Article Summary: Observations and questions raised about a Raiders of the Lost Ark clapperboard listed on eBay, and a seller using photos from other sites (Prop Store of London and My Props) as his own.
Market Watch: Raiders of the Lost Ark Clapperboard?
I came across this eBay listing yesterday, Raiders Of The Lost Ark Clapperboard Prop Indiana Jones [item number 140112205084], and sent the seller an inquiry into the provenance of the piece.
My message to templar*treasures:
Thu 4/26/2007 8:46 PM
Hello,
I was interested in your Raiders slate – can I ask about the chain of ownership and provenance?
Also, I see from your About Me link you seem to have some sort of store front… Do you have a retail store or website?
Thanks,
Jason De Bord
The response from templar*treasures:
Fri 4/27/2007 12:27 AM
Hi the Raiders clapperboard was obtained from Ray Hanson a collector in london he also done some work on the movie we have had the board confirmed at elstree studios we our currently working on a website the store you see is our trade stall we attend shows and conventions then put people on our mailing list here in england. Thanks for your intrest.
A follow-up question from me:
Fri 4/27/2007 12:30 AM
Hello,
Who was the collector in London? Was that Elstree Props?
How did Elstree confirm it as original/authentic?
Thanks again,
Jason
Another response from templar*treasures:
Fri 4/27/2007 5:23 AM
The collector worked on the raiders movie and it was taken to elstree to be comfirm its authenticity. the board was made specificly for raiders of the lost ark for close face shoots talking. etc.
In the mean time, in discussing with Simon Lee of DieHardProps.com, he pointed out to me that the eBay “Me” page had text lifted from the Prop Store of London website and photos from the MyProps.co.uk site…
From the templar*treasures Me page:
Welcome to Templar*Treasures, vendors of movie props and costumes as memorabilia.
Our stock comprises of 100s of original props and costumes from a huge range of films. We offer our clients the opportunity to obtain exclusive items that are becoming recognised as a new form of art: “Prop Art”. Items that have been painstakingly created by talented industry professionals for use in film and television productions around the world. We believe that these items of cinema history. And as such should be preserved and presented at their very best to collectors to ensure their survival as part of our heritage for future generations to enjoy.
The production used items within our inventory originate from our many sources around the world. Our passionate team of film enthusiasts are constantly striving to locate and preserve these movie artifacts.
Our Aim is to Supply You With the Hardest to Find and the Most Exciting Collectable of All – Screen Used Movie Props and Related Items
We offer a full framing and mounting service for all props, photos, and costumes to all our customers
-Please inquire for more information-
From the Prop Store of London website:
Welcome to the Prop Store of London, one of the world’s leading vendors of movie props and costumes as memorabilia.
Our stock comprises of thousands of original props and costumes from a huge range of films. We offer our clients the opportunity to obtain exclusive items that are becoming recognised as a new form of art: “Prop Art”. Items that have been painstakingly created by talented industry professionals for use in film and television productions around the world. We believe that these items of cinema history. And as such should be preserved and presented at their very best to collectors to ensure their survival as part of our heritage for future generations to enjoy.
The production used items within our inventory originate from our many sources around the world. Our passionate team of film enthusiasts are constantly striving to locate and preserve these movie artifacts. The history and provenance of each item is thoroughly researched and is offered for sale with the assurance of a uniquely numbered hologramed certificate of authenticity.
Our gallery and warehouses are open to visitors by appointment – please contact us to organise a viewing.
The Prop Store of London is always interested in acquiring movie props and costumes from the smallest of items to the inventory of an entire film. Please contact us if you have items for our consideration.
Also, here is the templar*treasures photo from their eBay “Me” page (which they characterized in the response to my question about it as “the store you see is our trade stall we attend shows and conventions”):
Here is the photo from http://myprops.co.uk/:
Notice the templar*treasures photo above has been cropped to edit out the myprops watermark in the lower photo.
In my correspondence with this seller, I sent the following inquiry this morning:
Fri 4/27/2007 8:32 AM
I couldn’t help but notice your “Me” page has language that is exactly the same as the language on the Prop Store of London site – are you affiliated with Prop Store of London?
Also, the photos on your “Me” page are from a collector named [______] in the UK. Are you [______]?
Jason
After replying to two of my questions yesterday in regards to provenance, this morning I have received no responses to these questions about content from those two webpages. However, the “Me” page was taken down immediately – minutes after I sent the inquiry.
The templar*treasures “Me” page has since been revised as I wrote this article:
The authenticity of the Raiders slate is up for debate, but given that this new eBay user (“Member since: Mar-04-07”) with one (1) feedback seems to have taken content from other websites and characterized a photo not belonging to them as their “trade stall”, I would urge caution.
If anyone has any additional information in regards to this seller or the clapperboard, please feel free to contact me or respond to this post.
Here is a close-up comparison of the clapperboard shown in the behind the scenes photo with the one being offered in the auction:
Jason De Bord