Expensive Table Tennis Is Probably Not Worth The Sum Of Its Parts

When artist Tom Burr set his sights on turning a ping pong table into a contemporary work of art, he didn’t rely on the finest black marble, the rarest of dark woods or even an exotic black metal alloy.

Instead, the table is sculpted from matte black rubber, the same everyday material that protects the soles of your feet, and provides a smooth ride on a bumpy road. As Burr explains, the choice of rubber gives the table a “low-key glamour”. But at the same time it’s also functional, giving ping pong balls a little more spring, and the owner of the table a little more “bounce for your buck.” And with a price tag of $US45,000, available as a limited edition item in Neiman Marcus’ Christmas catalogue, this table better put those ping pong balls into a lower Earth orbit. [Neiman Marcus via Born Rich]