Article Summary: A Featured Interview with Stephen Lane of The Prop Store of London.
Featured Interview: Stephen Lane, The Prop Store of London
I am happy to have an opportunity to present another interview with another pioneer in the online collecting community.
Stephen Lane is the owner and founder of The Prop Store of London, regarded as the premiere professional dealer that caters to the serious original prop collector as well as new hobbyists.
Stephen founded his business in 1998 and is one of the few dedicated prop businesses fully staffed by fellow collectors, which is obvious to those who do business with them. You can learn more about The Prop Store of London via their “About Us” page on their website.
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Q. Of course, the most obvious questions first… One, how did you become interested in the hobby, and two, how did that interest become transformed into such a successful business?
From a very young age I’ve always collected things. The list of things I’ve collected is too long to mention but about 15 years ago I was collecting movie related toys. While at a show I was approached by a crew member who offered me a Rebel blaster from Star Wars A New Hope. I thought it was really cool and bought it. The blaster interested me so much that I decided to investigate its history. Long story short it all checked out and I was hooked! I was amazed I could own such an item and began the search for similar artifacts. The rest as they say…
The business side of things simply grew from the trading I was then doing to improve my own collection. I decided to deal in these items full time around 1998 and it ballooned so quickly that I had to take on full time staff. Prop Store now employs 7 people full time and we all have a pretty good time.
Q. In the number of years you’ve been involved in the hobby, one is the biggest development that has genuinely surprised you?
The amount of ever increasing demand for these items. We all know how cool it is to own a piece of your favourite movie but it never fails to amaze me just how diverse and eclectic our customers are.
Q. What are your thoughts on eBay and its impact on the hobby?
Initially eBay was the website. The Internet in general revolutionized the way I (and everyone else) did business and eBay was the hub of that. Industry people suddenly found an easy way to sell the “junk” they had in their attics and we collectors consumed it all. As the hobby has grown and the prices have followed upwards eBay has become steadily worse, now little more than a flea market – a haven for fraudsters and get rich quick scammers. A great shame.
Q. In your experience as a retailer, what are three companies represent the largest marketplace in the collection of original props? In what order?
The Prop Store of London
The Prop Store of London
The Prop Store of London… :)
Q. What are your views on the increasing inventory within the hobby – the growing number of sources to acquire props and the volume of props becoming available? Do you foresee this increasing or decreasing?
The supply chain to market place doesn’t seem to have expanded too much since the launch of some the U.S. clearance-style operations. Studios occasionally have sales and eBay is eBay. Low end items, wherever they might be obtained, help to encourage new collectors but its the vintage and high end items that are always in particular demand and these will always be limited in supply.
Q. What about the number of new collectors coming into the hobby?
This hobby is still very young. I see nothing but expansion and growth.
Q. How much do you think the online community is a reflection of the hobby as a whole, in terms of the collectors that are active on the forums, etc.?
I think it’s a fair reflection. There are many collectors who are very private, both in their lives and their collections and would never dream of speaking or involving themselves or their collection publicly. There are also members of forums who rarely post but monitor the comings and goings and post when a topic is of interest or is something they can contribute to. There are also forums and arenas of conversation that are not open to all and it is difficult to ascertain the measure of overall involvement. There are still many collectors out there who do not use the Internet. Many of our own customers still only purchase on the phone or by personal visit; some even travel to the UK expressly to see us.
Q. Do you have any thoughts on where new hobbyists are coming from? General awareness of the hobby? Transition from other hobbies (replicas, toys, etc.)? A crossover based on the property (such as Star Trek fans becoming interested in props in that they are one of many types of memorabilia)?
I think all of the above. Most people in this hobby have moved into it from another similarly related area or prop collecting runs parallel to an existing collection.
Q. What do you feel is the number one greatest concern for collectors acquiring new props, and how would you recommend they avoid such a potential danger?
Knowing that you are buying authentic items. If you are not buying a genuine piece then you are throwing your money away. As to how to avoid this, well that’s the question that occupies us all and consumes most of the conversation on forums and blogs. Do your research. Watch the movie concerned, make sure your intended purchase matches up on screen. Above all check the accompanying provenance. Is your supplier reputable? Is there a money back guarantee?
Q. I know we discussed this a bit on the MPF… How do you feel about COAs? What does “money back guarantee” mean to PSoL?
COA’s are only as good as the company the issues them. If the company has no reputation then neither does the COA’s. We are proud to stand by our money back guarantee (although from memory we’ve not had to put it into practice). We feel that its important that the COA is fully transferable too – what is the point of a COA that is only good for the original purchaser? The MPF discussion was useful and we tweaked our policy inline with some of the comments posted. We always welcome feedback in any way to try and improve our service. [see Movie Prop Forum topic: “COA, Money Back Guarantee, Lifetime Guarantee – What does this mean to the collector?“]
Q. Generally speaking, how much more rare and difficult to obtain are props and wardrobe from the 80s in comparison to the 90s and current day pieces? Do you foresee an even greater demand, and hence, bigger disparity in values?
I think the availability of modern titles is a bit of an illusion. If you stop and think about how many movies were released worldwide last year – how many of those titles you have seen items from?
A large proportion of collectors go for 80’s movies because these were the movies they grew up with; when items are found from these films they are often the only surviving version of that piece. Kids growing up now could possibly be as keen on items from their childhood once they have the disposable income to start their collection. They may be as excited about items from the 90’s and 00’s as some of us are about the 70’s / 80’s etc. and perhaps by that time far less will be around from those films than there is now.
It never surprises me to hear the story of the father who had a Stormtrooper helmet or similar that he gave to his son when he was a kid to play with. The piece now lost/destroyed is today incredibly rare. Perhaps the same fate might befall items from todays films, which collectors now might disregard as not worthy of keeping.
Q. Do you think pricing and market values will trend up, down, or stay the same? What about “A-list” pieces vs lesser pieces? How do you think increasing inventory will play a role?
I think an “A-list” item will hold its value even if the overall market were to fall. I think in any marketplace the best items retain interest and value. As regards to “lesser” items then that is a little more variable. “Lesser” items from Lord of the Rings for example will probably at least keep their value, “lesser” items from Ecks Vs Sever might not. The example is extreme but valid. It’s back to the regular advice we give when asked: “always buy the best you can afford” and if you “buy what you love” then the value should be secondary anyway and the whole argument is moot.
Q. I noticed the term “Prop Art” on your website… How long have you been using that term? What does it mean to you?
I started using that term two or three years ago. When you step back and look at some of the props being produced its clear that they were made by skilled artisans, people at the top of their trade. In any other field the items would be considered art, worthy of public display even without their movie history, and so the phrase was coined.
Q. What traits and characteristics of PSoL set you apart from other prop retailers and resources?
We strive to provide the kind of service that we would like to receive if we were the customer. Most of the team here are long-time collectors and we are all passionate about what we do. We hope it shows.
Q. Is it difficult to handle so many great pieces and let most of them go to other collectors and customers? Is there any piece in particular that you wish you had set aside for your own collection?
Oh yes absolutely. There have been so, so many. When I first started the company, I couldn’t really afford to keep any key items. It’s only in the last 2 – 3 years that I’ve started building my own personal collection again.
Q. Do you have a favorite piece in your personal collection?
That’s a tough question to answer. There are a couple of pieces that I own which are very dear to me from my work with Stuart Freeborn which are right up there at the top. I also love model miniatures and I have a few great examples of those. In addition I’m a big fan of movie Space Suits and Robots of which I have about 12 complete examples ranging from John Hurt’s suit from Alien to T’pol’s suit from Enterprise. I also own some serious weaponry too – Harrsons Ford’s Hero Pistol from Raiders of the Lost Ark and the hero live fire (now decommissioned) Pulse Rifle from Aliens to name a couple….having been collecting for 15 + years I would find it pretty tough just to pick one favourite piece….I love this stuff!!
[click for ful-size image of Spock and T’Pol space suits from Star Trek]
Q. What do you think will be the biggest change in the hobby 10 years from now?
My prop crystal ball is a bit cloudy today – I’ll get back to you on that in about 9 years and 11 months.
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Thanks again to Stephen for taking the time to answer questions and for sharing his perspective and experiences with the readers of the site.
On a personal note, I’ve done a substantial amount of business with Stephen and the group at The Prop Store of London. I am appreciative of the fact that they have a successful, professional business that caters to collectors. It’s also important to recognize that they are all active members of the online community and strive to solicit input from hobbyists and, consequently, incorporate some of that feedback into their operations and policies.
Jason De Bord