SortStack #353 — 2027-05-28

By price · Order from cheapest to most expensive.

1. A single steel paperclip $0.02

   Norwegians wore paperclips on their lapels during WWII as a quiet symbol of resistance against the Nazi occupation.

2. A banana at a US grocery store $0.25

   Nearly all export bananas are one variety, the Cavendish — adopted after a fungus wiped out its tastier predecessor, the Gros Michel.

3. Costco's famous hot dog and soda combo $1.50

   The price has been frozen since 1985. Co-founder Jim Sinegal reportedly told his CEO: 'If you raise the price of the hot dog, I will kill you.'

4. A pack of cigarettes in the US, on average $8.00

   Prices vary wildly by state taxes: a pack runs around six dollars in Missouri but can top twelve in New York.

5. LEGO's giant Ultimate Collector Series Millennium Falcon set $850

   At over 7,500 pieces it is one of the largest LEGO sets ever sold — sealed originals of the 2007 version have resold for several times the new price.

6. One year at Harvard, including tuition, room, and board $82K

   Harvard's endowment is so large that the university could theoretically let every undergraduate attend free and barely notice — financial aid means many already pay little.

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