Listicle: 10 things you won’t believe people paid high prices for

If not for the Prada logo, it wouldn’t have got a second glance. It looks like something picked up from a thrift shop, except it’s not made of plastic but leather. The $2,495 bag is also inconveniently big. Airlines wouldn’t accept it as a carry-on. The finish is tacky, the design is chunky, and on the inside, the name Prada runs over and over like it was its own knockoff. Only for the bravest Prada-buffs.

Hermes describes it as a “long-lasting way to turn your records into beautiful memories”. But what they’re actually selling a single-paper A5-sized envelope, in the signature Hermes orange hue. It comes wrapped in silk but that doesn’t justify the $126 price. On Tik Tok, comedian Benton McClintock has joked that Hermes also describes the envelope as reusable. “Reusable. It’s reusable. You guys, you’re wasting money if you’re not purchasing this.”

Some bought this tiny piece of stationery in 2017 for £146. Some picked it up when it came back on the market last year for £340. The fashion house markets it as a “sleek money clip with engraved lettering logo”. Who uses money clips? People with money. People who want to make a statementwhen sending divorce papers over. People who are still carrying cash in 2024. Imagine buying this and misplacing it.

No euphemism even. Balenciaga is straight up calling it the Men’s Trash Bag Large Pouch in White on their site. The upgrade on the humble kitchen essential is made of calfskin leather and comes in black, white and blue. Balenciaga’s creative director Demna Gvasalia calls this a fashion scandal. Perhaps the real scandal is that it costs $1,790. No, it doesn’t come with garbage pre-loaded.

The American rapper hasn’t worn it. He hasn’t autographed it. It’s just a plain, white Egyptian cotton jersey T-shirt that he launched in collaboration with the high-street fashion brand APC. West calls this a hip-hop T-shirt. Nothing special. Look closer. Still nothing special. There’s no logo to show off, either. But it costs $120 and was sold out.

It really has acrappy job, so why shouldn’t a toilet bowl deserve the best? The handmade birchwood toilet brush costs $98, which puts it flush out of most budgets. Those who do pay that much get a plain, white brush that looks like one from the home-goods shop down the road. If you’ve already purchased it, leave the price tag on to impress the guests. The brand also sells a Post-Impressionism tea towel to wipe it clean. Eww.

What looks like a safety pin, weighs as much as a safety pin and can’t be used like a safety pin? These $336 earrings, obv. They come with little charms (a capsule, a pill, a teddy bear or a chain link) so you can tell them apart from the usual pins. “Please consider that this is sold as a single earring,” says the website. To make more bad decisions, do consider their safety-pin bracelet for $653.

The year was 2012. Vasari, a brown paper bag, debuted on the Autumn-Winter 2012 runway, accessorised by models dressed in officewear. The long, rectangular clutch was made of ‘100% coated paper’. The stitched seams, gold eyelets and logo wouldn’t keep your lunch any fresher. It retailed for $290 and was sold out in three weeks. Imagine the number of regular brown paper bags that could be bought with this kind of money.

Imagine spending $1,644 on an umbrella that doesn’t even protect from rain. Gucci’s sun umbrella is not waterproof but it has the Gucci and Adidas monograms all over it. The cotton- and linen-blend fabric, and the birchwood carved handle means the materials, at least, are luxe. But why is it so inelegant and useless?

Made from the fur of the alpine camel-like vicuna, the socks are ultra rare. Only ten pairs were made by the German brand Falke and each was priced at $1,188. They go all the way up to the calves, but the fur is so delicate, it’s impossible to dye, and so it’s available only in the natural brown. Any resemblance to an Indian uncle’s sock is unintended. It’s so minimalist, it’s boring.