Tulip mania erupted in the 1630s when Dutch traders exchanged land and life savings for a single bulb. The Dutch Republic’s booming maritime trade fueled a craze for exotic, striped varieties, turning tulips into high‑risk investments.

Speculators traded futures in taverns, and a bulb of the Semper Augustus variety once rivaled an Amsterdam canal house in value. By February 1637, an auction in Haarlem collapsed, wiping out fortunes and snapping the bubble.

Despite the crash, tulip cultivation survived, and the Netherlands remains the world’s largest exporter of bulbs. The story now serves as a cautionary tale whenever markets overheat, echoing modern frenzies over collectibles and NFTs.

Tulip mania illustrates how status symbols can morph into speculative assets, a lesson that continues to influence Dutch financial culture and global perceptions of market bubbles.