Miniature marvels that people have spent fortunes on
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Small but mighty
As the old saying goes, 'quality over quantity'. And when it comes to spending the big bucks, it's not always size that counts. As these tiny products prove, even the very smallest things can come with a huge price tag...
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Luxury ice cubes: $325 (£255)
Bored of using everyday ice cubes in your drinks? Californian brand Gläce Luxury Ice Co. sells perfectly square and spherical blocks of ice to give your cocktails a bit of extra luxury. Perfection means that this ice comes with a luxury price tag too – $325 (£255) for a case of 10.
Micro Handbag: $486 (£384)
If you're looking for a handbag so small you can barely fit a coin in it, this offering from French fashion label Jacquemus is ideal. 'Le Chiquito' is handcrafted in leather and was showcased at the label's A/W show in Paris in 2019. The slightly bigger original version of the bag sold out at $540 (£425) each, while you'll have to be prepared to pay out $486 (£384) for this new teenier style.
GPD Pocket: $500 (£395)
This pocket-sized laptop made by Chinese technology company GPD measures at just seven inches long and four inches wide. Despite its small size, the GPD Pocket is fully functional and runs on Windows 10. They retail at around $500 (£395).
Clé de Peau Beauté face cream: $795 (£625)
The La Crème face cream from Clé de Peau Beauté contains Japanese pearl and golden silk essence, and aims to target the signs of aging. All of this luxury comes at a price, of course. A 50ml bottle will set you back $795 (£625).
Luxury Sushi: $2,000 (£1,575)
If you're a sushi lover, you might dream of trying the creations of Filipino Chef Angelito Araneta Jr. Costing $2,000 (£1,575) for just five pieces, each one is wrapped in gold leaf with pearls and caviar to top it off. It even comes with a diamond on the side, because well, why not?
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Pomeranian Spitz: $2,500 (£1.95k)
Weighing in at just three to seven pounds, these tiny dogs make ideal pets. They're sociable, good with children, and of course take up hardly any space. Their price might be a little less attractive though; these little pooches can cost up to $2,500 (£1.95k).
Huia feather: $5,000 (£4k)
The huia bird is believed to be extinct, with no sightings since 1907. Because of this, its feathers, once used as part of Maori chiefs' clothing, are worth a small fortune today. An auction in New Zealand in 2012 saw a bidding war push the price of a single huia feather up to $5,000 (£4k).
Miniature Revolver: $6,200 (£4.8k)
The SwissMiniGun Miniature Revolver C1ST may be tiny, but it's a fully functional gun able to fire bullets at 270mph. The revolver was created in 2005, with a price tag of $6,200 (£4.8k), though they've since been banned in the United States.
Mickey Mouse Pez: $7,000 (£5.5k)
While there are lots of vintage PEZ Dispensers that are worth a lot today, the The Mickey Mouse Soft Head piece is the rarest of them all. Being a prototype, there is thought to be only one in existence, which was bought for around $7,000 (£5.5k).
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Bladefin Basslet: $10,000 (£7.8k)
Despite being just 1.5 inches long, these fish command a price tag of around $10,000 (£7.8k). Their high price is due to the fact it's incredibly hard to find wild specimens (they live in depths of 500 feet), and they're also hard to breed in captivity.
Brikk Lux Airpods 2 Deluxe: $12,995 (£10.2k)
The Lux Airpods 2 Deluxe by Brikk are set to be released when Apple's Airpods 2 launch later this year. Each ear piece is hand-set with one carat worth of diamonds, and can be finished in gold or platinum. With a price tag of $12,995 (£10.2k) you'll definitely want to keep these tiny earphones safe.
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Diamond Tea Bag: $15,000 (£11.8k)
For most people, a cup of tea is an everyday staple. However, the PG Tips Diamond Tea Bag has a price tag that makes this daily beverage more of a special occassion. Crafted by Boodles jewelers in 2005 to celebrate the tea brand's 75th birthday, each handmade tea bag has 280 diamonds on the outside, and contains the expensive Silver Tips Imperial Tea, so it's perhaps not too surprising that this cup will set you back $15,000 (£11.8k).
Diamond contact lenses: $15,000 (£11.8k)
If you want a real twinkle in your eye, you might want to purchase some contact lenses complete with a ring of diamonds in them. They were created by optometrist Chandrashekhar Chawan of Shekhar Eye Research, with a price tag of $15,000 (£11.8k).
Golden lego brick: $15,000 (£12k)
The most expensive Lego brick in history was sold for an eye-watering $15,000 (£12k). The 14 carat solid gold piece is the same size as a normal piece, and can be even used with other Lego sets. The gold pieces were given to employees to mark 25 years of service between 1979 and 1981.
Ana Khouri hair pin: $17,200 (£13.5k)
This hair pin by designer Ana Khouri is crafted in 18-karat gold and retails for $17,200 (£13.5k). There's a whole golden leaf line, including necklace, earrings and bracelet. However, if you fancied purchasing the whole lot you'd have to pay more than $100,000 (£78k).
Diamond cupcake: $30,000 (£23.5k)
The only thing better than cake is cake laced with diamonds. In 2009 Mervis Diamonds created a cupcake topped with diamonds in order to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary, and set a world record for the most expensive cupcake. If you fancy picking up one for yourself you would have to be prepared to pay out $30,000 (£23.5k).
Pin-Sized masterpieces: over $76,000 (£60k)
Can you imagine an art piece so tiny it fits inside the head of a pin? That's exactly what British artist Willard Wigan creates, using 600-times magnification, the hair of a dead fly, and meditation to give him the dexterity needed. Celebritiy fans include Elton John, Simon Cowell and Kate Moss, paying upwards of $76,000 (£60k) for a piece.
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Gold Rush Polish: $132,000 (£83k)
Beauty brand Models Own launched its Gold Rush nail polish in 2010. The nail colour itself is actually exactly the same as its $7 (£5) department store version, but the bottle is crafted from yellow gold and studded with over 1,000 diamonds. If you want the pricier version, it'll set you back $132,000 (£83k). However, it has since lost the title of the most expensive nail varnish in the world...
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Peel 50: $150,000 (£118k)
The Peel 50 is the smallest car that has ever been permitted to drive on the road, despite weighing just 150 lbs. The cars were manufactured during the 1960s, and are now so rare they sell for upwards of $150,000 (£118k).
Black diamond nail polish: $250,000 (£198k)
Launched in 2014, Azature's Black diamond nail varnish took the title for the world's most expensive nail colour. The jewellery brand turned to nail varnish, creating a product to compliment its gems not only in look but in price too. While the black diamond polish will set you back $250,000 (£198k), Azature has also created a more affordable version at just $25 (£20).
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Moon rocks: $855,000 (£672k)
These three tiny pieces of rock were taken from the moon during the Soviet Luna-16 Mission in 1970. As the only moon rocks belonging to a private owner, it's unsurprising they sold for a fortune. In 2018 the pieces were snapped up at an auction by Sotheby's for $855,000 (£672k).
Adobe House: $1.1 million (£865k)
While tiny houses are growing in popularity, it's usually due to the cost savings involved. This 510 square foot Californian hut on the other hand, is anything but cheap. It was listed on the market at a cool $1.1 million (£865k) in 2016.
Masterpiece Rubik's Cube: $2.5 million (£1.9m)
Undoubtedly the world's most expensive toy of its kind, the Masterpiece rubiks cube contains over 185 carats of gemstones such as rubies, emeralds and amethysts. Despite being made of 18 karat gold, the toy is fully functional. Though at a cost of $2.5 million (£1.9m) it's probably best left on the shelf.
Most expensive toys ever sold at auction
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Diamond panther bracelet: $5.7 million (£4.5m)
Cartier designed this panther bracelet for Wallis Simpson in 1952. It's body is encrusted in diamonds and black onyx, with emeralds for its eyes. The iconic piece of jewellery went into auction at Sotheby's in 2010 and sold for a record $5.7 million (£4.5m).
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Astolat Dollhouse Castle: $8.5 million (£6.68m)
The world's most expensive dollhouse was created by artist Elaine Diehl over 13 years ago. A team of carpenters, glassbowers and silversmiths worked together to make the tiny pieces of furniture, including a grand piano worth $7,000. Today the Astolat Dollhouse Castle has a staggering value of $8.5 million (£6.68m).
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Fulgor Nocturnus pen: $9 million (£7m)
Italian pen maker Tibaldi crafted the Fulgor Nocturnes based around the Divine Proportion of Phi. This meant ensuring the perfect ratio between its cap and barrel. The pen also features 945 black diamonds and 123 rubies. Only one was ever created, which sold at auction for $9 million (£7m) in 2010.
World's Rarest Stamp: $9.5 million (£7.4m)
Would you pay $9.5 million (£7.4m) for a single stamp? Well, somebody did. The incredibly rare 1856 British Guiana One-Cent Magenta was sold to a collector at auction by Sotheby's in 2014.
The world's most valuable stamps revealed
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Flowing Hair Dollar: $10 million (£7.8m)
The 'Flowing Hair' Silver Dollar dates back to 1794, and is thought to be the first ever silver dollar issued in the United States. It was sold at auction for $10 million (£7.8m) in 2013, more than doubling the previous record. Despite the huge sum, the buyer stated they would have been happier to bid much higher.
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Pink Star Diamond: $71.2 million (£57.3m)
The Pink Star diamond ring became the most expensive gemstone in history, after it sold for $71.2 million (£57.3m) at auction in 2017. Jewellery seller Chow Tai Fook snapped up the 59.6 carat diamond ring from Sotheby's, later renaming it the CTF Pink after his initials.
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