The purpose of this article is to analyze two pieces offered at auction on eBay, authenticated by “Global Antiques” and marketed by “Auction Depot LA” (auctiondepotla1) and “Auction Shop USA” (auctionshopusa) that are attributed to The Lord of the Rings film trilogy as authentic movie props.
Items that appear to match these items for sale have been found at the retail store chain “Big Lots!” in recent days.
This was brought to my attention by the winner of one of the two auctions, who came across one of several of my articles looking into the provenance and authenticity of these Global Antiques pieces sold on eBay (see subcategory “Global Antiques“).
The following is an archived auction listing and live link for the item offered for sale to the public on eBay by Auction Depot LA, with a Certificate of Authenticity from the same source/authenticator, also described as “curator” in the listings, “City of Los Angeles Global Antiques”.
This listing ended April 29th, realizing a sales price of $61.10. The winner of this auction contacted me after finding what she describes to be the same item at the retail store, “Big Lots!”. I went to one of these stores today and was able to secure the same piece for $10.00 in order to take comparison photographs.
Auction Depot LA & Global Antiques – Lord of the Rings eBay Auction
“THE LORD OF THE RINGS FILM PROP ORIGINAL BIRD HOUSE” (eBay Item #320243542943)
High Resolution Full Auction Archive: eBay Listing – auctiondepotla1 “THE LORD OF THE RINGS FILM PROP ORIGINAL BIRD HOUSE” – Completed Auction Version
This is the marketing description for the item:
You are looking at a LORD OF THE RINGS FILM PROP ORIGINAL BIRD HOUSE + COA.
Now is your chance to own a piece of Hollywood history!!
Product Details:
- The Lord of the Rings
- 2004 (We do not know the exact film it was featured in)
- Straw Material
- Bird House
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do you know what scene this item was featured in?
A: Since this item was pulled from a large vault of props, exact scene details are not available. It may be recognized in a scene or it could be used in production off camera.
Q: How do I know this prop is authentic?
A: Global Antiques is the curator of all of the props available for auction through Auction Depot LA. They acquire these props from collectors and studio personnel. The item is authenticated by Global Antiques after its provenance has been validated and certified. Every prop we sell is accompanied by a Silver or Gold Certificate of Authenticity. No other documents are included with the auction.
Q: How can I contact Global Antiques or the original owner?
A: We act as an agent for Global Antiques and would be happy to answer any other questions you have. We cannot disclose contact info for our private sellers but you are welcome to call us toll free at (877) 337-6852INCLUDED IN THIS AUCTION
- THE LORD OF THE RINGS FILM PROP ORIGINAL BIRD HOUSE
- Certificate of Authenticity Global Antiques, Los Angeles)
CONDITION
Appearance: Used during the production of the motion picture: The Lord of the Rings. Signs of use.
DIMENSIONS
Width: 7.5″
Height: 12.75″
These are the details of the “Certificate of Authenticity (City of Los Angeles, Global Antiques)”, from the eBay listing:
The person who contacted me as the buyer of this piece sent me a photo of the full Global Antiques Certificate of Authenticity:
Full Resolution: Global Antiques The Lord of the Rings Certificate of Authenticity
The Certificate of Authenticity reads, in full:
City of Los Angeles
Global Antiques
Silver Certificate
of AuthenticityCongratulations! You are the proud owner of some Hollywood memorabilia! A piece of demolished movie set. A part of Hollywood history. This film set relic is a movie souvenir and is not intended for investment or resale purposes, but a keepsake and rare find for any movie prop collector! It is intended for entertainment purposes only. No additional information can, or will be, given regarding this collectors item. Strict privacy agreements prohibit.
Sincerely yours,
S. Jones, Chief Curator
Global AntiquesDate Received
Job # The Lord of the Rings
Am Approval Film Prop / Original
AM Approval Date 2004
MW Approval
WSD Inv.# 7-2495
The COA cites the Academy Award winning film trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings”, “Film Prop – Original”, and “2004”.
As noted in a prior article (see “The Lord of the Rings, Global Antiques, and Auction Depot LA“):
Per Wikipedia (LINK):
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy consists of three live-action fantasy epic films: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) (often abbreviated to LotR, FotR, TTT, and RotK).
It is a matter of record that the films from the Lord of the Rings trilogy were originally released in 2001, 2002, and 2003.
From Weta Workshop:
Weta Workshop is situated in Wellington, New Zealand and is a comprehensive film and television effects facility that houses a large and varied skill base of creative technicians. Best known for their work on ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, Weta Workshop is a five time Academy Award winning company that offers services to all aspects of the creative industry including design, special make-up effects and prosthetics, creatures, armour, weapons, miniatures, prop building, large scale sculpture, display work and costuming.
The item offered for sale on eBay is merely described as a “Bird House”.
Auction Depot LA’s, Global Antiques, & Big Lots! – Lord of the Rings “Bird House Film Prop Original”
The following compares the photos and description of the Auction Depot LA piece sold on eBay for $61.10 with the Big Lots! piece I personally just purchased new at retail today for $10.00.
This is a photo I took in the store of several of these pieces for sale on the shelves, among other items:
High Resolution Archive: Big Lots! Store Shelves
Description of the Global Antiques piece, per the Auction Depot LA eBay listing:
Auction Depot LA / Global Antiques
“The Lord of the Rings”
“Film Prop Original Bird House”
“2004”
“[T]his item was pulled from a large vault of props”
Description of the comparison piece:
Big Lots! Retail Store
“Grass Birdhouse” – $10.00
SKU #364011583, Item #P950133
Purchased New at Retail: May 2008
“Made In China”
Here is a single graphic file with side-by-side comparison photos (Click for Full Resolution, All Photos):
Here are individual photo comparisons for each shot, clickable for full resolution:
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The eBay member who bought the piece from Auction Depot LA contacted me later tonight with her own report of a visit to Big Lots!, having found another piece for sale in the store that matches another “Lord of the Rings” prop offered for sale on eBay, authenticated by Global Antiques. This second example is not offered for sale by Auction Depot LA but another Culver City-based eBay seller, Auction Shop USA.
Auction Shop USA, Global Antiques, & Big Lots! – Lord of the Rings “Movie Film Prop”
Auction Shop USA is currently offering a piece for sale on eBay, described as “an original movie prop from Lord of the Rings”, pictured with a Certificate of Authenticity from Global Antiques that appears to match the COA sold with the Lord of the Rings birdhouse sold by Auction Depot LA discussed above.
“Original LORD OF THE RINGS Movie Film Prop LOTR NR!!” (eBay Item #350063644105)
High Resolution Full Auction Archive: eBay Listing – auctionshopusa “Original LORD OF THE RINGS Movie Film Prop LOTR NR!!”
This is the marketing description for the item:
Up for auction today we have an original Movie prop from LORD OF THE RINGS! This item is previously owned in good condition! This item was used on the set of Lord of the Rings. This would make a great addition to a current Hollywood movie memorabilia collection or a great way to start a new one! Please see pictures!
Included in This Auction:
- Lord of the Rings Prop
- Certificate of Authenticity
Details:
- Lord of the Rings
- Prop
- Approx. 22 Inches Tall / 22 Inches Wide
Don’t miss your chance to get this Lord of the Rings Movie prop at a bargain price! Remember to bid with confidence! Super fast shipping! This auction has NO RESERVE and a LOW starting bid! GOOD LUCK!
*we are a 3rd party seller. We DO NOT know what scene(s) these items were used in.
The Global Antiques Certificate of Authenticity for the Auction Depot LA Lord of the Rings “Bird House” seems to match the Global Antiques Certificate of Authenticity for the Auction Shop USA Lord of the Rings “Film Prop”, including the “WSD Inv.#” (7-2495):
High Resolution Archive: Auction Depot LA COA Compared to Auction Shop USA COA
This is a photo taken today by the buyer of the Lord of the Rings “Bird House” at her local Big Lots! store. This photo shows the store shelves featuring both one of the birdhouses (as I purchased myself today and showcased in photos above) as well as a wall medallion that seems to match that “original Lord of the Rings Movie Film Prop” featured in the current Auction Shop USA auction, both with Global Antiques COAs (the other collector reports that it too is priced at $10.00):
High Resolution Archive: “In Store” Big Lots! Photos 01
This is a photo of the “film prop” offered by Auction Shop USA:
This is another photo from Big Lots!:
High Resolution Archive: “In Store” Big Lots! Photo 2
Another photo of the “film prop” offered by Auction Shop USA (inset magnified):
This is another photo from Big Lots!:
High Resolution Archive: “In Store” Big Lots! Photo 3
Click for Full Resolution Version
Auction Shop USA includes the following as part of their posted “Returns” policy:
Regarding auctions of our items that are guaranteed authentic:
Buyer has 3 days from day the item was delivered to inspect/authenticate item from an authorized dealer of that product if they wish. If an item is to be returned, buyer is responsible for return shipment cost and must include a notarized letter from the authorized dealer stating that the item is not indeed authentic. We take pictures not included in the auction to verify that the item coming back is the same one that was sent out. If the item returned does not match our pictures, serials numbers, etc., eBay and the authorities will be notified. This is just a precautionary measure to protect us, our customers and the eBay community from fraudulent buyers.All items are sold AS IS. Returns are accepted ONLY at our discretion. We are very fair and will work with you to to reach a suitable solution. Buyer must contact us at [email protected] or through eBay to initiate a return within 3 days of receiving the item. Buyer is responsible for ALL return shipping charges.
*Please contact us first before leaving feedback if you are not satisfied with your item. Items must be dramatically different then described for returns. If we receive negative feedback with out any attempt to contact us for a resolution, YOU will automatically receive negative feedback.
Auction Shop USA includes the following as part of their posted “Legal” notice:
AUCTION SHOP USA IS NOT THE OWNER OR SELLER OF THESE GOODS, BUT MERELY A BAILEE ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE SELLER TO FACILITATE THE SALE OF THE GOODS BY HOLDING THE GOODS UNTIL SUCH TIME AS A SALE IS COMPLETED AND THE GOODS ARE SHIPPED TO THE BUYER.
Auction Shop USA has used its best efforts to inspect the item(s) for sale and create descriptions and furnish photographs that fairly and adequately depict the type, condition and image of the goods at the time of sale. Auction Shop USA makes no express or implied warranties or representations regarding the condition or suitability of the goods and to the extent allowed by law, specifically disclaims any express or implied warranties, including but not limited to any warranty of merchantability or fitness for purpose.
Jason De Bord
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