This comment was posted by a reader last night, HERE:
Because of the nature of the blog, and reader comments getting lost in the mix, I thought I’d post a response here…
Really, you have to consider the provenance and authenticity of every purchase on a case-by-case basis.
If I had to make a characterization about eBay as a whole (apart from the studio endorsed/sanctioned resellers), there is probably a higher percentage of bad/questionable pieces. Having said that, I’ve gotten a few pieces from eBay auctions that are stellar, such as one piece direct from the propmaster from the film, with great provenance.
With auction houses, you have to understand and consider that they obtain pieces from a great number of sources, so the strength of provenance or authenticity of any one piece really comes down to 1) the source and history of the piece and 2) the way in which that auction house authenticates pieces for their auction.
Is it possible to get an inauthentic piece from an auction house? Absolutely? A professional dealer? Absolutely?
That is why it is critical from hobbyists to do a great deal of their own research into a piece on top of whatever the seller has done. As well as researching the seller and their history and record.
One source of investigating sellers and dealers is the Dealer Feedback forum on the Movie Prop Forum. This is a series of first hand accounts by hobbyists of their experiences with various dealers.
I will soon be launching a Dealer Feedback category for the OPB in which I will outline my own, personal reviews of deals and experiences I’ve had with various dealers and sellers in the hobby.
In terms of research, much of it can be borne of asking questions. One tool I’ve developed is the Original Prop Purchase Checklist & Questionnaire. The answers, or lack thereof, to these questions can better inform your decisions as the the authenticity of a piece.
Also important are considerations of “guarantees” from professional dealers. This, too, has been covered in the article Challenging the Hobby: The COA & the Guarantee. This is also an important consideration, in that if a piece is found to be inauthentic following the purchase, some businesses have remedies to this issue, some don’t, and the way in which it is handled is generally different for each and every dealer.
In terms of auction houses, many have no guarantee or limited guarantees (in which the auction house goes back to the consignor, sometimes at the expense of the buyer, to recover funds). I actually have a future article planned which reviews and outlines the terms of sale for many of the big auction houses.
In terms of feeling more comfortable with a purchase in direct proportion to the cost, I’ve found, from first hand experience, that there is not such a relationship. I had paid tens of thousands of dollars to one of the most reputable professional dealers in the hobby and received a piece that was clearly not what it was marketed to be.
So really, and I realize I am frequently redundant in this caveat, every prop acquisition should really be undertaken on a case-by-case basis. Assume nothing. Sure, reputations and what not should absolutely be a contributing consideration as to the overall assessment of authenticity, but it should be nothing more than one such consideration among many.
Thanks for the comments and questions, and I’m glad you found the OPB to be of help.
Jason De Bord
May 31st, 2007 at 9:17 am eI hope I am making this comment/question in the right area – if not, please forgive me
My collection has begun with a couple of Fox props, a couple of (questionable) Ebay purchases and 2 VERY expensive props from a larger firm that is mentioned in your blog elsewhere .. i am confused, i thought that buying through the larger houses would guarantee authenticity even though the prices were so expensive
Also – thanks for the blog – It’s exactly what I have been looking for :)))