Article Summary: Questions about an unusual auction featuring what is purported to be an original Superman cape mold, offered for $20,000, with requests to Jason Joiner from Elstree Props in the marketing remarks of the eBay auction.
Elstree Props, Jason Joiner, and the $20,000 Superman Mold on eBay
I came across an unusual auction, and thought I’d ask to see if anyone knew what this was about.
The auction is for what is described by Elstree Props as an original mold for a Superman miniature cape – see e11e eBay Featured Auction (Item # 260114971972), “ORIGINAL MINIATURE SUPERMAN CAPE MOLD 1978 FILM PROP, Seen in the “Making of” section on the DVD!“.
[static save page Superman Cape Mold]
Aside from the high starting bid (nearly $20,000) for what seems to be an obscure production piece, I was particularly interested in the content in the marketing description not related to describing the piece at all:
From the Elstree Props auction:
Jason Joiner came to view some of the pieces when Nick passed away about 7 years ago. We had the full mould for the upright model Superman which is seen standing on the SFX guys desk in the making of DVD. Jason took the mold to see if it would still be useable, and we can’t get it back. So Jason, get in touch and let us have it back. We are sick of asking. If you do, I will let fellow eBayers know that you are a decent honest trustworthy fellow.
We later found this in the same crate, and it matches exactly to the one seen on the model. ANYONE WHO BIDS ON THIS WILL HAVE TO PROVE THEY ARE NOT JASON, or are buying it on his behalf! T
What exactly does Elstree Props mean when they say Jason Joiner “took the mold” seven years ago and that they “can’t get it back”?
Why would Elstree Props and/or Jason Joiner care if a mold were still usable? Usable for what purpose?
If Elstree Props is “sick of asking” Jason Joiner for the mold back, does that mean that they have Jason Joiner’s contact information and have now elected to “ask” publicly via a high profile “Featured Item” eBay auction? Why?
What does “I will let fellow eBayers know that you are a decent honest trustworthy fellow” imply in the event he does not return it?
Why would Elstree Props write “ANYONE WHO BIDS ON THIS WILL HAVE TO PROVE THEY ARE NOT JASON, or are buying it on his behalf!”?
This seems to be a very unusual auction, and I’d be interested in learning the answers to some of the questions raised.
Jason De Bord