The Survivor auction returned this week for only the third time in the new era, but like its previous appearances on Survivor 45 and Survivor 47, it still fell short of the legendary chaos that once made the format such a standout. The MrBeast Super Beware Advantage did bring a fresh wrinkle that left fans eager to see what comes next, but many were also hoping for a little more of the classic Survivor auction energy viewers remember.
Then again, after so many years without a true old-school auction, maybe those early rounds seemed wilder in memory than they actually were. So, I went back through the bids from all 18 previous auctions to compare the best and worst items and see whether Survivor 50 really held up against the show’s history.
Survivor: The Australian Outback (Season 2)
The very first Survivor auction caught the season 2 castaways off guard when they expected a reward challenge but instead found Jeff Probst waiting with envelopes containing 500 Australian dollars each to spend on food items. At this point, advantages were not yet part of the game, so the entire menu was made up of consumables.
Best Item: A full turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, green beans, bread, and cranberry sauce purchased by Elizabeth Filarski for $340 (shared with Tina Wesson)
Worst Item: A covered item later revealed to be a glass of river water purchased by Amber Brkich for $200.
Survivor: Africa (season 3)
The second auction was a much better experience for the players. Even though the items were still all food-based, everything on offer was appealing, and there was nothing that felt like a bad buy. The Final 7 received 20,000 Shillings to spend.
Best Item: A covered item later revealed to be fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, and vegetables purchased by Kim Johnson for 11,000 Shillings (shared with Lex van den Berghe for 10,500 Shillings).
Worst Item: A mug of chocolate syrup purchased by Ethan Zohn for 5,000 Shillings.
Survivor: Thailand (season 5)
The only auction in the show’s history to happen before the merge, the Sook Jai and Chuay Gahn tribes each received $1,000 through Tree Mail before meeting Jeff at the auction site. Instead of individual bidding, the tribes had to compete as a group to secure food for everyone.
Best Item: Spaghetti & meatballs with garlic bread purchased by Chuay Gahn for $400.
Worst Item: A covered item later revealed to be baked grubs purchased by Sook Jai for $80.
Survivor: The Amazon (season 6)
This was the first auction to feature comfort items alongside the usual food options. The Final 7 each got $500 and still had the chance to pool money or share food items.
Best Item: Letters from home purchased by Christy Smith for $340 before being offered again and bought by Jenna Morasca for $120.
Worth Item: A covered item later revealed to be manioc purchased by Alex Bell for $240, though Jeff gave him the option to switch to another covered item later revealed as a large serving of lasagna.
Survivor: Palau (season 10)
Season 10 introduced more blind items than revealed ones, with Jeff offering several trades that ranged from helpful to deeply questionable.
Best Item: Letters from home purchased by Tom Westman for $220 and then offered to any castaway willing to match his bid, eventually going to Caryn Groedel, Gregg Carey, Katie Gallagher, and Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick.
Worst Item: One cold beer purchased by Ian Rosenberger for $40.
Survivor: Guatemala (season 11)
This was the first auction where we saw an item so desirable that players pooled money to win it — even though they had always been allowed to do so. Still, there were no truly bad items this season, just some that clearly stood above the rest.
Best Item: Overnight stay with loved ones purchased by Judd Sergeant for $880 (pooled with Cindy Hall’s money to ensure she’d be one of his two guests).
Worst Item: A small plate of beef jerky purchased by Danni Boatwright for $20, though Jeff offered to trade it for a covered item later revealed to be uncooked corn.
Survivor: Cook Islands (season 13)
In Ozzy Lusth’s first season, everyone remembers his $420 bid for endless soft-serve that he could enjoy until the auction ended. This was also the first season to feature hygienic items, with Parvati Shallow buying a bubble bath for $360 and Jonathan Penner purchasing a toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouthwash for $100.
Best Item: The power to send someone to Exile Island immediately, taking their money before they leave, purchased by Becky Lee for $640 (with $140 coming from Yul Kwon) who sent Candice Woodcock.
Worst Item: A covered item later revealed to be a sea cucumber purchased by Sundra Oakley for $140.
Survivor: Micronesia (season 16)
Another unforgettable auction came when Natalie Bolton bought a covered item for $380 and discovered a huge chocolate cake she could share with three others. She chose Alexis Jones, Parvati Shallow, and Cirie Fields. Afterward, Erik Reichenbach offered each woman $40 to lick the remaining cake off their fingers — and Cirie was the only one who accepted.
Best Item: A covered item later revealed to be the power to send someone to Exile Island immediately, taking their money before they leave, purchased by Natalie for $240. She chose to send Jason Siska.
Worst Item: A covered item later revealed to be fruit bat soup purchased by Natalie for $240. She refused to eat it, so James Clement got it for free — the only player willing to eat it.
Survivor: Gabon (season 17)
This season introduced an item meant specifically for the whole tribe, plus a true in-game advantage that went beyond the auction itself. Fans still remember the moment Randy Bailey spent $20 on chocolate chip cookies for the tribe, only for Sugar Kiper to refuse one because she couldn’t stand him. She eventually took the cookie, then immediately handed it to Matty Whitmore.
Best Item: An advantage in the upcoming immunity challenge purchased by Corinne Kaplan for $500.
Worst Item: Three beers and some peanuts purchased by Randy for $180.
Survivor: Tocantins (season 18)
The Final 6 got a quick taste of home this season with a few food items and a comfort item that players were surprisingly willing to share. The auction also returned to featuring several covered items and at least one less-than-appealing food option, though nothing quite as brutal as some earlier seasons.
Best Item: A video message from home purchased by Taj Johnson-George for $20, though everyone pooled their money for it and gave it to Taj.
Worst Item: A covered item later revealed to be a skewer of chicken hearts purchased by Stephen Fishbach for $100.
Survivor: Samoa (season 19)
The stakes rose slightly in Samoa — a season famous for its hidden immunity idol storyline — when a clue to the idol appeared in the auction for the first time. On top of that, none of the expensive items were covered.
Best Item: An advantage in the upcoming immunity challenge purchased by Jaison Robinson for $500.
Worst Item: A covered item later revealed to be sea noodles with slug guts — and a side of parmesan cheese — purchased by Shambo Waters for $240.
Survivor: One World (season 24)
This season, players were not allowed to pool money or share items, but they still each started with $500 for bidding. That meant no item could be worth more than $500, and there were no truly “bad” items up for grabs. The lone covered item for the whole tribe was an entire cake they had 60 seconds to eat as much of as possible.
Best Item: An advantage in the upcoming immunity challenge purchased by Troyzan Robertson for $420.
Worst Item: Three donuts and an iced coffee purchased by Chelsea Meissner for $160.
Survivor: Philippines (season 25)
Possibly one of the most nutrient-dense auctions ever, most of the items actually offered protein or real game value instead of the usual craving-focused treats. Even the tribe item was veal shanks rather than cake or cookies, though the players still only had 60 seconds to eat as much as possible.
Best Item: An advantage in the upcoming immunity challenge purchased by Abi-Maria Gomes for $500.
Worst Item: Donuts and iced coffee purchased by Malcom Freberg for $200.
Survivor: Caramoan (season 26)
With some of the most enthusiastic bidding the show had ever seen, this was the first season to have multiple items sold for $500. Sherri tried to buy a full pizza that Reynolds refused to trade his single covered slice for, and Dawn later spent all her money on a roasted chicken. That same year, Jeff also offered letters from home to anyone willing to bid $20.
Best Item: A covered item Jeff pitched as “information in this game” that turned out to be a clue to a buried hidden immunity idol — one that could only be found with the clue — purchased by Malcom Freberg for $480.
Worst Item: A covered item later revealed to be pig brain purchased by Brenda for $300.
Survivor: Cagayan (season 28)
Because players knew clues to hidden immunity idols often appeared in the auction, they became much more cautious with their money, hoping to snag something more valuable than food. It was also the first season in which two castaways placed maximum bids at the same time, forcing a rock draw to decide the winner.
Best Item: An advantage in the game — later revealed to be a clue to a hidden immunity idol — purchased by Tony Vlachos for $500 after winning the rock draw against Spencer Bledsoe.
Worst Item: A covered item later revealed to be rice and water purchased by Trish Hegarty for $60.
Survivor: Worlds Apart (season 30)
The final pre-new-era auction was also the first to include both a highly direct advantage and a seemingly terrible self-disadvantage. It ultimately helped lead to the auction being shelved, as castaways stopped bidding until an advantage appeared, triggering yet another rock draw after three players went to the maximum bid at once. Jeff clearly disliked that strategy and felt it made the segment less enjoyable to watch.
Best Item: An advantage in the game later revealed to be an extra vote purchased by Dan Foley for $500 after winning the rock draw against Carolyn Rivera and Mike Holloway.
Worst Item: A covered item later revealed to be banishment from the auction purchased by Will Sims II for $100. Though he was the only player to miss out on a letter from home because of it, he did receive a box of hidden rations back at camp that nobody else knew about.
Survivor 45
For Survivor 45, the format changed again to fit the new era. Instead of receiving money directly, players got Tree Mail and searched for 40 bamboo tubes containing different amounts of cash. Dee Valladares ended up with $900 to spend, while Bruce Perreault had only $80. Then Jeff revealed that whoever had the most money left after the final item — which they would not know was the final item — would lose their vote at the next Tribal Council.
Best Item: Toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouthwash purchased by Julie Alley for $420.
Worst Item: A covered item later revealed to be fish eyes purchased by Katurah Topps for $480, with the option to trade for another covered item she declined. She refused the fish eyes, and Jeff put them back up for auction, where Austin Li Coon bought them for $100.
Survivor 47
Using the same money format as the previous auction season, castaways raced through the jungle to earn their money, with Sierra Wright securing $1,060 and Andy Rueda ending up with nothing. This was also the first season to include cash back, where some covered items contained extra money, raising the pressure on the player who finished with the most cash and would lose their vote.
Best Item: A covered item later revealed to be burger, fries, and beer purchased by Rachel LaMont for $500. The item also included a secret clue to a hidden immunity idol hidden in the fries.
Worst Item: A covered item later revealed to be fish eyes and $60 purchased by Caroline Vidmar for $280.
Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans
And finally, we arrive at the latest season, which delivered the biggest twist in Survivor auction history: the MrBeast Super Beware Advantage, arriving alongside the letters from home that were purchased.
Best Item: Letters from home purchased by all castaways for $20 each, paired with the chaos of the unknown MrBeast Super Beware Advantage later revealed to be a coin flip for immediate safety, an immunity idol, and an increased prize of $2 million. If the selected player lost the coin flip, they would be sent home without a single vote being cast.
Worst Item: A two-part covered item purchased by Jonathan Young for $320 and shared with Ozzy, later revealed to be fried chicken and mashed potatoes for Ozzy if Jonathan could eat a sea slug in under two minutes.
Looking back, some seasons truly turned the auction into a reward challenge where losing players had nothing at stake. Others were far more chaotic than Survivor 50 turned out to be. So, setting the MrBeast twist aside — since it technically played out at Tribal Council — this season’s auction lands firmly in the middle of the pack compared with the franchise’s most memorable moments.
That said, the twist itself was undeniably fun, and the way it played out made for a great payoff. I’m especially eager to see Rick Devens stir things up now that he has a potentially full-strength idol in his pocket. With the Final 9 getting more complicated by the minute, the next episode could be even messier — and that’s exactly why fans should keep watching.
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