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

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Superman Costume Matrix: Auction House/Dealer Website Public Offerings, Version 1.1

This work product 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“).

What I have attempted to do is catalog the costumes offered for sale to the public by auction houses and by prop dealers on their commercial websites.

The following matrix is an update to the one published last month as version 1.0 (see Version 1.0 article). [Read more…]

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Superman, Superboy, and Disney’s Creative Costuming

Those readers who have followed the ongoing series of articles about Superman costume/costume components offered for sale, attributed to use by Christopher Reeve in the Superman films of the 70s and 80s, will have likely noted that many costumes circulating in the marketplace are marketed as having previously been used as reference pieces in the production of similar costumes for the Superboy (AKA Adventures of Superboy) television series, which ran in syndication from 1988-1992 (four seasons).

Of those costumes listed in the Superman Costume Matrix: Auction House/Dealer Website Public Offerings (ver 1.0, 04/04/08), I count nine (9) costumes which are noted (explicitly or implied by source) as reference costumes for the Superboy television series. This does not reflect the number of additional costumes circulating in the marketplace on eBay that have also been described as former reference costumes for the Superboy television series (see prior articles).

Many of the costumes that are characterized as original Berman’s & Nathan’s produced Superman costumes worn by Christopher Reeve, used as reference by Disney’s “Creative Costuming” as part of the provenance, have letters/LOAs/COAs from “Super Hollywood”, signed by either Ana Mungia or Armando Alvarez. Many are also characterized as “gifts” from the Salkinds (producers of the films and television series). [Read more…]

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Studio Reseller Certificates of Authenticity: Premiere Props & Hollywood Vault

Over the past several years, the Certificates of Authenticity (COAs) issued by two of the biggest “studio resellers” – Premiere Props and Hollywood Vault – have evolved. Unfortunately, the changes made have been to the detriment of provenance and is a significant missed opportunity given that these companies are in the position of releasing props and wardrobe into the marketplace that are sourced direct from the studios in a fully authorized capacity (making the pieces both authentic and with clear title).

I thought it would be informative to compare and contrast COAs issued by Premiere Props and Hollywood Vault to see exactly what changes have been made over the years, and the current state of certification and provenance offered by these two dealers. [Read more…]

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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…]

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Superman Costumes in the Marketplace Round-Up: February, March, April

There has been a number of Superman costumes and costume components offered publicly in the marketplace via eBay since the last OPB updates in late January/early February. 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“).

Here are the auctions since the start of February 2008. Some have been relisted one or more times. [Read more…]

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Superman Costume Matrix: Auction House/Dealer Website Public Offerings, Version 1.0

This work product 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“).

What I have attempted to do is catalog the costumes offered for sale to the public by auction houses and by prop dealers on their commercial websites.

I have tried to capture as much of the key details of these offerings as possible to populate a matrix in an effort to share information with collectors about what has been offered for sale and the attributes of those costumes and costume parts. This also offers an opportunity to compare and contrast some of the characteristics of these costumes. Some also appear to have been sold and resold (based on matching wardrobe tags, for instance), as noted in the document.

Obviously, I am at the mercy of the quality and accuracy of the information used to market these pieces by auction houses, dealers, and their consignors, as applicable. In some cases, the information provided is vague and imprecise, so I would ask anyone using this document to please keep all of this in mind and to perform your own due diligence and verify all information to your own standards. I have not verified any of the information presented or claimed via the marketing and advertising of these pieces beyond what was noted in the applicable auction catalog and/or website. [Read more…]

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Global Antiques, Auction Depot LA – Reader Experience With “Original” Casablanca Prop

A reader of the Original Prop Blog has posted a “Reader Comment” in response to an article posted a few days ago, “Gone With The Wind, Global Antiques, and Auction Depot LA“.

As discussed in the last article, “Auction Depot LA” (auctiondepotla1 on eBay) offers a large number of items on a regular basis, consigned and authenticated by “Global Antiques”, that are described as “original” and “authentic” props from “Gone With The Wind”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “The I Love Lucy Show”, “James Bond”, “Lord of the Rings”, and other films, as well and many items marketed as owned by John Wayne and other Hollywood stars.

This reader posted the following “Reader Comment” in the last article about his experiences transacting with Auction Depot LA (LINK): [Read more…]

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Michael of JudyGarland.com and His Thoughts on Heritage Auction Galleries

Michael Siewert of JudyGarland.com was kind enough to share some thoughts about his experience with Heritage Auction Galleries and other auction houses, and I felt his comments were worth highlighting by reposting them from the Reader Comments in the recent Heritage-related articles. I do not know Mr. Siewert, but thought we could open a discussion about some of the ideas and opinions he raised in his comments, in hopes of initiating a productive dialogue about not just Heritage, but experiences and opinions about auction houses in general. [Read more…]