This will probably be the shortest editorial I’ve written, as it is an easy argument to make. My view is – and this is something I’ve personally stressed to friends and family for years – buying an “original” movie or television prop or costume as a gift is a well-intended but very bad idea. [Read more…]
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…]
The Prada dress and Gina shoes worn by Olga Kurylenko in the latest James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, sold for £7,000 in a charity auction event to benefit the Muir Maxwell Trust. The “Casino Royale” event raised a total of £400,000 in the organization’s efforts to support to children and their families coping with severe epilepsy. [Read more…]
There is a nice cover feature article in the latest issue of Robot magazine, “Fred Barton: The Man Behind Hollywood’s Robotic Roots”, which shares Mr. Barton’s story of how he came to restore one of the original Robby the Robots from Forbidden Planet. [Read more…]
An exhibition based on the two Narnia films (The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian), based on the works of C.S. Lewis, is being held at The Franklin in Philadelphia, PA through April 19, 2009. [Read more…]
I’ve noticed a number of trends on the rise of late, in the marketing and sale of original movie and television props and costumes in the marketplace, that are to the detriment of consumer hobbyists. [Read more…]
In October, there was a significant amount of buzz, discussion, and questions about a Stormtrooper helmet presented to hobbyists publicly and described as original and attributed to Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. These debates resulted from the owner of the helmet, “JoeR”, initiating discussions about the newly acquired piece on several original and replica prop hobby discussion forums. [Read more…]
The Profiles in History “Collectors Book Store Auction” catalog is now available (as a download in PDF) for their next auction, to be held at their offices in Calabassas Hills, CA on December 12-14, 2008. [Read more…]