Astronauts, Ecologists, and Bands Are Splashing Out up to $100,000 on Luxury Custom-Made Globes

Bellerby & Co. Globemakers, a luxury London globemaker, has a diverse customer base that includes astronauts, ecologists, and artists. The company makes more than 500 bespoke globes a year, taking up to half a year to craft each one, with the most expensive model costing around $86,300 for a rotational version or about $98,800 for a more traditional version with a table and globe meridian. The globes are considered pieces of art and are often commissioned to mark special occasions, with customers requesting personalized illustrations and themes, including a globe made as an urn for a ska drummer, a globe tracing Earth during the Ice Age for an ecologist, and a globe depicting places important to a German billionaire for his 83rd birthday.