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

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Premiere Props Offers Authenticated Fake Prop for Public Auction and the Hobby Says…

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As reported a few weeks ago (see “Premiere Props Now In Business Of Selling “Authenticated” Forgery, Along With Premiere Props COA? (Star Trek Mark English Communicator)“), the entertainment memorabilia dealer tried to make lemons out of lemonade after being informed by third party observers that one of the pieces listed for public auction in their latest sale was a forgery.  They changed the title and description for the lot in question, recasting the offering as an authenticated fake prop.  I have just gotten around to looking up the results of the June 15th sale, and found that the item is marked “WAS NOT SOLD” (though there was a bid of $200 – the start price).  I had characterized the sale as “a first in this art market – the open and notorious public sale offering of “authenticated” fake props, along with a COA certifying it… fake?”  Well, the hobby has apparently spoken…  I guess? [Read more…]

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Premiere Props Now In Business Of Selling “Authenticated” Forgery, Along With Premiere Props COA? (Star Trek Mark English Communicator)

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“Crew members and independent collectors have verified the authenticity of this item as a Mark English Forgery. Comes with a COA from Premiere Props”.  Wow.  I guess this is a new direction of this art market, filed under Sell At Any Cost: The Authenticated Fake Prop?  As noted in my wordy titled preview of Premiere Props upcoming regularly scheduled auction (see “Premiere Props ‘Hollywood Auction Extravaganza X’ Catalog Online, Television & Movie Prop and Costume Sale Event June 15 (Plus An OPB Editorial Plea For Authentication)“, their authentication and lot descriptions, in my personal opinion, left a lot to be desired.  I have no idea if anyone at Premiere Props reads the Original Prop Blog, but if “authenticating” a fake prop as fake and still offering it for sale is what they thought I had in mind with my public “plea for authentication”, they could not have been more wrong.  There is zero benefit to selling forgeries back into the marketplace, in my opinion, and the idea of including a COA “authenticating” a fake as a fake makes my head spin.  If the fake fooled Premiere Props, is it responsible for them to continue to facilitate the sale of a piece that is widely regarded as problematic for those of us who make efforts to keep such pieces out of the marketplace?  How about someone takes a hammer to it instead? [Read more…]

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Premiere Props ‘Hollywood Auction Extravaganza X’ Catalog Online, Television & Movie Prop and Costume Sale Event June 15 (Plus An OPB Editorial Plea For Authentication)

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Lots for Premiere Props’ sale in mid-June have been listed online with online bidding partner iCollector, as part of their “Hollywood Extravaganza X”. The one-day auction is scheduled for June 15th. As with past auctions, the sale includes general memorabilia, though, as with their last sale, there is more interesting material with this event than they’ve had in some time, although much of it does not include any substantive information (or even vague information) about history and provenance in the lot descriptions (though to their credit, some do).  Premiere Props is such a frustrating company, on so many levels, but some of their auction descriptions (if you can even call them that) are beyond unacceptable.  I can’t imagine someone wanting a piece so badly as to take such a massive leap of faith in bidding on something in which no information whatsoever is provided about *why* it is authentic. [Read more…]

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Premiere Props ‘Hollywood Auction Extravaganza IX’ Catalog Online, Television & Movie Prop and Costume Sale Event March 2-3

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About 350 lots of the promised “over 1,000 movie props and costumes” that will comprise the online catalog for the Premiere Props “Hollywood Auction Extravaganza IX” is now listed with online bidding partners iCollector and LiveAuctioneers. The two-day auction is scheduled for March 2nd and 3rd.  As with past auctions, the sale includes general memorabilia, though there is more interesting material with this event than they’ve had in some time, although much of it does not include any substantive information about history and provenance in the lot descriptions (though to their credit, some do). [Read more…]

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Julien’s Auctions ‘Icons and Idols’ (Hollywood & Marilyn Monroe, Sports & Rock ‘n Roll) Catalogs Online, Events to be Held in Beverly Hills December 1st-4th

Julien’s Auctions has today announced their next events, a pairing of two sales – “Hollywood & Marilyn Monroe” and “Sports & Rock ‘n Roll”, both under the “Icons and Idols” banner and each two-day sales, with the former scheduled for December 1st and 2nd and the latter for December 3rd and 4th.  Both live auction events will be at their Beverly Hills facility.

[Read more…]

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Brandon Alinger, Prop Store of London – Movie Prop & Costume Showcase Video Shorts

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During my trip to Burbank this past Tuesday, I made time for a short visit to meet with Brandon Alinger of the Prop Store of London at their Los Angeles facility.  While at their offices, I took the opportunity to shoot a few brief videos (approximately 1-2 minutes each) with Brandon to feature and provide some background on some of the more interesting showcase pieces on display. [Read more…]

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“Die Hard” Movie Prop Beretta, NYPD Badge Set, Zippo Lighter, Radio

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This is the next in a series of more comprehensive profiles of the original props in my own collection, and the next pieces to be showcased are the Zippo lighter, Kenwood radio, and NYPD badge set from the John McTiernan  film “Die Hard” staring Bruce Willis as John McClane and the hero Beretta from “Die Hard With A Vengeance“. [Read more…]

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The Blade Runner Hero Deckard Blaster Movie Prop: Then & Now

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As many are aware, one of the marquee pieces in the next Profiles in History auction is the hero pistol used by Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard in the Ridley Scott classic, Blade Runner.   [Read more…]