10. James Bond tarot cards
A deck of 10 tarot cards that were used by Jane Seymour in 1973's Live and Let Die sold at Christie's in October. Solitaire's deck sold for ?�24,000 ($38,470), representing an enormous 1,900% increase on its lowly ?�1,200 ($1,937) pre-auction valuation.
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9. Joseph Goebbels' early letters
 The latter parts of the archive are demonstrably anti-semetic |
A substantial archive containing Joseph Goebbels' early letters and school papers, as well as several copies of his lamentable play, Michael Voorman: A Man's Fate in the Pages of a Diary, was offered in Connecticut in September. Carrying a $300,000 presale estimate the documents failed to sell. The debate as to whether the sale of Nazi memorabilia should be banned rages on.
8. A turn of the century carousel tiger
 The carved and paint decorated carousel tiger |
An eye-catching carousel tiger, which was hand carved and painted circa 1900-1910, sold for $36,250 at Bonhams on December 4. The New York auction also featured a carousel pig, giraffe, and several frightening automaton figures.
7. Fidel Castro toby jug
 The origin of the toby name is said to stem from a notorious Yorkshire drinker |
An exceedingly rare Fidel Castro toby jug - thought to be one of only three ever produced - sold to an Australian bidder in Plymouth, UK in August. The jug brought a record breaking ?�8,280 ($13,174) - the highest price ever achieved for a Royal Doulton character jug at auction.
6. A 1923 San Francisco police department album
 The photograph album which sold in New York contains more than 720 mug-shots |
Housing over 720 mug shots across 60 pages, the police department album, which sold in New York on December 11, brought $36,000 - a 140% increase on its $15,000 presale estimate.
5. Niall Horan's discarded toast
 One Direction's Niall Horan |
A slice of Vegemite smothered toast, which had been partially eaten, then discarded, by One Direction's Niall Horan, was offered for sale on eBay in April. Having attracted $100,000 in frantic, online bids, the perishable item was pulled from the sale without further explanation.
4. The largest piece of Moon rock ever to appear at auction
 The largest piece of Moon rock ever auctioned |
October saw the largest piece of Moon rock ever to appear at auction bring $330,000. The four pound chunk, which is believed to come from the dark side of the Moon, sold alongside a prehistoric meteorite in New York.
3. A complete mammoth skeleton
 The mammoth would have roamed the earth at the same time as neanderthals |
A remarkable, complete mammoth skeleton sold at Sotheby's Paris in October. Having been discovered in Siberia, the ancient skeleton was offered from the Japanese Kashiwagi museum collection. It brought $311,106. The skull of a baby triceratops named Samantha also sold in May this year for $30,000.
2. John F Kennedy's hearse
 The hearse that transported JFK's body after his assassination in 1963 |
The hearse that carried JFK's body to Air Force One following his assassination in Dallas sold for $176,000 in January. The Cadillac hearse topped the Arizona auction, selling to Stephen Tebo, a Colorado based property developer.
1. Gandhi's blood
 Many believe Gandhi items should not be bought or sold |
A small fragment of soil believed to contain traces of Mahatma Gandhi's blood sold for ?�10,000 ($15,940) in April. The blood stained soil, which is contained in a glass box, was taken from the site of Gandhi's assassination in 1948. The London auction was mired in controversy: dissenters believe items associated with Gandhi should not be involved in financial transactions.
