This Is the Worlds Most Expensive Rubiks Cube
The Rubik’s Cube is named for its inventor Erno Rubik. For those who are curious, he was a professor of architecture at the Budapest College of Applied Arts when he made a prototype of the toy by hand. It is sometimes said that Rubik invented the Rubik’s Cube because he wanted something that would make it easier for his students to understand 3D objects. However, his real motivation was coming up with a way to enable the independent movement of the individual components without causing the whole structure to fall apart. Supposedly, Rubik didn’t even realize that he had created a toy until he was trying to restore it after scrambling it for the first time. Whatever the case, Rubik patented the Rubik’s Cube in 1975. Subsequently, he managed to start selling the toy in Hungary and then in other countries. In the early 1980s, the Rubik’s Cube saw a huge surge of international popularity, so much so that three of the top ten bestsellers in the United States were about solving the toy at one point in 1981. Afterwards, it faded from prominence, though it never vanished altogether. Thanks to that, the Rubik’s Cube was able to see a revival in the early 2000s and then another revival in the early 2020s. In the present, its patent has expired. Even so, the Rubik’s Cube brand still retains a fair amount of influence, as shown by how Spin Master spent $50 million for it.
What Is the Most Expensive Rubik’s Cube In the Entire World?
The Rubik’s Cube can be made using a wide range of materials as well as a wide range of methods. For instance, Rubik chose to make the prototype of the toy using wood. However, most Rubik’s Cubes are made out of plastic. Of course, there are some examples that are made out of much more expensive materials as well, which in turn, makes them that much more valuable. In particular, there is the Masterpiece Cube, which is estimated to possess a value of $2.5 million. There is nothing mysterious about why this Rubik’s Cube is believed to be the single most expensive Rubik’s Cube that can be found in the entire world. After all, it is made out of some very precious materials. For starters, the Masterpiece Cube was made using a mix of amethysts, emeralds, and rubies, which is rather amusing considering that it was created by Diamond Cutters International. Meanwhile, these gemstones are set in 18-karat gold, which is about 75 percent gold and 25 percent non-gold metals. Apparently, 18-karat gold doesn’t see a lot of use because it is more expensive than 14-karat gold but doesn’t have a lot of improvements in its physical properties when compared with 14-karat gold. Still, there can be no doubt about the fact that it is a valuable material. It is interesting to note that the Masterpiece Cube is indeed functional in the sense that it can be played with in the same way as any other Rubik’s Cube. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be very wise because its materials are very valuable but not very durable. Due to that, careless play is said to be capable of causing damage.
What Are Some Other Expensive Rubik’s Cubes?
Other than the Masterpiece Cube, there are a number of toys similar to Rubik’s Cubes that are quite valuable in their own right. However, they see a sharp drop in value when compared with the number one contender, which makes sense because they weren’t made using the same kind of materials. Instead, these toys are more valued for other reasons. The original Rubik’s Cube has a 3 by 3 by 3 arrangement. However, it is possible for similar toys to be made with either fewer blocks or more blocks. To name an example, there is something called the Pyraminx, which was inspired by the original Rubik’s Cube. As a result, it is a pyramid with a 3 by 3 by 3 arrangement of its own. Having said that, it isn’t particularly expensive. Instead, if people are interested in Rubik’s Cubes and toys similar to Rubik’s Cubes that are valuable in their own right, they need to look at those that are much more complex rather than less complex than the original Rubik’s Cube.
For instance, there is a toy with a 33 by 33 by 33 arrangement, which was created by a man named Greg Pfennig. As such, the toy has more than 6,000 components, which is a much higher number than those of the original Rubik’s Cube. Thanks to that, the toy with the 33 by 33 by 33 arrangement is very difficult to solve, so much so that even experts can take days or even weeks before solving it. Having said that, it is interesting to note that it isn’t a one-off creation. Instead, if interested individuals want one of their own, they can get one of their own so long as they are willing to pay about $18,000 for it. There are less complex toys that are sold for a considerable price as well. For example, there is a toy with a 17 by 17 by 17 arrangement, which was created by the puzzle-maker Oskar van Deventer. It was once considered to be the most complex version of the Rubik’s Cube ever created until Greg Pfennig launched his. In any case, the toy with the 17 by 17 by 17 arrangement is more manageable than its even more super-sized counterpart. Even so, it remains an immense challenge, so much so that it takes serious effort even from people who spend a lot of time playing with such toys. The 17 by 17 by 17 version sells for more than $2,600. Moving down, there is a toy with a 13 by 13 by 13 arrangement as well. It costs more than $250, thus making it a more affordable gift for people who enjoy playing with such toys. Moreover, it offers plenty of challenge in its own right, meaning that it is very much not meant for people who are just starting out when it comes to Rubik’s Cubes.
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