• News and Events
  • Exhibitions, Events, Activities
  • Mainstream Media: Online, Newspapers
  • Auction Houses and Dealers
  • Market Watch
  • Editorials

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

  • Home
  • About
    • About Jason DeBord
    • About The Original Prop Blog
    • Lexicon
    • Content Guide
    • Terms of Service & Notices
  • Authentication
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Archive
  • Links

June 8, 2018 By Jason DeBord

Hollywood Reporter Feature: “A Marvel Heist and the Booming Business (and Seedy Underworld) of Movie Collectibles”

Writer Gary Baum has written an interesting primer on the art market for original production material from film and television for Hollywood Reporter, which was published today.  It takes a look at the market from several viewpoints – the increasing market and values, theft and fraud, some of the motivations behind collecting – and he interviewed principals in the industry such as Max Anderson of the Stan Lee Museum, Steve Sansweet of Rancho Obi-Wan, Darren Julien of Julien’s Auctions, James Comisar of the Comisar Collection, Joe Maddalena of Profiles in History, collector David Mandel, Jeff Pirtle of NBCUniversal, Brandon Alinger of Prop Store, Catherin Williamson of Bonhams, Laura Woolley of The Collector’s Lab, Jacob McMurray of Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture, Margaret Barrett of Heritage Auctions as well as law enforcement, and it also gives some history of the hobby (and business) of buying and selling high end memorabilia. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fraud in the News, Mainstream Media: Online, Newspapers, News and Events Tagged With: Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, academy of motion picture arts and sciences, art market, auction, auction house, authentication, bonhams, brandon alinger, Catherin Williamson, collectibles, collecting, Comisar Collection, darren julien, david mandel, debbie reynolds, entertainment, fake, Film, Fraud, heritage auctions, Hollywood, hollywood memorabilia, investing, investment, iron man, Jacob McMurray, james comisar, Jeff Pirtle, joe maddalena, Julien's Auctions, Laura Woolley, law enforcement, lucas museum of narrative art, Margaret Barrett, Max Anderson, memorabilia, movie prop, movies, NBCUniversal, planet hollywood, profiles in history, prop store, Rancho Obi-Wan, Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture, Stan Lee Museum, steve sansweet, studio, Television, The Collector's Lab, theft, tv

January 1, 2017 By Jason DeBord

The 10th Annual Original Prop Blog “Year in Review” for 2016: News, Developments, and Trends in Collecting Original TV & Movie Props, Costumes and Pop Culture Memorabilia

As per tradition, (see 2007 Year in Review, 2008 Year in Review, 2009 Year in Review, 2010 Year in Review, 2011 Year in Review, 2012 Year in Review, 2013 Year in Review, 2014 Year in Review, 2015 Year in Review), what follows is an editorial featuring my personal observations and opinions with regards to the business of buying, collecting, selling, and preserving original pop culture artifacts. A look back at interesting trends, developments, and news stories from 2016. As is always the case, this is a completely subjective exercise, and merely touches on the developments and events that relate to the hobby. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Autograph Anti-Fraud Legislation (California Assembly Bill AB 1570 & AB 228), Editorials, Featured Articles, News and Events, The Year in Review Tagged With: 2016, 2016 year in review, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, academy of motion picture arts and sciences, ampas, antiquities, artifact, artifacts, auction, auctioneer, authentication, bubble, collector, complaint, Costume, court, debbie reynolds, defraud, ebay, editorial, fbi, Film, finance, Fraud, funding, history, hollywood history museum, hollywood treasure, investment, Julien's Auctions, kickstarter, LACMA, law enforcement, lawsuit, legislation, Los Angeles, Lucasfilm, mainstream media, media, memorabilia, Movie, Museum, museum of television, Music, opinion, original prop blog, pop culture, poster, prison, prison sentences, profiles in history, Prop, prop store, reserve, Ruby Slippers, screenused, shill, shill bidding, Smithsonian, star wars, starting bid, studios, Television, The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, tv, Wardrobe

January 4, 2016 By Jason DeBord

The 9th Annual Original Prop Blog “Year in Review” for 2015: News, Developments, and Trends in Collecting Original TV & Movie Props, Costumes and Pop Culture Memorabilia

Original-Prop-Blog-2015-Year-In-Review-Editorial-Opinion-Jason-DeBord

As per tradition, (see 2007 Year in Review, 2008 Year in Review, 2009 Year in Review, 2010 Year in Review, 2011 Year in Review, 2012 Year in Review, 2013 Year in Review, 2014 Year in Review), what follows is an editorial featuring my personal observations and opinions with regards to the business of buying, collecting, selling, and preserving original pop culture artifacts.  A look back at interesting trends, developments, and news stories from 2015.  As is always the case, this is a completely subjective exercise, and merely touches on the developments and events that relate to the hobby. [Read more…]

Filed Under: "Planet of the Apes" Statue of Liberty Prop, "Prototype" Stormtrooper Helmets (AA, Andrew Ainsworth), Editorials, Featured Articles, L.A. Prop & Wardrobe (John Tarter, Billie Null), Legal Disputes, Court Rulings, Judgments, News and Events, The Year in Review Tagged With: 2015, 2015 year in review, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, academy of motion picture arts and sciences, ampas, artifact, artifacts, auction, auctioneer, authentication, bubble, christies, collector, complaint, Costume, court, debbie reynolds, defraud, disney, ebay, editorial, fbi, Film, finance, Fraud, funding, heritage auction galleries, heritage auctions, history, hollywood history museum, hollywood treasure, investment, john tarter, Julien's Auctions, L.A. Prop, l.a. prop & wardrove, l.a. prop and wardrobe, LACMA, law enforcement, lawsuit, legislation, Los Angeles, Lucasfilm, mainstream media, media, memorabilia, Movie, Museum, museum of television, Music, opinion, original prop blog, pop culture, poster, profiles in history, Prop, prop store, prototype, reserve, rock and roll, shill, shill bidding, star wars, starting bid, stormtrooper, stormtrooper prototype helmet, studios, sylvester stallone, Television, The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the bubble, the force awakens, tv, Wardrobe

August 25, 2015 By Jason DeBord

Bill Mastro of Mastro Auctions Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Shill Bidding & Fraud

Bill-Mastro-Auctions-Prison-Sentencing-Memorabilia-Fraud-Shill-Bidding-FBI-Investigation-Sports-Memorabilia-FI

The New York Daily News continues to take the lead in the mainstream media on the story about “disgraced sports memorabilia pioneer” Bill Mastro, Founder and CEO of Mastro Auctions, which shut down in 2009 during the FBI investigation.  In the ongoing saga, he plead guilty to shill bidding and mail fraud and admitted to trimming/altering a high value trading card to increase it’s value. U.S. District Judge Ronald A. Guzman sentenced Mastro to 20 months in prison; NY Daily News reports the judge was “troubled by the fact that Mastro had destroyed bidding records after learning the FBI had launched an investigation into fraud…“. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fraud in the News, Governmental Agencies, Law Enforcement, Mainstream Media: Online, Newspapers, News and Events Tagged With: auction, auction house, bidder, buyer beware, chicago, collectibles, consumer, crime, executive, fbi, fbi agent, federal bureau of investigation, Fraud, guilty, guilty plea, indicted, indictment, investment, live, live auction, lying, mastro auctions, memorabilia, online, plead, press release, shill bidding, sports, trading car, wagner, wagner t-206

October 11, 2013 By Jason DeBord

Mastro Auctions Scandal: Bill Mastro Pleads Guilty To Fraud & Altering Memorabilia; Faces Up To Five Years in Prison

Bill-Mastro-Auctions-Pleads-Guilty-Mail-Fraud-Altering-Sports-Memorabilia-Shill-Biddling-x380

The New York Daily News lead mainstream media reports yesterday about “disgraced sports memorabilia kingpin” Bill Mastro of Masto Auctions plead guilty to mail fraud and admitted to trimming/altering a high value trading card to increase it’s value.  Mastro will be sentenced by U.S. District Court  Judge Ronald A. Guzman, and faces up to five years in prison. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fraud in the News, Governmental Agencies, Law Enforcement, Mainstream Media: Online, Newspapers, News and Events Tagged With: auction, auction house, bidder, buyer beware, chicago, collectibles, consumer, crime, executive, fbi, fbi agent, federal bureau of investigation, Fraud, guilty, guilty plea, indicted, indictment, investment, live, live auction, lying, mastro auctions, memorabilia, online, plead, press release, shill bidding, sports, trading car, wagner, wagner t-206

September 13, 2013 By Jason DeBord

James Bond Lotus Esprit Movie Prop Car Submarine from “The Spy Who Loved Me” Sells for Nearly $1M in RM Auctions Sale

RM-Auctions-James-Bond-Lotus-Esprit-Submarine-Auction-Sale-The-Spy-Who-Loved-Me-007-Movie-Prop-Car-Memorabilia-x380

One of the more interesting lots in the RM Auctions sale in London this week – the highly customized Lotus Esprit that was converted into a submarine in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) – hammered for £550,000, which translates to about $968,000 with fees.  While it did not meet pre-sale estimate expectations that were set at £650,000-£950,000, it is a significant sale none the less, and certainly improves upon the price paid by the buyer who purchased the contents of a New York storage container for a mere $100 about 24 years ago. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Auction Houses and Dealers, James Bond, Movie Cars, News and Events Tagged With: 007, auction, bidder, bond, car, collector, estimate, Film, hammer price, ian fleming, investment, james bond, london, lotus esprit, memorabilia, Movie, movie car, prices, Prop, rm auctions, roger moore, sale, storage container, storage locker, submarine, submersible, the spy who loved me, values

November 29, 2012 By Jason DeBord

New York Daily News Update on Mastro Auctions Scandal: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty To Fraud, Altering Memorabilia

As the latest significant update to this ongoing high profile memorabilia auction house fraud scandal, the lead journalists covering the story for the New York Daily News today reports that William Mastro of Mastro Auctions will be changing his plea to guilty on one fraud count, and will admit that he “altered the world’s most valuable trading card, a Honus Wagner T206 that has fetched millions of dollars in a series of high-profile transactions”.  It’s last sale was to Ken Kendrick, the owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who paid $2.8 million for the baseball card.  Mastro originally purchased the card for $25,000. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fraud in the News, Governmental Agencies, Law Enforcement, Mainstream Media: Online, Newspapers, News and Events Tagged With: auction, auction house, bidder, buyer beware, chicago, collectibles, consumer, crime, defrau, executive, fbi, fbi agent, federal bureau of investigation, Fraud, guilty, indicted, indictment, investment, live, live auction, lying, mastro auctions, memorabilia, online, plead, press release, shill bidding, sports, trading car, wagner, wagner t-206

July 25, 2012 By Jason DeBord

FBI: “William Mastro and Two Other Executives of Former Mastro Auctions Indicted for Allegedly Defrauding Bidders in Online and Live Auctions of Sports Memorabilia and Other Collectibles”

The Chicago Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation have published a press release update regarding the ongoing investigation of alleged sports memorabilia fraud involving former Mastro Auction executives.  Prosecutors claim that William Boehn, the Information Technology Director, made false statements to FBI agents.  According to the FBI press release,  the memorabilia auction house executives “were indicted on fraud charges for allegedly rigging auctions through a series of deceptive practices, including so-called “shill-bidding,” designed to inflate prices paid by bidders and to protect the interests of consignors and sellers at the expense of unwitting bidders.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fraud in the News, Governmental Agencies, Law Enforcement, Mainstream Media: Magazines, Mainstream Media: Online, Newspapers, Mainstream Media: Television, News and Events Tagged With: auction, auction house, bidder, buyer beware, chicago, collectibles, consumer, crime, defrau, executive, fbi, fbi agent, federal bureau of investigation, Fraud, indicted, indictment, investment, live, live auction, lying, mastro auctions, memorabilia, online, press release, shill bidding, sports, trading car, wagner, wagner t-206

Next Page »

Visit My Sister Site Rock Subculture Journal

Recent Posts

  • Check Out My New YouTube Channel and Website: PopCultureKind
  • Crossover Appearance: “The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of” Podcast
  • Jack Warford, Star Wars Starship Model Photographer for Merchandising/Promotion in 1977 & Rare Filming and Prototype Images
  • Calendar of Live Auction Events: TV and Movie Props & Costumes, Hollywood Entertainment, Music, & Pop Culture Memorabilia
  • Dan Lanigan’s “Prop Culture” by ABC Studios & Cinema Relics Productions – Season One Streaming on Disney+ Starting May 1st
  • The 13th Annual Original Prop Blog “Year in Review” for 2019 (Personal/Professional Update)
  • Calendar of Live Auction Events: TV and Movie Props & Costumes, Hollywood Entertainment, Music, & Pop Culture Memorabilia
  • San Diego Comic-Con 2019: Marvel Entertainment Part 4 / Avengers: Endgame Costume Exhibit (Sunday)
  • San Diego Comic-Con 2019: Godzilla Movie Props / Godzilla Toho Co., LTD & Bandai America
  • San Diego Comic-Con 2019: Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!
  • San Diego Comic-Con 2019: Marvel Entertainment Part 3 / A-Force Costume Exhibit (Saturday)
  • San Diego Comic-Con 2019: Warner Bros | DC Comics | Batman
  • San Diego Comic-Con 2019: Marvel Entertainment Part 2 / Spider-Man: Far From Home Costume Exhibit (Friday)
  • San Diego Comic-Con 2019: Batman Film Used Cowls
  • San Diego Comic-Con 2019: Weta Workshop
  • San Diego Comic-Con 2019: Prop Store
  • San Diego Comic-Con 2019: Comedy Central’s Crank Yankers
  • San Diego Comic-Con 2019: Saban’s Power Rangers
  • San Diego Comic-Con 2019: Regal Robot (by Tom Spina)
  • San Diego Comic-Con 2019: Marvel Entertainment Part 1 / Captain Marvel Costume Exhibit (Wednesday/Thursday)
  • San Diego Comic-Con 2019: Star Wars Imperial Stormtrooper Costume Exhibit
  • YouTube Close-Up Look – “Empire Strikes Back” Darth Vader Costume Auction with Bonhams Update: Withdrawn
  • YouTube Close-Up Look – “Empire Strikes Back” Darth Vader Costume Up For Auction with Bonhams (Screen-Used? Production Made? Touring Costume?)
  • Calendar of Live Auction Events: TV and Movie Props & Costumes, Hollywood Entertainment, Music, & Pop Culture Memorabilia
  • YouTube Movie Prop News 04/01/2019
  • YouTube Movie Prop News 02/27/2019
  • Calendar of Live Auction Events: TV and Movie Props & Costumes, Hollywood Entertainment, Music, & Pop Culture Memorabilia
  • YouTube Auction Preview – Profiles in History “Transformers: The Auction” on February 28th
  • Tammy & Jeff Castillo Launch Icons of Pop Culture (YouTube Video News)
  • YouTube Edition – The 12th Annual Original Prop Blog “Year in Review” for 2018 – Original TV & Movie Props, Costumes and Pop Culture Memorabilia

Tags

Art auction auction house authentic authenticity bonhams catalog christies coa Collection Costume Costumes ebay entertainment event Exhibit Film Hollywood icollector Jason DeBord live auctions london Los Angeles memorabilia Movie movie prop Music online Original original prop blog pop culture premiere props profiles in history Prop Props sale screen-used screenused star wars studio superman Television tv vintage Wardrobe

Explore Past Articles

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok