Masters puts new twist on its hottest collectible

While seemingly everything sold in the Masters Golf Shop is a coveted item, there is one collectible that has been generating intense fervor in recent years: the Masters garden gnome.

First launched in 2016, the garden gnome has been offered in slightly different iterations every year since. Most have been dressed like Masters patrons, complete with complete with logoed regalia, while others have worn Augusta’s famous white caddie uniforms or a holiday-themed outfit, the latter of which was on sale for the November Masters of 2020. All of the gnomes wear white shoes with a green saddle and are carrying a foldable chair on the right shoulder.

Last year’s version featured the gnome in a printed polo and flat-brim rope hat. The full-size gnomes are about a foot tall and retail for $49.50. They’re the only item in the Masters Golf Shop with a purchase limit: one gnome per customer. Even with such restrictions in place, the gnomes are known to sell out quickly — one year, in an estimated 10 minutes.

It’s easy to see why. Take a look through resale websites like eBay, and you’ll find aftermarket gnomes selling for hundreds of dollars. Interested in buying the whole collection? That’ll set you back a cool $15,000 — plus shipping.

Needless to say, the 2024 gnome is a hotly anticipated item, and on Friday, fans were treated to a sneak peek of this year’s iteration.

Clad in a logoed button-up cardigan and plaid pants, this year’s gnome is also sporting a trendy white bucket hat and a nifty green-and-white striped tie.

No word on whether the Masters Golf Shop has increased the quantity of these popular items to meet soaring demand, but if you plan to be onsite at Augusta on Monday of Masters week, a word of advice: shop early!