1. The salesman has been trying to get rid of that car for more than a year. It costs too much to run and insure, so no one wants it—it’s a white elephant
2. The department store is having a white elephant sale. They’ve reduced the prices on all the merchandise that they haven’t been able to sell.

The item is usually not worthless, but for some reason other than cost, the item is difficult to sell. The origin of the expression is a traditional custom from Siam, present-day Thailand. If a rare albino (white) elephant was captured, it was the property of the emperor, and only he could ride or use the animal. Whenever the emperor wished to ruin someone who displeased him, he would give the man a white elephant. The man would then be forced to feed and care for the animal but could neither use nor destroy it.