Pete writes:
Hello Space Freaks! As part of our ongoing coverage of major auctions in the
hobby we start 2019 off with a very special event: the first Vintage Toys & Collectible Auction from
Prop Store. For those who
don’t follow the collectible props market, Prop Store is one of the premier auction houses
for film-related props and artifacts. Today they are one of the most popular auction houses in the science fiction and movie industries as a whole with several major auctions taking place
every year across a multitude of items and generations.
From props to comics to now toys, this will be another landmark event for Prop Store. We at the Archive have been given access to some of the behind the scenes happenings that have brought two great things together: Prop Store and toys. We’ll cover a few of the items in the listings themselves, the format, but also a look into how this event came together.
But before we get into that, a check on the vitals:
Dates: February 28th and March 1st
Formats: Online, In Person (with voucher), Phone
Categories: Vintage toys and collectibles, crew-used items, partial collection of Howard
Kazanjian (Producer of Return of the Jedi).
Buyers Premium: 24%
Website: www.propstore.com
Catalog: Printed and PDF through website
Auction Lot Count: 783Key Auctions:
- Ride-on Speeder Bike MIB with Store Display
- Several Boba Fett MOCs including a Meccano
- Several Revenge of the Jedi Proofs Cards
- A near full run of MOC figures across all three movies.
The website is now live with the full catalog and bidding open.
When it comes to the catalog for the auction, it’s something
unique when compared with others. One thing that really differentiates it is the background and
educational aspects that are weaved in throughout the book. There’s a glossary, vocabulary and reference
information that have been included, along with some points on the pages
themselves, giving new or seasoned collectors a bit more information on the item and what they're bidding on.
Prop Store did an amazing job explaining the vintage toy segment to their prop customer base through insights and documentation. Covering topics such as prototypes and other pre-production pieces as well as basics of cardback variation and grading, the catalog is a book in and of itself and somewhat of a field guide for new and old collectors alike.
Like Hake's and a few other auction houses across the country, Prop Store still produces a printed catalog for their customers. You can get a copy by signing up online and registering for the auction.
As mentioned before, we got a look inside the auction through the mind of one of the event's experts, our own Chris Georgoulias.
Pete Fitzke: When it came to putting the auction together, what were
some of the things that stood out to you?
Chris Georgoulias: There was a lot of minutia and details that had to be
managed. A lot of the historical
information had to be created for the catalog from scratch and that's really time consuming. Not only the knowledge transfer, but getting the imagery sorted out. Grading is a new process for them. They aren’t used to
sending their stuff in and waiting to get it back. It creates challenges
logistically with pictures and other aspects of the process that Prop Store wasn’t used to.
CG: When you have a printed catalog, it makes the event feel more legitimate. Originally I didn’t think we needed a printed catalog, but they thought it would be a good idea, and it really does make a splash and help communicate what’s going on with the event and with what we're presenting.
PF: What would you want people to know about this auction?
CG: There are a few cool features that are unique to Prop Store. One is payment plans – a nice and unique option for the winners, more details are listed in the catalog. Another great payment option is payments from other people. Something you rarely see auctions houses do.
PF: What are some of your favorite items that will be up for auction?
CG: Wow, a few things that come to mind. The Speeder Bike in the original box with the display and inserts is a great piece. There aren't many of those around.
The Plush Chewbacca QC Sample is also really interesting as it's so close to the Canadian version, but Kenner, I've never seen one before.
The Plush Chewbacca QC Sample is also really interesting as it's so close to the Canadian version, but Kenner, I've never seen one before.
Another fun piece is the Bubbl-matic store display. It's not seen very often and is in great condition.
Lastly there's the X-Wing Aces Game. It's another piece from the Howard Kazanjian collection. What's unique is that is still has the moving label from Los Angeles to Marin County back in the day.
Lastly there's the X-Wing Aces Game. It's another piece from the Howard Kazanjian collection. What's unique is that is still has the moving label from Los Angeles to Marin County back in the day.
One piece that Chris didn't mention was the above soft copy for the Paploo coin from the 2nd series of the Ewoks cartoon series. Very rare for one of these to come out on the open market, and it's also being sold with an original sketch of the coin artwork.
That concludes our preview coverage of this auction. Check back for the results recap.
Wampa Wampa,
Pete
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