Robert Louis Stevenson offered an interesting paradox in which you are
offered to buy, for whatever price you wish, a bottle containing a
genie
who will fulfill your every
desire. However, there is a catch... The
bottle must be resold for a price smaller than what you paid for it, or
you will have bad things done to you for
eternity.
Obviously, it would be a bad idea to buy it for 1¢, because you
would have to give the bottle away, but no one would accept the bottle
knowing that he would be unable to get rid of it. Likewise, it would
be a bad idea to buy it for 2¢, and so on. However, at some
reasonably large amount, it will always be possible to find the next
buyer, thus the bottle will be bought.
Please note its similarity to The unexpected hanging paradox.