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

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Building on the Original Prop Lexicon: “Anti-Provenance”

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I’ve found that there are many concepts in the original prop hobby for which words do not exist.  Having words to use with specific and unique meaning are powerful tools, and when there are none available that fit the need, putting together a new word with hopes it may be adopted can be productive.  In this case, a term is needed to describe an instance in which the source or an entity in the chain of ownership of a prop, costume, or other artifact has a distinctive and negative impact on the authentication of such a piece.  The word I plan to use to describe such a circumstance is “anti-provenance”. [Read more…]

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Dual Forbes Magazine Articles on Michael Shaw, Joseph Maddalena, The Wizard of Oz

There are two new features today on Forbes.com related to the original prop collecting hobby.  One, “Behind the Scenes with an Obsessive Collector”, outlines Joseph Maddalena’s origins of acquiring an interest in collecting movie memorabilia, and his own lifelong pursuit for the broomstick from The Wizard of Oz.  The other, “Inside the Search for Dorothy’s Slippers”, shares the story of the ruby slippers stolen from Michael Shaw in 2005. [Read more…]

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Upcoming Auction Event Calendar Snapshot

Here is the latest updated list of upcoming original prop auction events. Please contact me if you are aware of any coming events of interest to original prop collectors. [Read more…]

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Superman Costume Matrix: Auction House/Dealer Website Public Offerings, Version 1.0

This work product is part of the ongoing series of articles about costumes in the marketplace attributed to use by Christopher Reeve in the Superman films of the 70s and 80s (see “Questions About Superman Costumes in the Marketplace: Authenticity, Sources, Quantity“).

What I have attempted to do is catalog the costumes offered for sale to the public by auction houses and by prop dealers on their commercial websites.

I have tried to capture as much of the key details of these offerings as possible to populate a matrix in an effort to share information with collectors about what has been offered for sale and the attributes of those costumes and costume parts. This also offers an opportunity to compare and contrast some of the characteristics of these costumes. Some also appear to have been sold and resold (based on matching wardrobe tags, for instance), as noted in the document.

Obviously, I am at the mercy of the quality and accuracy of the information used to market these pieces by auction houses, dealers, and their consignors, as applicable. In some cases, the information provided is vague and imprecise, so I would ask anyone using this document to please keep all of this in mind and to perform your own due diligence and verify all information to your own standards. I have not verified any of the information presented or claimed via the marketing and advertising of these pieces beyond what was noted in the applicable auction catalog and/or website. [Read more…]

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Profiles in History 31 Held Yesterday, Today

Profiles in History 31 was held yesterday and today, with the majority props being auctioned today at Profiles in Calabasas Hills, over the Internet via eBay Live Auctions, and by phone.

Overall, it appears to have been a big success, going by the prices realized on the offerings. [Read more…]

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San Fernando Valley Business Journal: “Memorabilia Auctions Put A Price Tag on Nostalgia”

The latest issue of the San Fernando Valley Business Journal, available today, features an article about original movie memorabilia auctions. Focused primarily on Profiles in History’s Joe Maddelena and their “Hollywood Auction 31” event at the end of the month, it also remarks on the Guernsey’s “The Pugliese Pop Culture Collection” held over the weekend, the ongoing NBC Universal online auctions, and David Jackson’s Back Lot Props. [Read more…]

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Guernsey’s “Pugliese Pop Culture Auction” Held Yesterday, Today

Well, the much talked about event has now come and gone. So what happened?

Not having attended the event, or bid on any items, all I can really do is report on discussions from online forums and review the results of the auction.

One of the things I was most interested in, as noted in the article written Friday night, is how the hobby would absorb all these high value pieces with the next Profiles in History auction just two weeks away. [Read more…]

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Competing Original Prop Auction Events: The Ides of March?

So at least as long as I’ve been collecting original props, this month, March 2008, is unprecedented in the hobby. And it all begins tomorrow, March 15…

As everyone knows, there are two big auction house events this month: Guernsey’s “Pugliese Prop Culture Collection” (March 15-16) and, just two weeks later, Profiles in History’s “Hollywood Auction 31” (March 27-28). [Read more…]