When most people think of auctions, they picture heavy equipment, vehicles, real estate, and business assets changing hands. But every so often, the auction world reminds us just how unpredictable it can be. From grilled cheese sandwiches bearing celebrity images to entire towns up for bid, auctions have a rich history of selling the bizarre, the rare, and the downright unbelievable.
One of the most famous cases was a simple grilled cheese sandwich that appeared to have the image of the Virgin Mary toasted into it. This curious piece of culinary "art" was sold on eBay for a staggering $28,000 in 2004. It’s not the only time food has taken center stage either—celebrity leftovers, vintage gum, and even decade-old slices of wedding cake from royal ceremonies have all found enthusiastic buyers willing to pay big bucks for a slice of history.
And it’s not just food that captures attention. Oddities like the doors from the jail cell that once held Bonnie and Clyde, haunted dolls, dinosaur bones, and even a former missile silo have gone under the hammer. Auctions, after all, have always been about opportunity—and sometimes, that opportunity takes a wonderfully weird form. For example, John Lennon's toilet was sold at the annual Beatles Convention in Liverpool in 2010 for 9,500 euros! Yes, you read that correctly - a toilet that was once used in Lennon’s home in Berkshire, England.
What makes these strange sales so captivating? Part of it is the uniqueness. Auctions create urgency and competition, and when an item is truly one-of-a-kind, bidders feel the thrill of chasing something they might never find again. It's human nature to want what is rare and unexpected—and auctions are the perfect arena to fulfill that desire. In 193 AD, after the Roman Emperor Pertinaxthe was murdered, the Praetorian Guard auctioned off the position of Roman Emperor to the highest bidder. Winning with a bid of 6,250 drachmas (paid to each soldier in the guard), Didius Julianus did in fact become Roman Emperor for a very short time until he was overthrown and executed. We can't think of an auction more rare than winning a bid to be named Roman Emperor for less than three months.
One of the most talked-about auction moments in recent years involved a piece titled "Comedian"—a simple banana duct-taped to a wall by artist Maurizio Cattelan. Believe it or not, this minimalist artwork sold for a staggering $6.2 million. The piece was sold at a Sotheby's auction in November 2024 to cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun. This sale sparked widespread discussion about the nature and value of art, with some questioning its legitimacy and others praising its satirical commentary on the art market.
In 2005, ad space on a mans forehead was sold to a company called SnoreStop for $37,375. Andrew Fischer auctioned his forehead as advertising space via a temporary tattoo for 30 days. In 2008, a cornflake the shape of Illinois was sold at auction for $1,350. The owner of a traveling museum bought it, but rumor has it that the cornflake was broken during shipping. In 2006, William Shatner auctioned his kidney stone to the highest bidder for charity. Subsequently, the same people who bought the grilled cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary's image paid William Shatner $25,000, which was then donated to Habitat for Humanity.
While these headline-grabbing sales are entertaining, most auction activity revolves around more practical needs. In today’s marketplace, online auctions are a trusted method for buying and selling everything from construction equipment and vehicles to industrial tools and even real estate. Sellers appreciate the competitive bidding environment that helps drive fair market prices, while buyers enjoy the transparency and opportunity to secure a great deal. At their core, auctions—whether selling a piece of machinery or a slice of quirky history—are about matching supply with demand in the most dynamic way possible. And thanks to the accessibility of online platforms, it's easier than ever for both serious buyers and curious browsers to participate in the action.
So, while you may not find a haunted painting or a celebrity's used sneakers at every auction you visit, there’s still plenty of excitement to be had. Every bid tells a story. Whether you're hunting for a reliable backhoe, a fleet of vehicles, or your next investment property, that same sense of competition and possibility is what makes auctions one of the most exhilarating buying and selling experiences out there. After all, the real "wild" part of auctions isn’t just the unusual items—it’s the energy, the strategy, and the thrill of watching the final bid drop.
