Movie prop collecting as a business

December 18, 2007 9:56 PM

It's a bigger business. than you knew. International even. So big that there’s a secondary market of replicas of originals. Some are big, but some are tiny yet very ambitious about collecting. Many choose to build their own, and often they painstakingly document the process. And yes, there is a main watering hole where they ALL gather.
posted by asavage (37 comments total)

I'd like an official Indiana Jones fedora to wear when I'm out on the town.
posted by Pants! at 10:17 PM on December 18, 2007

I'd like a semi working alethiometer - one that has authentic looking exterior, dials and face, but something functional inside, like a GPS, garage remote control, WiFi detector or a TV-B-Gone.
posted by jaimev at 10:36 PM on December 18, 2007

Is there a collector's market for the shreds that are left after you blow up something on your show?
posted by Cranberry at 10:42 PM on December 18, 2007

Re: Cranberry

And if not, there should be.
posted by mrzarquon at 10:46 PM on December 18, 2007

I very proudly own Bruce Lee's undescended testicle. It gives me powers.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:21 PM on December 18, 2007 [1 favorite]

I became slightly addicted to this stuff after stumbling upon Premiere Props' ebay auctions for stuff. The really compelling stuff isn't the big ticket items like anything worn by a famous hollywood actress, but the total minutia of things like watches and keys and fake money used by stars. I found that with less successful films, you could pick up a leading actor's entire wardrobe for less than the cost of actually buying the clothes at a store.
posted by mathowie at 11:32 PM on December 18, 2007 [2 favorites]

Wow. Matt dresses in the clothes of stars of failed movies.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:37 PM on December 18, 2007 [6 favorites]

I have a "healthy" chocolate chip cookie made by Shirley MacLaine. Or is it some kind of oatmeal? You know - the kind made without butter... or flavor. Anyway, she handed out to the crew on set. I watched everybody else spit theirs out after she walked by. So I tanked her and palmed it then wrapped it in a napkin and pocketed it my grip bag.

I forgot about it until I moved six years later.

Now? I think it's in a plastic bag somewhere my wife has labeled "Shirley MacLaine's cookie."

Do think it's worth anything? Or should I eat it.
posted by tkchrist at 11:37 PM on December 18, 2007 [1 favorite]

Matt dresses in the clothes of stars of failed movies.

Failed? Corey Haim's Snowboard Academy and Demolition High were awesome movies!
posted by tkchrist at 11:46 PM on December 18, 2007

I was always a Feldman man myself. Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys? Not only a great film, but a wardrobe that Matt would just die for.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:51 PM on December 18, 2007

DON'T EAT THE COOKIE!
posted by wendell at 12:16 AM on December 19, 2007 [3 favorites]

pants! I have one- years ago a couple of fans of Raiders of the Lost Ark when they discovered that nobody made a truly accurate replica of the original hat (which changed in the second two movies-- not even the original hat maker could replicate it) got together and taught themselves millinery in order to make their own. They make about 1 per week.
When the new Raiders film started production, they sent out for samples from many top hat makers, and these two fanboys got the contract. Their hats grace Ford's head in the new film. I picked mine up about 6 months ago.

Confession:
I'm one of these collectors: I have a collection of mostly super esoteric stuff, much of it I'm not even allowed to acknowledge, as possession of said objects could compromise the people I got them from. Most of it I made myself. I've drawn my own map of middle earth, and I've sculpted my own Maltese Falcon (mine is currently the most accurate replica ever made, full-stop) which should be coming back from the foundry cast in Bronze any day now. Seriously.

When my C3po comes back from the chromer in a few weeks, my office will get very tiny.

I also have a massive collection of screen-used Mythbusters props (wink)
posted by asavage at 12:24 AM on December 19, 2007 [8 favorites]

Bah. Star Wars and IJ stuff is bush league. Go a little more off the beaten path!

I met a girl in college who wore a real shilling on a chain around her neck, and in that moment, I knew I was bisexual.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:31 AM on December 19, 2007

I've sculpted my own Maltese Falcon (mine is currently the most accurate replica ever made, full-stop)

Okay, you can't just toss that into the thread without providing us with more details -- and pictures! Please?
posted by Asparagirl at 12:39 AM on December 19, 2007

You know how you sit there and say "Yeah, that's nice and all, but I don't really see the point..." and then something comes along and, suddenly, you're in, you know exactly how everyone's feeling and you can't believe how badly you want something?

He's come to fix the cable.
posted by Katemonkey at 1:16 AM on December 19, 2007 [2 favorites]

I have a "healthy" chocolate chip cookie made by Shirley MacLaine.

Big deal. I have a bottle of salad dressing made by Paul Newman. It even has his face on the bottle.

I've sculpted my own Maltese Falcon

You can always get another son, but there's only one Maltese Falcon.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 2:44 AM on December 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

Also: does anyone know where I can get myself one of those replica Slave Leia's from the 'document the process' link? The loan for a single night will be more than adequate. I'll be wearing Nathan Detroit's fedora and pinstripe suit, if that helps.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 3:01 AM on December 19, 2007

Fedora jokes are so December 18.
posted by cgc373 at 3:11 AM on December 19, 2007

Of course, I read it that he'd sculpted his own Millennium Falcon.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:17 AM on December 19, 2007 [2 favorites]

Don't you have to cover the Falcon in black enamel before it's "legit"?

And congratulations on your first FPP, asavage. It must have been a big step for you, doing something so high-profile.
posted by XMLicious at 3:43 AM on December 19, 2007

I also have a massive collection of screen-used Mythbusters props (wink)

I have a feeling someone's retirement is going to be funded by an Ebay store!

Wetsuit - like new, only barfed on once
posted by Pollomacho at 4:11 AM on December 19, 2007

Some are big, but some are tiny

And some really are tiny.
posted by StickyCarpet at 5:50 AM on December 19, 2007

Those R2 folks are nuts, but in a mostly cool "I Wish I Had That Much Time To Devote To An Obsession" kind of way - My heart bleeds for "Slave Leia" though, she must be wondering how all those voice lessons and the dream of Hollywood stardom, or even just a decent living cranking out "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" commercials, died mostly naked in some nerd's living room.
posted by jalexei at 6:04 AM on December 19, 2007

Ooop, almost forgot:

I'd like an official Indiana Jones fedora to wear when I'm out on the town.

Both Herrington's and Hammachkkzerer Sclecmmmkzdsfsdmer offer versions (at widely disparate prices). Not sure if either is authentic, or made by the gents Mr. Savage mentions. They look reasonably close, but I'm not a hat man (nor an archeologist).
posted by jalexei at 6:14 AM on December 19, 2007

If I could own this dress, I'd die happy. (From White Christmas)
posted by nax at 6:45 AM on December 19, 2007

Ever since Blade Runner came out, I've wanted my very own Spinner. Deckard's pistol is interesting too.
posted by pax digita at 6:53 AM on December 19, 2007

"I think it's in a plastic bag somewhere my wife has labeled 'Shirley MacLaine's cookie.'"

Huh. You should've set your preferences to block all third-party cookies.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:56 AM on December 19, 2007

You know, it was bad enough that I found out last week Buzz Rickson was a real company, now you tempt me with this. Are you people trying to bankrupt me?!?
posted by 1f2frfbf at 7:35 AM on December 19, 2007

XMLicious, thanks for that. It took a while to realize what I wanted to post about.

pax digita, I've got a Spinner kit I bought last year, and then realized that it's very innacurate... (we're sticklers for accuracy) Funny thing about the accuracy thing though-- the prop making people labor for YEARS trying to find just the random piece of equipment that has the right thumbscrew for the pistol from Serenity, whereas me- having worked on these things for films, think only of an art director saying "can you make this like the picture?" I well know that the threshold for accuracy on film is very forgiving, and so am i.

If you really want a Blaster, I have one of this guy's metal blaster kits I'll let you have for about three hundred...

There's always trading going on too...
posted by asavage at 8:13 AM on December 19, 2007

Wanted: Decker's Blaster. And the Oscillation Overthruster from Buckaroo Banzai.

Also acceptable: A "tricorder" with a working PDA loaded with real instruments.

I had a friend who was a PA in the industry just to get his hands on used props. He had a pretty impressive collection of junk, stuff like the dummy riflestocks from Planet of the Apes, one of the earlier resin-casts of Decker's Blaster, a bunch of foam and latex application pieces and other various props, some stuff from Alien and Aliens, some ID4 stuff...

What was always most fascinating was how crappy most of the real, on-set props were built.

It seems to be a rule of thumb - if it looks too clean and too perfect it probably isn't a real prop. The "non-hero" Planet of the Apes rifles are laughable hunks of wood that look like some derelict kid's woodshop project. (The "hero" versions are detailed with metal, of course, for close-up shooting, but the vast majority of the "rifles" you see on screen are cleverly shaped and painted 2x4s.)

I learned later from a prop design house that specializes in signage, packaging and that sort of various assorted goods that it isn't the best propmakers that get the gigs. It's the fastest ones.

Destroying props on-set is part of the business, so you sometimes need lots of copies, and you need them fast. Considering that most props will be on screen for all of a few seconds and not subject to intense scrutiny, and considering how expensive shooting film with a whole crew of actors, stage hands and riggers is - it's the only way it can be.
posted by loquacious at 9:17 AM on December 19, 2007

There's a great video store here in Portland that has an impressive collection of costumes and props on display throughout the store. My favorite item, though, is not on the website - Orson Welles' sport coat from Touch of Evil.
posted by joseph_elmhurst at 9:27 AM on December 19, 2007

I've seen one of the two original Maltese Falcons. Harry Anderson owns one. He had it in his shop in New Orleans.

Me, I would have wanted Joel Cairo's cane.
posted by Astro Zombie at 9:33 AM on December 19, 2007

Ever since I was a little wee one and I first saw Deckard's blaster and the Space Marines M41A, I knew I wanted to make these things. I studied close up stills from the movies, and eventually came across the design schematics of how they were made and I realized that making Hero props was clearly the coolest job one could every possibly hope to have.

Sadly, living in Wisconsin there isn't a lot of market for really detailed Hero type props.

But I do have a lot of fun when I go to the range^* and people ask me what the fuck that thing I'm shooting is, or they see one a knife I made and wonder what purpose it could possible serve.

*: No one ever told me that weapon props weren't actually supposed to work. :)
posted by quin at 10:25 AM on December 19, 2007

oh yea...well I have the cane from Citizen Kane.
posted by ShawnString at 11:08 AM on December 19, 2007

I've got John Voight's Le Baron.

Buddy of mine lives out here was propmaster for Spider Man 2, the Amityville Horror, etc. I generally gnash my teeth at his collection of nifty stuff.
posted by Smedleyman at 11:59 AM on December 19, 2007

I found that with less successful films, you could pick up a leading actor's entire wardrobe for less than the cost of actually buying the clothes at a store.

I don't know why, but I laughed out loud at this. But now, Number One, your secret is out! Next week, I'm fighting you for Daniel Craig's pants.
posted by octobersurprise at 7:11 PM on December 19, 2007

I don't accept that Harry Anderson has one of the original falcons. It's too good a story. He claims he stole it. That's a street value of over a million bucks.
Given the number of crappy replicas there are out there, I'd be astonished if his was genuine. With a pic I could tell in a second or two though...

loquacious, you're right about the fastest modelmaker thing. I've hired the museum quality guys before and they're friggin useless for film work. That line of 'what's good enough for camera' is one of the hardest things to learn. Most people either have it or they don't.

I own several replicas of deckard's blaster, and last year actually finally bought all the orignal gun parts it's made from to make my own...

quin- at times, making hero props and sets was heaven on earth, to be sure. Going to work every day at Industrial Light and Magic for those years was pure pleasure. Great people, great craft. After a while it grated on me that I hadn't ever worked on a film that I actually liked. sigh.

I did spend 3 weeks on Galaxy Quest though.
posted by asavage at 10:56 PM on December 19, 2007