How Much Would You Pay for a 175-Year-Old Slice of Cake?

High-end auction house Christie's is in its 250th year, and to celebrate it's auctioning off a slew of over-the-top items: Winston Churchill's hat and a violin belonging to Charlie Chaplin are on the block, and so are a host of food-related items. Like a very ugly, way-past-its-prime piece of cake.

The 250-year-old slice of cake was originally made for Queen Victoria's 1840 wedding, so while it probably tastes terrible, it certainly has historical significance. And before you ask, "Who would buy a piece of cake that is clearly 250 years past its 'sell-by' date?," just know that it's expected to fetch between $1,000 and $1,500.

Also on the auction block: a very large and very unusual steampunk-esque mechanical corkscrew/self-pouring wine machine that's estimated to bring up to $32,000; a giant stainless steel fork (estimated to sell for up to $7,000, because modern art?); a highly NSFW pink phallic goblet from the 19th century that could bring in as much as $4,000; and a pewter mustard jar and pepper pot from a British Antarctic expedition that could theoretically be yours for a mere $783.

The sale takes place in London, September 14, but online bidding is also an option if you just can't live without that petrified piece of fruitcake.

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