When we were growing up, many of us spent our allowances and lawn-mowing money on sports cards, posters and other sports memorabilia. At the lunch tables and during recess, groups of kids in their favorite team jerseys and hats argued over card-trading possibilities, hoping to find a hidden gem. The most dedicated grew up to become fanatical fans, their inner child urging them to spend big on sports memorabilia.

Some fans spend so much that their purchases make salaries of past players look like pocket change. Baseball superstars like Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, who played for salaries in the $30,000 to $80,000 range, would hardly believe the astronomical amounts their old jerseys sold for recently. According to ABC News, the jersey Gehrig wore during his farewell speech sold in 1999 for $451,541. Similarly, a jersey worn by Ruth during a 1934 baseball tour of Japan sold several years ago for $771,000. Even more outrageously, Mark McGwire's then-record 70th home-run ball in 1998 sold for just over $3 million. That's about a million dollars for every year that McGwire's single-season home-run record lasted.

Some lavish memorabilia fetches a high price due to prestige; other memorabilia is expensive simply due to its uniqueness. For instance, a ticket from the first recognized World Series in 1903 sold at an auction for $23,000. More famously, the bat used by Babe Ruth in his final appearance at Yankee Stadium sold for $107,000. The first hockey stick, made in the mid-1850s, was recently appraised at more than $4 million, or about a million times more than modern hockey sticks cost at your average garage sale.

These kind of items have been collectible for years, but the reach of the Internet and the desire for instant publicity have created a new niche in the memorabilia marketplace for collectors and headline-seekers. ESPN reported such gems as Baseball Hall of Famer Ty Cobb's false teeth selling for over $8,000 – but that's not the most ridiculous result of the Internet-age of memorabilia. Don't ignore the discarded piece of then-Arizona Diamondbacks left-fielder Luis Gonzalez's chewing gum, which sold for $10,000, or the jockstrap from Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan's final no-hitter, which sold for about $25,000. Not only is that an odd piece of memorabilia to purchase, it's flat-out gross.

These purchases might be made by crazed fans or ardent collectors, but some are by individuals just looking for publicity. Karen Shemonsky bought Ty Cobb's false teeth, claiming that the purchase price was the cost of her fifteen minutes of fame, according to ESPN. Some people appreciate a little publicity or time in the public limelight, but most of us prefer to be known for positive achievements and contributions to society rather than for buying a deceased baseball player's disgusting dentures.

While false teeth and old pieces of chewing gum are repulsive and seemingly worthless pieces of memorabilia, they aren't the weirdest. ESPN also reported that Bob Colleary, a television writer, purchased former baseball team owner Bill Veeck's wooden leg for $8,500, in order to use it as a trophy for his fantasy baseball league. Undoubtedly, this purchase also served the dual-purpose of increasing the surreal factor of fantasy sports in general.

Sources: foxsports.com; abcnews.com; baseball-almanac.com; canada.com; espn.com