Movie Prop Collecting with Jason DeBord's Original Prop Blog Film & TV Prop, Costume, Hollywood Memorablia Pop Culture Resource

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YouTube Close-Up Look – “Empire Strikes Back” Darth Vader Costume Auction with Bonhams Update: Withdrawn

This is part of my ongoing series of YouTube videos, with a follow up to my recent look at the Bonhams “TCM Presents … Wonders of the Galaxy – Science Fiction and Fantasy in Film” auction that took place today, May 14th, in Los Angeles. This latest video editorial provides an update to Lot 162 described as “A complete Darth Vader costume from The Empire Strikes Back/Star Wars Episode V”.  Shortly before the auction was scheduled to begin, the status of the costume was changed to “WITHDRAWN”.  However, the Darth Vader gloves from Star Wars were not withdrawn, though failed to reach the unstated reserve, stalled at $28,000. [Read more…]

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YouTube Close-Up Look – “Empire Strikes Back” Darth Vader Costume Up For Auction with Bonhams (Screen-Used? Production Made? Touring Costume?)

This is part of my ongoing series of YouTube videos, with this one taking a close-up look at the upcoming Bonhams “TCM Presents … Wonders of the Galaxy – Science Fiction and Fantasy in Film” auction taking place on May 14th in Los Angeles.  This latest video editorial specifically takes a closer look at Lot 162 described as “A complete Darth Vader costume from The Empire Strikes Back/Star Wars Episode V”.  [Read more…]

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Gallerist Feature Tackles Auction House (Hidden) Reserves and Transparency – Heritage Auctions Leading in This Regard with Publicly Disclosed Reserves

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Daniel Grant, writing for Gallerist, published an interesting article a few days ago about auction houses, reserves, and transparency (see “How Low Can You Go?: Should Auction Reserve Prices Be More Transparent?”).  In his feature, he talks about how in nearly all cases, auction houses do not openly disclose the reserve (the lowest amount for which an item will sell at auction), and provides a variety of differing perspectives on how this practice impacts their respective markets and its participants.  Of the auction houses specifically discussed in the article, only one – Heritage Auction – makes it known to the public what the reserve price is for every item that they offer for sale. [Read more…]

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Profiles in History ‘Hollywood Auction 56′ Post Auction Reaction – Correction on Lot 563: Steve McQueen’s “Frank Bullitt” Sports Jacket (Passed/Unsold at $600,000?)

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A few have written me questioning my article published this week on the second highest results reported on in my review of the most recent auction events by Profiles in History, namely one of the most promoted items in their Hollywood Auction 56 sale event:  “Lot 563: Steve McQueen’s signature screen-used “Frank Bullitt” hero tweed sports jacket worn in Bullitt”.  This lot is still today reported by their online bidding partner, ArtFact, as having sold for a hammer price of $600,000, which was the low estimate.  However, on the official “Prices Realized Detail” published by Profiles in History on their website, Lot 563 is omitted (indicating a passed lot/no sale).  Like myself, much of the mainstream media picked up on the result of sold at a hammer price of $600,000 – not passed/unsold – thus I felt a short, stand alone update was warranted, rather than just a correction within my original article (which was also made today), which would go unnoticed to those who read the feature believing that this lot was the second highest hammer result over the two-day “Hollywood Auction 56” auction event. [Read more…]

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Profiles in History ‘Hollywood Auction 56’, ‘Dreier Collection, Part 2’ Post Auction Reaction – Update on “Jackpot Reserves/Estimates Finally Out of Control?” (8 Months Later)

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Profiles in History had a tremendously heavy auction schedule at the end of July, holding no less than four auctions across five consecutive days (Property from the Estate of Milton H. Greene on 7/27, Hollywood Auction 56 on 7/28-7/29, The Dreier Collection Part 2 on 7/30, and their Animation Auction 58 on 7/31), though they also held their Rare Books and Manuscripts Auction 55 earlier in July, and had their huge San Diego Comic Con display in-between sale events.  These were their first big sales of 2013 (apart from the awkwardly titled, adjective-heavy The Property of a Distinguished American Private Collector, Part 2).  The last of their traditional Hollywood Auction events was in December of last year and, as written at the time, it seemed to indicate a collision of escalating reserves/estimates and some push back from the marketplace on the same.  Taking a top down view of these latest sales, the same mixed bag would seem to now be a trend, rather than a one off occurrence. [Read more…]

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The Original Prop Blog Celebrates Its Five Year Anniversary

Today – April 5th, 2012 – marks the five year anniversary of launching this website, the Original Prop Blog.  In Spring 2007, I published the first article, “The Hobby Without A Name…”, though I didn’t have any idea I would still be writing articles five years later, and I wouldn’t have imagined writing approximately 1,559 of them (currently a 5 year average of 0.87 articles per day since launch, which is quite a lot considering I am the sole contributor). [Read more…]

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Editorial: December Entertainment Memorabilia Pop Culture Auction Review and “The Bubble”

Now that I am back in the States, I thought I would take the time to review the results of the overwhelming number entertainment memorabilia auctions that took place throughout the month of December.  Interestingly, while I personally met with a number of participants in our field while traveling in England and France this month, the one unsolicited and seemingly universal topic brought up by all was the question of “the Bubble”.  Is there a bubble?  If so, what are the contributing factors, and when and how will it burst?  And what would the consequences be on our art market?  Since the results of these high profile auctions speak to these notions and related speculation, I thought it would make sense to frame my results analysis in this discussion. [Read more…]

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Milestone: Original Prop Blog’s 1,000th Article

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This article marks a milestone for the Original Prop Blog – the 1,000th article.  When I started the site back in April 2007, I honestly did not ever imagine that I would produce this much content.  So the occasion provides an opportunity to reflect back, look forward, and thank those that have supported this endeavor. [Read more…]