Cheap & Beautiful Globe Artichokes at Berkeley Bowl

While the "regular" large artichokes were going for almost $3 each, there was a separate bin of healthy looking "special" large (even larger than the "regular" kind) globe artichokes, only 89 cents each.

Now, can someone explain why the prices of artichokes can vary so much?

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Berkeley Bowl
2020 Oregon St, Berkeley, CA 94703