A rare piece of Moomin history has shattered records, fetching an eye-watering 46,023 euros at a private auction. The object in question—the elusive ‘Diving with Shells’ Moomin mug—has officially become the most expensive Moomin mug ever sold, according to industry experts.
The sale was facilitated by Muumimukit rahaksi (“Moomin Mugs for Money”), an online specialist retailer operated by Mukilaakso Oy. CEO Rasmus Rantanen confirmed that while the closed-door auction took place in December 2025, the final transaction was only completed this past April. Out of respect for the buyer—a long-time Nordic collector—news of the sale was kept under wraps until September.
“We have been buying and selling mugs for 14 years now,” Rantanen said. “Based on that, we can say quite confidently that none have ever been sold for more. I would be surprised if mugs more expensive than this had been sold somewhere else.”
The ‘Diving with Shells’ mug is a legendary item among collectors because it never technically went into full production. While it shares the base design of the standard 2006 ‘Diving’ mug, this rare version features additional, intricate shell and coral motifs. According to the manufacturer, Moomin Arabia, only a small test batch of these mugs was ever created, with estimates suggesting as few as ten may exist.
The market for this specific piece has seen a meteoric rise in value. Mukilaakso Oy previously sold a similar item in 2019 for approximately 9,000 euros. By 2021, a version sold at a Swedish auction for over 23,000 euros—a record that stood until this year. Mukilaakso Oy actually acquired the current record-breaking mug for 27,000 euros from that same Swedish source before flipping it for nearly double the price.
Rantanen attributed the dramatic spike in cost to a surge in the popularity of Moomin collecting and a sense of “pent-up fervour” among enthusiasts. He revealed that the auction was highly competitive, with five different bidders offering over 40,000 euros for the privilege of owning the piece.
“There has been a five-year break between the previous Swedish record and a new mug coming up for public sale again,” Rantanen noted. “During that time, the Moomin mug collecting scene has grown in popularity.”
Moomin mugs, based on the beloved gentle trolls created by Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson, have evolved from simple kitchenware into high-stakes investment pieces. As the global community of collectors continues to expand, the ‘Diving with Shells’ mug remains the “holy grail” of the hobby, standing as a testament to the enduring, and increasingly expensive, magic of Moominvalley.
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