SAPPORO, JAPAN - Yubari melons have done it again, this time fetching a price higher than a Mazda Miata.

A pair of particularly lovely Yubaris went for a record three million yen at auction, about $27,200 or $13,600 per melon.

It was around this time last year that a similar duo of the same variety set a Tokyo-based fruit wholesaler back half of what this buyer paid, winning the luxury fruit for 1.5 million yen (about $12,400).

The first fruit of the season is considered good luck in Japan, according to news source WPXI, with these two going to a supermarket in the western part of the country.

Often for selling at upwards of $100 per melon in department stores around Tokyo, the Yubari variety comes with a specific set of qualifications including:

• Perfectly spherical shape
• An evenly patterned rind
• A T-shaped stalk, still attached to the melon

They are normally presented for sale in ornate, luxurious boxes. These two are reported to be destined for display at the winning store before being sold again through an online auction.

It will be interesting to see what the resale value is on a perishable, albeit delicious, item.