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

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Profiles in History ‘Hollywood Auction 56′ Post Auction Reaction – Correction on Lot 563: Steve McQueen’s “Frank Bullitt” Sports Jacket (Passed/Unsold at $600,000?)

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A few have written me questioning my article published this week on the second highest results reported on in my review of the most recent auction events by Profiles in History, namely one of the most promoted items in their Hollywood Auction 56 sale event:  “Lot 563: Steve McQueen’s signature screen-used “Frank Bullitt” hero tweed sports jacket worn in Bullitt”.  This lot is still today reported by their online bidding partner, ArtFact, as having sold for a hammer price of $600,000, which was the low estimate.  However, on the official “Prices Realized Detail” published by Profiles in History on their website, Lot 563 is omitted (indicating a passed lot/no sale).  Like myself, much of the mainstream media picked up on the result of sold at a hammer price of $600,000 – not passed/unsold – thus I felt a short, stand alone update was warranted, rather than just a correction within my original article (which was also made today), which would go unnoticed to those who read the feature believing that this lot was the second highest hammer result over the two-day “Hollywood Auction 56” auction event. [Read more…]

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Profiles in History ‘Hollywood Auction 56’, ‘Dreier Collection, Part 2’ Post Auction Reaction – Update on “Jackpot Reserves/Estimates Finally Out of Control?” (8 Months Later)

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Profiles in History had a tremendously heavy auction schedule at the end of July, holding no less than four auctions across five consecutive days (Property from the Estate of Milton H. Greene on 7/27, Hollywood Auction 56 on 7/28-7/29, The Dreier Collection Part 2 on 7/30, and their Animation Auction 58 on 7/31), though they also held their Rare Books and Manuscripts Auction 55 earlier in July, and had their huge San Diego Comic Con display in-between sale events.  These were their first big sales of 2013 (apart from the awkwardly titled, adjective-heavy The Property of a Distinguished American Private Collector, Part 2).  The last of their traditional Hollywood Auction events was in December of last year and, as written at the time, it seemed to indicate a collision of escalating reserves/estimates and some push back from the marketplace on the same.  Taking a top down view of these latest sales, the same mixed bag would seem to now be a trend, rather than a one off occurrence. [Read more…]

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The Original Prop Blog 2012 Year in Review: News, Developments, and Trends in Collecting Original TV & Movie Props, Costumes and Pop Culture Memorabilia

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As per tradition, (see 2007 Year in Review, 2008 Year in Review, 2009 Year in Review, 2010 Year in Review, 2011 Year in Review), what follows is an editorial featuring my personal observations and opinions with regards to the business of buying, collecting, selling, preserving original pop culture artifacts – looking back at the top trends, developments, and news stories of 2012. 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…]

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Opinion/Editorial: Free Advice for Premiere Props – Seven Tips To Improve Live Auction Business

Premiere Props has been around since 2001…  about a year longer than I have been collecting.  So they’ve been a fixture in the hobby for my collecting “lifetime”.  In fact, one of the first original props I ever purchased I bought from Premiere Props on eBay (one of The Shoveler’s shovels from Mystery Men).  While they have demonstrated longevity, I’m actually kind of surprised at how little they have evolved over the years.  Today I find myself inspired to offer some third party tips, in the form of free advice, that would make a positive impact on their business and standing in this art market.  My intention is not to be snarky, but underline some issues that have been painfully obvious over the years (to me anyway).  Seven simple changes could vastly improve the company (it was originally going to be three, but as I started writing this, it grew; still, it is not intended to be comprehensive).  The following is my list, based on my personal observations and opinions. [Read more…]