Profiles in History have assembled their latest massive sale, showcased in a 600 page auction catalog featuring over 1,700 lots. Participants can bid online at Invaluable.com. The three-day auction will be held June 29, June 30th, and July 1st. [Read more…]
Online auction company IfOnly has a special charity offering running for two weeks – one of the original “Han Solo” production jackets worn by Harrison Ford in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, including a certificate of authenticity from Lucasfilm. Proceeds from the sale of the rare wardrobe piece will benefit NYU Langone Center and FACES (Finding A Cure for Epilepsy and Seizures). [Read more…]
Premiere Props have listed their next auction as part of their “Hollywood Extravaganza XL”. The one-day auction is scheduled for December 12th, marketing 500 lots. As with past auctions, the sale includes a mix of original props, costumes, and other film and television artifacts, as well as general Hollywood Memorabilia and a lot of replicas/reproductions/toys. [Read more…]
This is a quick update to recent articles about the “not a prototype” Andrew Ainsworth stormtrooper helmet that Ewbank’s put up at auction this month (“not a prototype” being interesting in that the maker, Andrew Ainsworth, himself claims the helmets of this style are prototypes). In any event, this one did in fact sell at auction for £3,500 GBP (hammer price). [Read more…]
An interesting discussion has broken out on the official Ewbank’s Facebook page about the Stormtrooper helmet in their upcoming auction (which I wrote about earlier this month – see “Andrew Ainsworth “Prototype” Stormtrooper Helmet Withdrawn By Christie’s in 2014 Now Offered by Ewbank’s in 2015“). Ewbank’s has stated in this Facebook discussion that the helmet “is not a prototype“. However, they include a letter as proof of authenticity in which the helmet’s maker, Andrew Ainsworth, states in writing that the helmet “was an early prototype made by myself“. This is the exact same helmet that Christie’s put up for auction last year and then decided to withdraw from their own auction. What does Ewbank’s have to say about Christie’s pulling the same item from their auction? Per Ewbank’s, Christie’s “mis-catalogued [it] as a ‘prototype’“. Yet Christie’s marketed the helmet as what Mr. Ainsworth claimed it to be… a “prototype”. Confused yet? So is Lindsay Muir (wife of Brian Muir, who sculpted the Stormtrooper armor and Darth Vader helmet for Star Wars). She entered into this public debate with Ewbank’s on their Facebook page regarding their helmet up for auction. Ewbank’s closing remarks to Mrs. Muir (one of the most knowledgeable people in the world on these matters) includes the line, “[y]our view is certainly not my experience of bidders who are generally very well informed actually”. This, from the auction house who would seem to suggest that the maker of the artifact they have up for sale – who provided the letter regarding it’s provenance and authenticity – is flatly wrong about his own characterization the piece that he himself made and as he addressed it in that letter. It would seem that auction houses (like with Profiles in History’s last auction) are evolving to reject Andrew Ainsworth credibility on his own creation, while embracing that very lineage to help them sell these problematic artifacts.
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Blacksparrow is holding an online-only auction for Pixels, the Summer sci-fi comedy starring Kevin James, Adam Sandler, and Peter Dinklage. The auction features original props and costumes, including wardrobe from all of the principal actors, the hero Donkey Kong hammer, a full-size Q*bert, functional arcade games, and more. The auction concludes on December 5th. Per Blacksparrow, all items come directly from the production studio. [Read more…]
Following last month’s public auction offering of one of the “prototype” Star Wars stormtrooper helmets by Profiles in History (that went unsold), Ewbank’s has now offered one for sale in their own auction on December 3rd… Upon examination of the photos, it would appear to be the same one that Christie’s withdrew from their own sale last year (with Nate D. Sanders withdrawing their own example from their own auction just one month after Christie’s). [Read more…]
Prop Store will be holding new auctions as part of their “Rick Baker: Monster Maker” online-only event starting this week, and running at least four weeks, with new material added weekly. The no reserve auction boasts original props and costumes directly from the legendary effects artist. Prop Store held a live Rick Baker auction event at Universal City back in May. [Read more…]