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

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Revisiting Ellis Props & Graphics – Certificates of Authenticity (COAs) Assigned to TV and Movie Props, Set Pieces, & Costumes Circulating in the Marketplace

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For reasons unknown to me, I continue to receive communications from recent buyers of memorabilia attributed to film and television productions, who believe I have something to do with various eBay sellers and/or Ellis Props (see article from one month ago today, “NOTICE: Original Prop Blog Does Not/Will Not Supply Props to Dealers “jnsmcmahan”, “jsnent”, John Tarter, Billie Null, Mark Sullivan, L.A. Prop & Wardrobe, Hollywood Prop Supply, Studio West Prop, Ellis Props, et al“).  In any event, with one of these more recent contacts, I asked the buyer of one of these pieces to send me a photo of the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) supplied with the item purchased (in this case the COA provided was one that originally appears to be from Ellis Props).  A long time trusted collector in the field was kind enough to forward to me some images of confirmed legitimate examples of Ellis Props COAs obtained during the sales/liquidation circa ’99/’00, and that COA is very different from the one just obtained by a buyer from a piece purchased on eBay.  [Read more…]

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Profiles in History “Peer Review” on George Reeves Superman Cape; More on 12/29/75 Western Costume Letters

As noted in recent articles (see Profiles in History Pledges More Transparency; Open Q&A On Website Regarding Provenance, Authenticity, Other Questions and Profiles in History Pledges More Transparency: Update & Response to “What We Are Currently Working On”), Profiles in History’s General Manager, Fong Sam, has written about embracing what they call “the concept of auctions as peer review” with regards to “verifying provenance” of material listed for public sale in their auction catalogs on his haxbee.com site.  With their upcoming sale, The Dreier Collection, Part 1, a few principals in our art market have raised questions with me privately with regards to one of the items listed for auction, Lot 106 GEORGE REEVES “SUPERMAN” CAPE FROM THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN.  Since the suggested resource on the Profiles in History website has yet to be created, I thought I would publish those questions raised with me in this article as part of the public “peer review” process with Profiles in History. [Read more…]

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King 5 News Reports on FBI’s “Questioned Documents Unit” Investigations into Sports Autograph Memorabilia Fraud

Tonight Mimi Jung of King 5 News in Seattle, Washington broadcast a video report on investigations by the FBI into sports memorabilia fraud, with a focus on autograph forgeries. [Read more…]

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More Examples of ‘Western Costume’ Letters of Authentication Dated 12/29/75 for George Reeves Superman TV Series Wardrobe Pieces

Last week, an Original Prop Blog article revisited a 2008 feature (see …Questions, Observations) which archived marketing collateral regarding a George Reeves Superman wardrobe piece with a Western Costume Company letter.  The new article (see Signature Comparison…) compared the letter and signature to a similar letter attached to a Superman cape offered for public sale on eBay .  I’ve since received photos of three additional Western Costume letters bearing the signature of Robert Niewoehner with the same date: December 29, 1975.

[Read more…]

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Signature Comparison: ‘Western Costume’ Letters of Authentication for George Reeves Superman TV Series Capes Dated 12/29/75

In 2008, an article was published on the Original Prop Blog with regards to certain props and costumes consigned to a Signature House auction (see Signature House Entertainment Memorabilia Auctions – Questions, Observations).  Included were questions raised about the remarkable coincidence of two letters of authentication included with two different capes (attributed to use by George Reeves in the Superman television series produced in the 1950s) from two different dealers; both letters shared the same date: December 29, 1975.  A third such letter – with the same date – has now been introduced into the marketplace.  This third example bears a signature that appears to differ from the example featured in the 2008 article. [Read more…]

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Harrison/Elstree Props/Norank: Raiders of the Lost Ark ‘Staff of Ra’ Headpiece Props in the Marketplace

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As a continuation of recent articles, the focus of this feature is the recent activity in the marketplace concerning the “Staff of Ra” headpiece props attributed to Raiders of the Lost Ark – all of which appear to have originated from the Harrison family (who retired from and sold the “Elstree Props” business in early 2008 and now sell unlicensed replica props as “Norank Engineering” and on eBay as “unisusu”).  With one purchased for $450 and another offered for resale for $30,000 (along with a German hat), it certainly raises a number of questions and concerns, and warrants investigation, debate, and discussion. [Read more…]

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“Who is N. Harrison?”: Update on Questions About Certificates of Authenticity Issued By Prior Owners of Elstree Props

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As a continuation of the article published a few days ago (see ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’, ‘Return to Oz’, Return to eBay, and Return of The Harrisons (formerly “Elstree Props”) from Retirement?) and direct update to one published back in February 2009 (see Elstree Props, Fertility Idols, Light Gods, Danziger Collection COAs (Multiple Topic Update)), I have secured additional information related to the outstanding question, “Who is N. Harrison?”, as signatory on “The Danziger Collection” of “Elstree Film Studios”, found on the previously issued Elstree Props COAs, prior to the change of ownership in early 2008.  [Read more…]