Rare color patterns of tulips drove that price even higher, so much so that people started mortgaging their homes and estates to get bulbs that they hope to then resell at a profit.
Normally the trade route would be constructed through a series of relays, with spices and silver coins and jewellery moving north, as amber and fur moved in the other direction, and at every stage there would be a profit.
Some sneakerheads spend hours camping outside shops to get their hands on the most desirable limited editions which they can then flip for a huge profit.