We were digging through eBay, as we often do on hot lazy Tuesday afternoons, and guess what we found! No, not the black and white cat Beanie Baby that rose to popularity in 1998, but something much older and far more valuable: a pair of Levi's from the 1890s. And the bidding's already up to $9,118! Here's what makes the pants so special:

This old pair of LEVI'S were found in a mine in the Rand Mining District, on the Mojave Desert,. California. They are covered in candlewax from the candle's the miner was using to light the tunnel he was working in. They were found with and old paper bag with the name of a mercantile store which operated between 1895 and 1898 in the town or Randsburg. Their was also a gunny sack with the initials A.P.K. and Randsburg marked on it. A.P.K. is through to be Adam P. Kuffel who was a partner in the mercantile store.

So if you thought $10K for a pair of 120-year-old dirty pants was a tad on the high side, you can see it's the extras that make these a must-have. How many jeans that you buy come with rotting candle wax, a paper bag, and a burlap sack typically used for carrying grains or potatoes? Yeah, we thought so. But if you really wanted the dirt from the pants pockets along with all that, you're out of luck. One eBay user asked the seller if he'd consider selling just that dirt, but the seller replied he lost that when he turned the pockets inside out to look for a stamp. We bet he feels foolish.

1890's -201 Levi's- Great Condition [eBay via Kottke]