As per usual, Prop Store and staff from the London and Los Angeles offices have brought an assortment of impressive original TV and movie props and costumes to Comic Con International: San Diego this year, with highlights including the original motion tracker from Aliens and the flame thrower from Alien, as well as a bullwhip used by Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. [Read more…]
This is actually the lightest year in some time for original props and costumes on display at Comic Con International: San Diego, apart from the usual showing by Profiles in History and Prop Store. Nothing from Disney this year (who usually exhibit every other year) and much of what is on display is material from films not yet released. [Read more…]
Glenn Close has arranged with Auction Cause for a special sale of wardrobe pieces from her work in television as part of a special eBay charity auction benefiting Bring Change 2 Mind, an organization “working to end the stigma and discrimination of mental illness”. The auction, ending July 19th, includes 380 pieces of designer clothes from the series Damages, including Giorgio Armani, Christian Louboutin, Prada, Domenico Vacca, Balenciaga, Akris, and others. [Read more…]
Lots for Premiere Props’ July auction have been listed online with online bidding partner iCollector, as part of their “Hollywood VIP Auction IV”. The one-day auction is scheduled for July 27th, currently featuring over 300 lots. As with past auctions, the sale includes general memorabilia, along with some out of left lots like used Wizard magazines, Alf comic books, Star Trek talking lunchboxes, and other strangeness, that in my opinion undercuts their reputation as a dealer in this art market. Thankfully, it appears that a bulk of the material in the first few hundred lots are lots obtained from direct sources. [Read more…]
Below is the latest updated list of upcoming original movie and television prop, wardrobe, and memorabilia auction events. Please contact me if you are aware of any coming events of interest to collectors.
Please also note that I update changes/additions to the calendar until the next update, in order to maintain as up to date as possible. [Read more…]
The Original Prop Blog will be providing its usual covering of things related to the original movie and television prop and costume art market for the sixth year in a row at the upcoming Comic Con International: San Diego for 2013 in a few short weeks. As per usual, Prop Store will be there with a mix of for sale and “Prop Store Collection” material on exhibit, and this year they have produced a video and published a press release as a preview of what to expect. [Read more…]
As reported a few weeks ago (see “Premiere Props Now In Business Of Selling “Authenticated” Forgery, Along With Premiere Props COA? (Star Trek Mark English Communicator)“), the entertainment memorabilia dealer tried to make lemons out of lemonade after being informed by third party observers that one of the pieces listed for public auction in their latest sale was a forgery. They changed the title and description for the lot in question, recasting the offering as an authenticated fake prop. I have just gotten around to looking up the results of the June 15th sale, and found that the item is marked “WAS NOT SOLD” (though there was a bid of $200 – the start price). I had characterized the sale as “a first in this art market – the open and notorious public sale offering of “authenticated” fake props, along with a COA certifying it… fake?” Well, the hobby has apparently spoken… I guess? [Read more…]
“Crew members and independent collectors have verified the authenticity of this item as a Mark English Forgery. Comes with a COA from Premiere Props”. Wow. I guess this is a new direction of this art market, filed under Sell At Any Cost: The Authenticated Fake Prop? As noted in my wordy titled preview of Premiere Props upcoming regularly scheduled auction (see “Premiere Props ‘Hollywood Auction Extravaganza X’ Catalog Online, Television & Movie Prop and Costume Sale Event June 15 (Plus An OPB Editorial Plea For Authentication)“, their authentication and lot descriptions, in my personal opinion, left a lot to be desired. I have no idea if anyone at Premiere Props reads the Original Prop Blog, but if “authenticating” a fake prop as fake and still offering it for sale is what they thought I had in mind with my public “plea for authentication”, they could not have been more wrong. There is zero benefit to selling forgeries back into the marketplace, in my opinion, and the idea of including a COA “authenticating” a fake as a fake makes my head spin. If the fake fooled Premiere Props, is it responsible for them to continue to facilitate the sale of a piece that is widely regarded as problematic for those of us who make efforts to keep such pieces out of the marketplace? How about someone takes a hammer to it instead? [Read more…]