The mystique of Augusta National goes way beyond the manicured fairways and Green Jackets. It tends to move through the cash counters of the merchandise tent. But the secondary market for these exclusive items often reach a fever pitch with astronomically high price tags linked to items as simple as a garden ornament. 

NUCLR GOLF recently shared a picture of a 2016 Masters gnome in mint condition, including the box, that was sold for a record $28,827.60 on Golden Age Auctions. It’s worth noting that 2016 was the year when Augusta National began to indulge in selling garden gnomes. As per sources, the winning bid was $24,023. The additional charges came down to a 20% buyer’s premium. And that’s certainly more than the previous record resale price. 

Previously, Masters gnomes from 2016 were sold for a bit more than $10,000 at auction houses. These were initially priced at $39.50 at the Augusta National. The founder and president of Golden Age, Ryan Carey, revealed that the winning bid hailed from a regular customer and collector from the Middle East. And out of 48 total bids, only two went above $20,000 (second one valued at $21,839). But why are these considered so valuable?

Talking to Front Office Sports, Carey said, “That first year these were not supposed to be collectibles. These were not supposed to be valuable.”

But the gnomes have become a rising trend in the collectors’ offices. This year, about 1000 gnomes were made available per day and a patron could buy only one gnome. The price hiked from $49.50 last year to $59.50. And on the secondary market (eBay), the lowest listing of the 2026 Masters gnome went for $649. 

But when netizens saw the auction price for the 2016 Masters gnome, they had the same thing to say in the comments section. 

Netizens don’t understand the craze behind the Masters gnome 

Many fans seemed to be in disbelief. They had just one sentiment going around – Why would anyone pay such a high price for a piece of ceramic? Of course, the exclusivity and scarcity are the answers. Despite the rarity, the everyday golf fan isn’t exactly sympathetic to the nearly $29,000 valuation. And that has given rise to online mockery.

This pushed a fan to brand the move as “Idiotic.” One fan even spelled “S-T-U-P-I-D” in the comments. One more fan added, “I don’t believe it. My mind can comprehend that level of sheep/ manipulated stupidity.” Another comment read, “This is so dumb.”

Meanwhile, one comment highlighted the other commodities that the buyer could have indulged in, like a brand new car. 

The comment read, “You could buy a new car… or a Masters gnome.”

To understand how a ceramic garden figure commands the price of a brand-new car, we need to understand the forced scarcity manufactured by Augusta National. Patrons are well aware that Masters merchandise can only be purchased on the grounds during tournament week. There is no official online store, meaning if you aren’t physically walking the property, your only hope of securing the gear is paying heavily inflated prices to resellers on the secondary market. And these prices have certainly matched the price of compact SUVs like Toyota RAV4 (pricing starts at $29,800). 

And as the discussions continued, a few fans pointed out that Augusta National doesn’t like secondary markets. It was likely in reference to Augusta National putting a ban on patrons who sold their tickets on secondary markets to earn a profit. 

One fan reflected on this and wrote, “And the person who sold it will be banned from augusta for life.” Even Brandt Snedeker didn’t back away and shared an AI image of Donald Trump sitting beside a Masters gnome, while holding a board that read, “NO MORE GNOME RESALE.”

But what do you think about the insanely high price for the 2016 Masters gnome?