By Frank Pingue
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 6 (Reuters) - Masters gnomes, one of the most wildly popular and highly sought-after collectibles in sports, may be going out on top and the faithful are lining up before dawn at Augusta National Golf Club to make sure they're there for the last dance.
For a decade, the beloved ceramic figures have been the hottest ticket inside Augusta National's merchandise shop - usually selling out within an hour, limited to one per patron, and commanding eye-watering prices
on the resale market.
Now, whispers around the club suggest 2026 could be their final year, and that rumour alone has elevated the gnome from coveted souvenir to something closer to a holy relic.
Those lucky enough to clutch one as they stroll Augusta National's immaculate grounds, where the year's first major starts on Thursday, wear their prize like a badge of honour, the envy of everyone who slept in.
'DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE GNOME'
This year's edition - a white-bearded patron in a blue Masters vest, coffee cup in one hand and a functioning mini umbrella in the other - is priced at $49.50.
On the resale market, it's a different story entirely. The gnomes, which have been a Masters staple since 2016, are already fetching nearly $1,000 for the 2026 edition on secondary markets, and a batch from 2016-2025 is listed on eBay for $39,999.
Lisa Endredi of Augusta, Georgia, arrived at the club at 4 a.m. ET (0800 GMT) on Monday and stood in line for three hours before she and her husband each secured one.
"I got one for my best friend and she's got tickets for (the opening round) Thursday so I am going to trade her a gnome for a ticket," said Endredi, who added that the other gnome will live on her mantel at home. "Don't underestimate the power of the gnome."
AUGUSTA KEEPS GNOME DETAILS SECRET
Like so much at Augusta National - from membership details to the staggering sums spent inside the massive merchandise shop - the gnome's future is shrouded in the club's characteristic secrecy. Augusta National did not immediately reply when asked to confirm whether this is indeed the gnomes' last stand.
Ava Powell of nearby Aiken, South Carolina, wasn't taking any chances. She finally landed a full-size gnome on her fourth trip to the Masters.
"I would die if I didn't get this gnome this year," said Powell. "This will be in my home and it will be brought out during Masters week just like a Christmas decoration would be brought out."
When the Masters unveiled the latest version of the gnome on social media it included a video of the bearded totem holding a green and white umbrella which features the tournament's emblem. In the next shot, the gnome is holding the umbrella -- now open -- over its head for protection as a nearby groundskeeper is watering yellow flowers.
CONSOLATION PRIZE FOR LATE RISERS
For Masters first-timer Chris Flanagan of Detroit, Michigan, the gnome education came the hard way. He missed out on the full-size version and had to settle for the miniature - which features a consistent caddie look rather than the themed costume changes of the larger editions.
"I'd heard it was a holy grail item so of course you want to have something that's special like that," said Flanagan. "We didn't know how early you had to get here to get one so we found out now that you have to get here by at least 5:30 a.m. to wait."
Consider that your warning.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in TorontoEditing by Christian Radnedge)
