In the last 2,000 years, commodity shortages, financial speculation, wars, famines, and outright manias have created some pretty strange economic behavior throughout the world. Here are nine examples. 1. Cake or Death? In order to stop rising inflation and devaluation of the currency in third century Rome, Emperor Diocletian instituted fixed prices on most consumer goods. Anyone selling goods at prices higher than those of the emperor was put to death; this led to hoarding of goods. A law was then... READ ON

The Panic of 1873 marked the beginning of The Long Depression. Although most of us today think of The Great Depression as the canonical American Depression, The Long Depression was a big deal in its own right, and has worldwide effects. It lasted twenty-three years, and according to Wikipedia, "The primary cause of the depression was a shortage of available money to facilitate trade." Sound familiar?Today New York Times writer Jennifer 8. Lee (yes, her middle initial is a number) looks at the... READ ON

Since the online auction giant's founding in 1995, millions and millions of items have changed hands through its interface. Most of them probably sold for no more than a few dollars, but some have been truly, ludicrously expensive. Here's a look at some of the priciest items ever sold on eBay, plus some other noteworthy big ticket splurges and a few recent jaw-droppers. A Gigayacht When Fort Lauderdale boat maker 4Yacht fires up its eBay account, it doesn't mess around. In... READ ON

Are you looking to invest in a mutual fund? Are you worried that the portfolio of stocks and bonds selected by the fund managers won't accurately reflect your core beliefs? Fear not; if you dig hard enough, you can probably turn up a niche fund that meets both your need for a solid return and your personal ideology (or lack thereof). Take one of these, for example: The Vice Fund Perhaps the most well-known niche fund is the Vice Fund, which ignores moral qualms and shoots straight for the... READ ON