold Casket – $24,000
Up next is a 24k gold casket. A burial with this specific casket is known as the golden send off and has been used in the past with some famous celebrities. This casket is made with care and features an all around 24k gold plated appearance. Surprisingly, this item only costs $24,000, whereas some smaller things coming up are worth a lot more. It is a shame that anyone who uses this, won’t really get to experience it for themselves, but is more of a gesture to those at the funeral. Gone are the days of using just plain old wood for a casket and here are the days of golden everything![2]
8 Gold Clic Glasses – $75,000
Wipe your glasses for this one, because you sure are seeing the price right! At a humble $75,000 you can get your very own pair of sunglasses! Oh it should probably be said that they are also fully made out of gold – the majority of where its price comes from. While it may just seem like a blatant cash grab, there is actually a surprising amount of effort that goes into each and every one of these glasses. A skilled worker takes around 40 hours just to complete one, it’s safe to say that they are indeed mad with a bit of love and care. Though it probably doesn’t justify its price tag as you could still feel that effort if you just ask for some of your grandmother’s baking.[3]
7 Golden BBQ Grill – $111,000
Heating things up, we have a golden grill! Unlike the previous “Grills”, this item actually has the capability to cook some food. Though what it does have in common with the grills is a price tag that doesn’t exactly correlate with what it actually does for you. You see, this gold grill actually costs around $111,000 US dollars. For that kind of money, you could buy thousands of grills that serve the same purpose.
With most gold items, this too only really serves as a status symbol, as you could get essentially the same grill for only a fraction of its cost. Maybe if it was completely autonomous and cooked your food for you, then it might justify its price, but as of right now it’s just made for the people who have a little too much money to spend.[4]
6 Gold Shirt – $250,000
Continuing on we have an all gold shirt! Now gold is a very common component in jewelry but this is rather over the top. This shirt is a one of a kind piece commissioned by the Indian millionaire Datta Phuge, looking for the most luxurious status symbol. While other people go for nice cars or houses, this man’s true desire is gold. At a whopping 7 pounds, this highly impractical shirt cost him $250,000 and judging by any pictures of him, he is entirely proud of his decision.
It may seem like a complete waste of money, it’s actually not too bad, as you could easily sell the shirt for quite literally its weight in gold. It’s quite the awkward piece but it will definitely garner the attention of anyone who sees it.[5]
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5 Gold Elizabeth Coin – $1M
Rolling its way in is the gold Elizabeth coin. The Canadian mint went above and beyond with this one, creating a massive, all gold coin, worth $1,000,000 at face value, but more to collectors. This was supposed to be a one of a kind mint, but due to its high popularity, 5 total have been made to satiate its demand. It’s original purpose was not to be sold, but a promotional piece to promote the mints new 1oz maple leaf coins. Instead, the promotional piece took the spotlight. This coin is so impressive that it even broke a record!
For obvious reasons this coin holds the honor of being the largest gold coin. Sadly, I don’t believe any stores will tender this coin, so the only way to spend it is to sell it. Though I’m sure any buyers are going to keep it safe on display for a while![6]
4 Golden Toilet Paper $1.3M
Now this next item is rather humorous, as it is toilet paper! Costing 1.3 million dollars per roll, this roll of toilet paper is not going to be replacing regular rolls anytime soon. Now surprisingly, the company who made it indeed does claim that it is safe to use, but you’d have to be a maniac not to put it on display! This takes luxury to a whole other level as this is a highly disposable piece, meaning that once you use it, it’s gone forever. With most gold items, they will at least last for 10+ years, as they should with such a high price, but this stands a part from the rest. This item is only meant for the insanely rich and should definitely not be something that you save for. But hey, at least it comes with a “free” bottle of champagne.[7]
3 Bugatti Veyron Diamond Ltd – $2.9M
Next up is the Bugatti Veyron toy car. As you probably know, anything with Bugatti in its name is usually rather expensive, and this toy car keeps that trend going. At a measly $2.9 million dollars, this intricately detailed and beautiful miniature replica could be yours.
The grand price tag is due to two main reasons, the way it was made, and of course the material it’s made out of. The car is a 1/18th scale Bugatti Veyron, and its building process took around 2 months to complete. This is no factory production, rather it is an art piece where authenticity was paramount. In addition to the skillful craftsmanship, the car is also made of complete gold with some diamond accents, which definitely spike up the price quite a bit. This item may be for you if you are a billionaire, but probably isn’t the best Christmas gift for your kid.[8]
2 1933 Double Eagle – $10M
Coming up next is the “$20” 1933 Double Eagle gold coin. At first it looks like any ordinary coin, but its true value comes from its rich history. The gold coin had its debut in 1933 and was originally supposed to be worth only $20; but due to laws that forbid the “hoarding of gold coin” saw to it that almost its entire supply be destroyed. Out of the roughly 500,000 coins that were minted, only around 13 remain today. Essentially, this was a banned coin and so its notoriety and scarcity are what contribute to its worth.
There is no set price to this coin, so it’s up to the buyer to determine what it’s worth, and so the most recent transaction for one of these coins is around $10 million dollars. Paying $10 million for $20 does not seem like a great deal, but to those who absolutely adore coin collecting, it may just be worth it. Though, to the common person looking for $20, they should probably just look for a job.[9]
1 Gold iPhone 5 – $15M
This one doesn’t need too much explaining, it’s a gold iPhone! This item tests the limits of blinging out your tech, at a whopping 15 million dollars. This iPhone’s design is rather intricate, featuring a solid gold base with 100’s of small diamonds along the sides and on the Apple logo itself. Taking it one step farther, is an elusive black diamond, the centerpiece of this majestic device. Although this phone is rather old, being a 5, it still remains 1st as the world’s most expensive phone. At least now you can say you have a phone that works better than a $15 million dollar one.[10]