{"id":34341,"date":"2014-01-04T18:51:17","date_gmt":"2014-01-05T01:51:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.originalprop.com\/blog\/?p=34341"},"modified":"2014-01-11T19:39:48","modified_gmt":"2014-01-12T02:39:48","slug":"the-original-prop-blog-2013-year-in-review-news-developments-and-trends-in-collecting-original-tv-movie-props-costumes-and-pop-culture-memorabilia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.originalprop.com\/blog\/2014\/01\/04\/the-original-prop-blog-2013-year-in-review-news-developments-and-trends-in-collecting-original-tv-movie-props-costumes-and-pop-culture-memorabilia\/","title":{"rendered":"The Original Prop Blog 2013 Year in Review: News, Developments, and Trends in Collecting Original TV & Movie Props, Costumes and Pop Culture Memorabilia"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Original-Prop-Blog-2013-Pop-Culture-Collectibles-Memorabilia-Year-in-Review-Movie-Prop-Hobby-Editorial-x380\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As per tradition, (see 2007 Year in Review<\/a>, 2008 Year in Review<\/a>, 2009 Year in Review<\/a>, 2010 Year in Review<\/a>, 2011 Year in Review,<\/a> 2012 Year in Review<\/a>), what follows is an editorial featuring my personal observations and opinions<\/em> with regards to the business of buying, collecting, selling, and preserving original pop culture artifacts – looking back at the top trends, developments, and news stories of 2013. As is always the case, this is a completely subjective exercise, and merely touches on the developments and events that relate to the hobby. <\/p>\n

In past years, I’ve broken the year down into the Top 10 stories and developments.\u00a0 This year, I find that the one big issue – the state of the market – dominates all else, so I thought I would talk about that predominantly this year.<\/p>\n

My position has consistently been that the market for original television and movie props and costumes and related production material peaked with the first of two Debbie Reynolds auction events by Profiles in History, which took place in June 2011<\/a>, two and a half years ago.\u00a0 If there was a bubble, it burst following that auction.<\/p>\n

Markets generally are either on the upswing or in a decline, and I would say that this art collecting market has been in an overall decline after that first Debbie Reynolds sale.<\/p>\n

Yes, there are always going to be a handful of stand out lots with impressive results at auctions, but those have been the rare exception, not the rule.<\/p>\n

Profiles in History in particular has been the barometer of this market, in that they specialize in this material and have two to three giant auctions focused on Hollywood memorabilia every year, going back to 1995.\u00a0 They have also consistently realized the most impressive results in this hobby.<\/p>\n

Compared with past auctions, I would say their two big “Hollywood Auction” events in 2013 were particularly bad, overall.<\/p>\n

The funny thing is, as apparent as it might be to me and others, some just don’t get it.<\/p>\n

I was in London in December, and met up with others in the hobby at the Knightsbridge Bonhams auction, and in chatting with other collectors pre-auction, I was discussing this very topic, and a few looked at me like I had three heads.<\/p>\n

I’ve come to think of this category of hobbyists as “market deniers”.\u00a0 In much the way I talked about the “I want to believe” syndrome with some people with regards to authenticity, I speculate that for some the same sort of blinders are applied when looking at the state of the market.<\/p>\n

I think part of it is that some are so invested in the bubble, by virtue of their collections, that it is impossible for them to see the market for what it is, as it means that the equity in their collections as taken a big hit, and is continuing to erode away.<\/p>\n

Regardless, some still chase the market with “jackpot” reserves and estimates on their pieces consigned to auctions, and we see much of this material going unsold.\u00a0 Now it is more like playing the Hollywood memorabilia lotto, and chances for a big payoff are coming into the same alignment, in terms of statistics.<\/p>\n

10) Breaking Bad and Hunger Games<\/h2>\n

In spite of the overall declining market, there have been a few properties with which things sold for more than might have been expected in 2013.\u00a0 And I think that this is consistent with what we’ve seen in the past with high profile, single property sales like LOST, Captain America, Star Trek,<\/em> and things along those lines.\u00a0 And expect that this will always be the case.\u00a0 But newcomers Blacksparrow and ScreenBid had some real stand out results with Hunger Games<\/em> and Breaking Bad<\/em> respectively.\u00a0 Both auction houses also seem to have their acts together, for new endeavors in the hobby.<\/p>\n

9) People Keep Complaining About Premiere Props, Keep Doing Business with Them<\/h2>\n

I have a steady flow of people coming to me privately with complaints about Premiere Props – buyers and consignors – and this has been true for years.\u00a0 And much of these types of complaints find their way onto various discussion forums and the like…\u00a0 yet people still do business with them.\u00a0 And then complain.\u00a0 And then do business with them.\u00a0 I don’t know what to say about it.\u00a0 They have crafted their reputation, but I guess some don’t do their due diligence, and some just don’t care.\u00a0 But this is an ongoing constant, and I imagine 2014 will be no different.<\/p>\n

8) Reality TV Gets Even Worse<\/h2>\n

As articulated in the past, I’m not a fan of Hollywood Treasure<\/em> for a variety of reasons, but it seems to have come to an end anyway.\u00a0 But that show is like the modern day television equivalent of Citizen Kane <\/em>compared with the atrocious mess that is Beverly Hills Pawn<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I actually wrote a review of it earlier this year, but did not publish it as I really hadn’t eviscerated something so completely as I did that show.\u00a0 But it was cathartic, and I made myself laugh.\u00a0 I never thought someone could match Comic Book Men<\/em> for worst “reality” television show ever, but maybe that is the show’s one real accomplishment.\u00a0 I would probably hate it even more if I could understand what the star of the show was actually saying.<\/p>\n

Like Indiana Jones 4<\/em>, it’s one of those impossibly bad shows where you can’t begin to critique it, as where would you stop.\u00a0 It’s just awful and stupid.\u00a0 But at least they stopped calling me and e-mailing me asking me to come on the show to sell something, or not sell something, or pretend to sell something, or have someone cast as me to sell or not sell or pretend to sell something…<\/p>\n

The good news is, it can’t get any worse than it is today.<\/p>\n

7) Mystery of MovieProps DNA (MPDNA)<\/h2>\n

Like Beverly Hills Pawn, MovieProps DNA is another seemingly half baked idea, attached to but supposedly unaffiliated with Premiere Props.<\/p>\n

I posed questions about it all back in September<\/a>, but never received any answers.<\/p>\n

No one seems to really get it.\u00a0 Nor has the “panel of industry experts” ever been announced.\u00a0 I don’t even know if it exists anymore, in that if you go to the official webpage – www.moviepropsdna.com<\/a> – is returns “service unavailable”.\u00a0 Maybe that is truth in advertising?<\/p>\n

6) More Auctions, More Auction Houses, More Material<\/h2>\n

Profiles in History, Heritage Auction, Christie’s, Julien’s Auctions, Bonhams, ScreenUsed, Premiere Props, Guernsey’s, RR Auction, Nate D. Sanders, Blacksparrow, Mercer Auctions, Anovos, VIP Auctions…<\/p>\n

I’ve probably missed a few, but you get the point.\u00a0 And there is more and more material, more frequent auctions, larger auctions…\u00a0 and this is all in a declining market.\u00a0 But, competition is good, so hopefully that will lead to some positives.\u00a0 But an interesting development in any event.<\/p>\n

5) Confidential Reserves and Chandelier\/Shill Bidding Issues Linger<\/h2>\n

We started and ended the year with mainstream attention on this important issue.\u00a0 That probably won’t change anytime soon, and never globally self correct.<\/p>\n