Overview
- The original 2016 Masters Gnome sold early Monday for a $24,023 winning bid that totaled $28,827.60 with a 20% buyer’s premium, according to Golden Age Auctions.
- At Augusta last week, the gnome was priced at $59.50 with a one-per-person limit, and roughly 1,000 were believed to be released each day, prompting pre-dawn lines and rapid sellouts soon after the 7 a.m. gate opening.
- Resale prices spiked as this year’s edition was listed at $649 or more on eBay Monday morning, while early-year gnomes such as the 2016 version have reached five figures at auction.
- Speculation that Augusta National might discontinue the item remains unconfirmed, with chairman Fred Ridley saying he has asked for years about the gnome’s future without getting an answer.
- Attention has widened to the rarer Masters Teddy Bear, reportedly limited to 500 units at $250 retail, which often appears only on request and can resell for around $1,000.