This might sound crazy, but somewhere between 4.7 and 5.5 liters of one of the most expensive liquids in the world is flowing through your body as we speak. Trying to sell it, though, would lead to immediate death. Rarity, usefulness, and difficulty in manufacturing are the main traits that determine a liquid’s price.
So, what is the expensive liquid that you currently have in big supply? It just so happens to be the blood that runs inside your veins. Now you know why you can’t necessarily run to the local pawn shop and cash in.
The most expensive liquid on this list comes in at an astronomical $39,000,000 per gallon. To find out what it is and to find out some of the other more expensive liquids out there, you can read the story below.
10. Nail Polish: $890 per gallon. You might not think that such a common item would be so expensive, but it is. Fortunately, nail polish is typically sold in smaller units, which makes it much more cost-friendly for the average consumer.
Typically made of nitrocellulose dissolved in a solvent, nail polish can also be made of water-based alternatives. Does knowing the price per gallon make you look at that small little bottle of nail varnish differently?
9. Human Blood: $1,500 per gallon. The average human body contains anywhere between 4.7 to 5.5 liters of blood, which equates to 1.3 to 1.5 gallons, respectively. That means the blood in your body could be worth anywhere between $1,950 and $2,250.
It’s understandable why blood is such a valued liquid, however, as it is an essential and potentially life-saving substance. Speaking of which, have you ever donated your blood? Because you probably should.
8. GHB: $2,500 per gallon. Ever heard of Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) before? Yeah, neither did we until we compiled this unusual list. Like blood, GHB is located within our bodies.
GHB is a naturally occurring substance; it’s produced in our central nervous system. Doctors use GHB to treat insomnia, depression, and narcolepsy.
7. Black Printer Ink: $2,700. Perhaps the most used substance in every office around the world, black printer ink is expensive. Most offices might want to consider being a little more conservative with their ink after reading this.
Here’s an idea: pitch a paperless option to your boss at the next budget meeting, as the money you save on printer ink can be used to host awesome office parties. And as an added bonus, no printer ink at work means your hands will stay clean.
6. Mercury: $3,400 per gallon. Nope, we are not talking about the planet Mercury; we are talking about the liquid metal variety. As a liquid, mercury was mostly used in medicine and in the production of thermometers.
Keyword: ‘was.’ Due to mercury’s toxic effects, it is no longer commonly used. Cool mercury fact: it is the only metal that is a liquid at room temperature.
5. Insulin: $9,400 per gallon. What’s that? Another expensive liquid that is produced within our own bodies? Insulin, like GHB and blood, is a liquid that our bodies naturally produce, and it is very expensive.
That said, the kind of insulin that you can buy and sell is of the biosynthetic variety––it’s produced in a lab. Why is insulin so important? It’s used to treat diabetes by regulating the body’s blood sugar levels.
4. Chanel No. 5: $26,000 per gallon. Looking beautiful isn’t cheap, and, as it turns out, smelling beautiful isn’t so cheap, either! Perhaps the world’s best-known perfume, Chanel No. 5, first went on sale in 1922.
Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel enlisted the help of Ernest Beaux to chemically manufacture the perfume. Beaux created a variety of samples for Coco to choose from, and she chose No. 5, hence the name.
3. LSD: $123,000 per gallon. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) has an interesting history. First becoming popular in the 1960s amongst counter-culture types, rock stars, and hippies, LSD was made famous for its ability to create hallucinations.
Steve Jobs often said that taking LSD was one of the more profound moments of his life. That said, we recommend you stay away from this dangerous drug.
2. King Cobra Venom: $153,000 per gallon. The more deadly the liquid, the more expensive it seems to be. If a king cobra bites you, its venom will quickly flow through your bloodstream, causing vertigo, paralysis, and eventually putting you into a coma.
If doctors don’t come to your aid quickly, you will die. Strangely enough, king cobra venom was once used as an aphrodisiac.
1. Scorpion Venom: $39,000,000 per gallon. You read that correctly; a gallon of scorpion venom would net a solid $39 million. Like we said with king cobra venom, the more deadly, the more expensive.
Although, what makes scorpion venom so valuable is its medicinal capabilities. The protein found within scorpion venom can be used for rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and multiple sclerosis.
