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

By

“Movies Galore” TOS Star Trek Hand Phaser – February, March, April eBay Listings

A Star Trek: The Original Series “hand phaser”, marketed as original and from the 1966-69 classic television series with a Certificate of Authenticity from “Movies Galore”, has been offered for sale and sold, offered for sale again and sold, and is now offered for sale on eBay for a third time over the span of just three months. [Read more…]

By

The Side Arms of James Bond, 007: Part 2 – 1962 Sports Illustrated Article By Ian Fleming

This is a little “off topic” from movie props, but thought this would make a nice companion article to the one published a few days ago, “The Side Arms of James Bond, 007: From The Walther PPK to the P99“.

I came across an interesting article from 1962 written by Ian Fleming about the guns used by James Bond in the novels (the first Bond film, Dr. No, was released that same year). The article is framed by the actual correspondence between Fleming and a fan of the novels (Geoffrey Boothroyd) with real world firearms expertise, showcasing his recommendations for the character and rationale for certain side arm choices, and other related exchanges and anecdotes.

The March 19, 1962 article – “The Guns of James Bond” By Ian Fleming – is available to read at the Sports Illustrated website, SI.com, with scans of the actual magazine available as well in the “SI Vault”. [Read more…]

By

I Love Lucy, Global Antiques, and Auction Depot LA

A reader of the Original Prop Blog directed my attention to an ended eBay auction offered by Auction Depot LA with a Global Antiques COA titled: “TV PROP ORIGINAL GLASS DECANTER OWNED BY LUCILLE BALL”

This seller and consignor/authenticator have already been topics of past articles: [Read more…]

By

“My Name Is Earl” Custom Chooper – $42,000.00?

As mentioned previously, NBC Universal’s fifth wave of direct from the studio auctions focused on the television series, “My Name Is Earl”. Looking at the results, the “Custom Chopper” realized $42,000.00 at auction. It will be interesting to see if the result “holds”. Here is an archive of the listing: [Read more…]

By

“Prop Store Collection” Superman Costume, Fabric Discussion Continued, Part 3

This 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“).

As previously discussed, The Prop Store of London, which recently sold an original Superman costume with a Certificate of Authenticity from Warner Bros. (see “Authentic Superman Costume In The Marketplace – The Prop Store of London“), has recently showcased a complete costume on their website (currently on display at the Movieum of London – see related article). [Read more…]

By

Star Trek: The Original Series Props – Auction House Archive, Part 1

As noted in recent articles, there are many Star Trek “Original Series” (1966-1969) era prop replicas that have been traded in the marketplace as authentic, fooling experts, dealers, and auction houses, as well as collectors.

As a result, there are profound challenges in authenticating the iconic, high value props from this classic television series, especially the Tricorder, Communicator, and Phaser. The current ’state of the marketplace’ poses a significant potential risk for Star Trek collectors who could inadvertently buy an inauthentic piece.

The most productive manner in which collectors can help other collectors to mitigate this risk is by talking to one another, sharing information, and spreading awareness of the ’state of the marketplace’ for these types of props and underscoring the importance of formal and thorough authentication.

I thought it would be productive to catalog and archive information relevant to these props. [Read more…]