Icon: enlarge
Prop store manager Stephen Lane with a lightsaber from the Star Wars movie
Photo:
JOHN SIBLEY / REUTERS
Feeling as heroic as Tom Cruise in "Top Gun" or following in the footsteps of Julia Robert - that could soon be possible for fans.
At an auction in London in December, nearly a thousand memorabilia from major Hollywood films are auctioned off.
Including the patent leather boots from "Pretty Woman" (valued at over 10,000 pounds) or the bomber jacket from "Top Gun" (over 12,000 pounds).
The pieces in the annual live auction were tracked down by the head of Prop Stores through his network of filmmakers, actors and crew members, production companies and collectors.
"I started Prop Store out of a passion for collecting and it's all about hunting," Stephen Lane told Reuters.
"A lot of these artifacts are just thrown away at the end of production," Lane said.
Some of the props on this year's list came up unexpectedly.
Lane, a passionate "Star Wars" fan, visited a crew member who had put his treasure trove of props from the science fiction series in his house.
He discovered another piece of movie magic - the crystal ball David Bowie used in "Labyrinth".
"We'd spent about three hours in a room looking at the 'Star Wars' props, and it was a piece he just didn't think anyone would care."
Lane now plans to sell the crystal ball for around £ 15,000.
The demand for film equipment is particularly high due to the corona crisis
In total, more than 900 items from over 350 films and television programs will be auctioned in the two-day online sale.
One of the highlights is Obi-Wan Kenobi's lightsaber from "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith".
It is estimated at up to £ 120,000.
Also on the auction block are the red leather jacket Brad Pitt wore in the "Fight Club" in 1999 (estimated at £ 20,000 to £ 30,000) and Captain Jack Sparrow's hat from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (£ 10,000 to £ 15,000) .
The customer visits and sales usually take place in central London.
However, due to the corona crisis, the auction this year has to take place online and in the Prop Store warehouses.
However, according to Lane, the pandemic has also had an unexpected impact on interest in the memorabilia.
"The number of calls for our auctions was absolutely high this year," said the auctioneer.
"We think it's because people just aren't really entertained. They don't travel, they don't move."
Icon: The mirror
svv / Reuters
