I had initiated a discussion topic on the Movie Prop Forum related to my previous article (see “Work in Progress: The Ultimate Original Prop COA, Part I“), which can be found here: [Read more…]
Authenticity & Burden of Proof, Part II: Inauthentic Props
This is a follow-up to an article I wrote back in May, “Authenticity & Burden of Proof“.
In the prior article, I made the argument that a discerning collector should approach a potential prop or costume or other artifact acquisition as an unknown, or inconclusive in terms of it’s being “Original” (see What is “Original”?). Authenticity must then be proven. This is a different perspective from those that believe what they are told about a piece, without question. [Read more…]
eBay’s “Entertainment Memorabilia Buying Guide” & Original Prop Authentication
One interesting section of content on the eBay website is what they call the “Entertainment Memorabilia Buying Guide“.
Of the sections, of particular interest to original prop hobbyists is titled “Research Entertainment Memorabilia“: [Read more…]
Auction House Buying Considerations, Part III: Bonhams
This is the third in a series of articles looking at auction house policies, terms, and conditions of sale. [Read more…]
Auction House Buying Considerations, Part II: Chandelier Bid (“Sham Bidding”) Legislation
Rick Spector of Stairway to the Stars forwarded a link to an interesting article, given the discussion initiated in Part I of this series.
This is an interesting development in how it relates to certain auction house policies (see Odyssey Auctions Terms and Conditions in prior article). [Read more…]
Auction House Buying Considerations, Part I: Overview
I have had very limited experiences in buying direct from auction houses, but there are terms and conditions of sale, unique to each company/event, that can differ from other buying experiences. I would highly recommend that any collector, before participating in such an auction, carefully review the terms and conditions of the sale, typically outlined in the catalog. Even with the same company, these are prone to change catalog to catalog, sale to sale. [Read more…]
Trends: Original Prop Pricing & Values, Selling Options
One interesting element of the Original Prop Hobby is that of “value”.
What determines the value of a prop?
How are prices determined?
What is the best place to sell original props?
For the purpose of this article, I will not go into issues of authenticity and provenance in any depth. [Read more…]
Instruments of Authenticity & The Chain of Provenance
As discussed in the prior article, Authenticity & Burden of Proof, I’ve found the notion that a piece is authentic, unless proven otherwise, to be faulty (as a buyer and collector, anyway). [Read more…]