How much is too much for a trash can?

Natalie Dee Cartoon (Click picture for more)

I recently ran across this post at AOL's ShelterPop - A Round-up of Trash cans under $100.

A trash can and $100 in the same sentence? Surely not. Though, to be honest, I'm not as shocked as I would have been a few years ago. Story time, commence.

A friend and classmate of mine got married our senior year of college and she and her husband treated themselves to an early wedding gift: a stainless steel trashcan. I remember this very well in particular because my friend, upon buying said trash can, came to us - her bridesmaids - proclaiming the price tag - $140.

$140?! As Seniors, about to embark on a scary adult life of debt and entry-level job scrambling, me and the bridesmaids were in shock! Why... why? $140? For a trash can? I double checked that she was, in fact, putting trash in it and not using it for some higher purpose. We checked in with many other people at school about this hefty trash can purchase - was there something we were missing about the universe and appropriate trash canister pricing? I ran this figure by my dad, the one person I figured might actually say "yeah, duh Annie, that's what they typically cost." His response, complete and utter shock.

So $140, that was the highest I'd heard of for a trash can. Until today on Casa Sugar where someone is actually posting a discussion thread about the fact that she is thinking of justifying a $300 steel trash can purpose! What is up? I have to know...

How much will someone actually pay for a bin to put their garbage in..? What is the most expensive trash can available on the market?

This man needs his trash properly stored.

Bingo - $1,200 - at least that's what John Thain (above), former and fired Merrill Lynch CEO, paid for his antique wastebasket. According to this article at NY Daily News, apparently he got a bargain on the piece which can go for close to $4,000!! 

Well, there you go. That's pretty awful. Wait, it gets worse. According to this page, the world's most expensive trash cans go for between $10-15,000.

Suddenly, $140 doesn't sound too bad. However, us college students weren't about to let that purchase pass. For her mini-bridal shower, we surprised my friend with a super deluxe, bejeweled trash can - complete with butterfly lid (covered in amazing butterfly stickers). It was a bargain compared to the stainless steel one. :)