As was the case in previous years (see 2007 Year in Review, 2008 Year in Review, 2009 Year in Review, 2010 Year in Review), what follows is an editorial featuring my personal observations and opinions with regards to the business of buying, collecting, selling, preserving original pop culture artifacts – looking back at the top trends, developments, and news stories of 2011. As is always the case, this is a completely subjective exercise, and merely touches on the developments and events that relate to the hobby.
11) Authenticity Questioned? Sellers Sell Anyway… And Buyers That Buy First, Ask Questions Later
As we see year after year, certain pieces come up for auction that range from questionable to obviously inauthentic, and in spite of this, the dealer/seller/auction house proceeds with going forward with the offer for sale. In some cases, pieces are publicly questioned, and in others, I hear from individuals who contact the seller/auction houses privately, and the concerns expressed (and in some cases irrefutable evidence showing something is not as advertised) seem to have no affect.
I also continue to receive phone calls and e-mails from collectors who buy something that is obviously problematic, with readily available information and resources to illustrate why, and they come to me wanting to tell them that it is real… with no interest in what I would characterize in “self help”, and I’m left wondering how it is that they believe that I can help them.
I am hopeful that the marketplace evolves in the future whereby buyers employ more caution on the front end rather than after having already completed a transaction. But I think some operate in a world where if someone buys (literally and figuratively) what they have to sell, it is acceptable. And others buy with the expectation that if they are able to without someone intervening to stop them, it must be genuine. These two worlds colliding does the field no good, but I don’t have much to suggest to curb either one.
10) The Success (and reliability) of Estate Sales
While estate-style sales are a staple of the marketplace, it seemed as though in 2011 we saw some that were both prominent and very successful, most notably the John Wayne sale handled by Heritage Auction Galleries and the Elizabeth Taylor sale events managed by Christie’s. This year also saw Doyle New York offering pieces from the Douglas Fairbanks Jr estate and Julien’s Auctions holding events for Tony Curtis and Bette Midler.
Estate sales handled by reputable auction companies are great for the field as they offer material from a specific individual, and the issues involving authenticity, as far as “owned by” status, are removed from the equation.
9) Crowdsource Buying?
One new development we witnessed in 2011 was the notion of “crowdsource” purchasing. Crowdsourcing is a term that generally means appealing to the public, typically via the Internet, to collectively join in an effort. As applied to this marketplace, it obviously involves raising money to purchase a high value (and likely high profile) prop or costume.
Such an attempt was made by a company looking to purchase the Marilyn Monroe Seven Year Itch “subway dress” offered at auction by Profiles in History in their first Debbie Reynolds auction (more on the dress and the auction further down the list).
As articulated in two articles published on the OPB in 2011 (LINK #1, LINK #2), this effort raised some questions, which resulted in some answers, but I personally remain skeptical of the idea of anyone seeking large sums of money donated from strangers in order to purchase an expensive piece at auction. There is some presumptuousness in the arguments about “saving”, “preserving”, and/or preventing an item from being hidden away from the public, when one cannot know the outcome of an auction before it happens, nor the intentions of other prospective, competing bidders. And, if successful, someone or some organization will then own the item in question, so it seems like an inherently problematic proposition from my standpoint.
8) (Some) Fraud in the News
While in substance it generally amounts to mere token efforts compared to what truly occurs in the collecting fields, some fraud-related stories do manage to make the mainstream media, year after year.
In 2011, we saw an update on the ongoing saga regarding the vintage poster scandal, a new story about an entertainment memorabilia dealer on eBay pleading guilty to fraud charges, and more stories in the sports memorabilia field regarding court cases and FBI investigations.
I continue to await the day when there is substantial interest by both law enforcement agencies and the mainstream media in focusing on the field of original television and movie props and costumes. There is perhaps more blatant, and possibly more lucrative examples in this specific market than compared with sports memorabilia and posters/lobby cards. But I think it is also much more niche and also a more sophisticated field for law enforcement and mainstream news media to understand. But I am confident that it will happen one day, and happen in a big way.
In the meantime, I fairly regularly receive unverified information and claims from interesting sources regarding serious accusations of fraud and other crimes, from some surprising sources, including from individuals claiming to be former employees and even family members and other close associates of certain individuals and parties. While I may not respond to most of this, I do keep meticulous records, and when the day comes that the FBI, 60 Minutes, 20/20, Dateline, or other law enforcement or mainstream media outlets come knocking on my door, I can point them to some potentially interesting and fruitful sources of information.
7) Pop Culture Mecca – San Diego Comic Con
While I have only been providing annual news coverage of San Diego Comic Con since 2008, I have been attending the show fairly regularly going back to the late 80s, so I have been able to witness its growth and evolution for some time. What is most fascinating is that every year it continues to get bigger and bigger, which for the past few years, hasn’t seemed possible.
One thing is certain – the event is the singular pop culture event of the year, every year. If you have never attended, it is highly recommended, though it has become increasingly near impossible to secure both tickets and lodging. I do make attempts to alert OPB readers to such opportunities via the official OPB Twitter account. Outside of auctions, there are no other regular gathers of individuals from this hobby and art market, so everything else aside, it is a wonderful opportunity to meet and meet up with others who collect, sell, and/or preserve original pop culture artifacts.
6) Collector Loses Lawsuit Against Julien’s Auctions
One of the more interesting legal cases (and outcomes) of 2011 was the lawsuit filed by a collector against Julien’s Auctions and other parties involved in the canceled Michael Jackson auction.
The Original Prop Blog followed this story from its origins, going back to the initial, separate legal wranglings leading up to the eventually canceled sale of what would have been a huge collection of Jackson’s personal property from Neverland Ranch.
Following the canceled sale, collector Richard LaPointe filed suit against Julien’s Auctions, MJJ Productions, and others, originally claiming $5 million dollars in damages, having placed online bids in advance of the live auction date (though paid no money for any item, since the auction never happened), prior to the auction being canceled.
This was major news in the mainstream media, with the Beverly Hills Courier providing leading reports on the trial. Their reporting served in part as the basis for the updates on the Original Prop Blog in 2011:
- Update on Collector Lawsuit Against Julien’s Auctions Over Canceled Michael Jackson Memorabilia Sale Event
- Beverly Hills Courier Reports on Partial Settlement of Michael Jackson Memorabilia Lawsuit with Collector Richard LaPointe
- Beverly Hills Courier Reports “Judge Rules In Favor of Julien’s Auction House” in Lawsuit Brought By Michael Jackson Memorabilia Collector Richard LaPointe
- Julien’s Auctions Files Lawsuit Against Live Auctioneers Over Michael Jackson “Neverland” Auction for Breach of Contract and Negligence
As reported in April of last year, the Michael Jackson estate agreed to a settlement prior to the trial (which as far as I know remains undisclosed), while Julien’s Auctions contested the complaint in court. The jury ultimately sided with the auction house, and the case was dismissed.
Darren Julien of Julien’s Auctions provided the Original Prop Blog with a statement and update:
Richard LaPointe was ordered to pay our court costs because he lost and he refused to pay. We then went after him in Canada and were about to put a lean on his home and he then suddenly paid our $50,000 plus in court costs. We are now going to be going after Richard LaPointe and Nicholas Hornberger [Plaintiff’s attorney] for malicious prosecution. Whenever someone falsely comes after us, we will always defend ourselves no matter what the costs and then when we win, we will go after them for malicious prosecution and/or any damages that they caused. They just chose to pick a fight with the wrong company this time.
In 2007-2009, another collector who sued Christie’s (for entirely different, though some would argue equally frivolous reasons) was also completely unsuccessful in his own efforts. In that case, the Supreme Court of New York’s Appellate Division ruled that a Star Trek fan did not deserve $7 million dollars in damages as a result being displeased with one of the three items won at the “40 Years of Star Trek” auction held by Christie’s. The buyer claimed that one of the original props – a poker visor attributed to Brent Spiner’s “Data” character in the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series – was not the one seen on screen in the final episode. He pursued his claim even though the official Christie’s lot/description amendment sheet pertaining to the visor added a note to the description of the visor in question, stating: “Please note this should read ‘made for’ and not worn by”. All related articles can be found here.
It will be interesting to see if individuals continue to file these kinds of lawsuits, perhaps expecting an easy settlement and finding another outcome that one would presume was entirely unexpected.
5) Hollywood History Museum (Academy Museum of Motion Pictures)
I have pretty consistently lamented over the fact that Hollywood, with all its money and resources, has no museum dedicated to important artifacts from film and television. That may finally change at some point in the future, based on promising news from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).
This news broke back in October, and while I have not come across any more recent or substantive updates, this is the most promising news for such a museum coming to be a reality.
Should it ever come to fruition, it will undoubtedly be the number one news story of the year for this art market, and would likely have some real impact on the field as well, on a variety of fronts.
4) Lucasfilm vs Ainsworth (Fill In Pun Here)
This was obviously the biggest court case of the year, and brings some closure (perhaps?) to the long ongoing legal battle(s) between Lucasfilm and their property and copyrights and Andrew Ainsworth and his unlicensed Star Wars-related replica props and costumes, which all began with the Stormtrooper helmet (which he helped to produce for the original Star Wars film released in 1977).
Given the wealth and resources of Lucasfilm, as well as strong opinions by the majority of people I interact with that they were in the right in protecting their property rights, the eventual outcome (with victory mostly won by Ainsworth) came as a surprise to many. In any event, the outcome will certainly have an impact on how companies do business with contractors and best try to protect their very valuable copyrights and property rights (particularly in the UK, where their Supreme Court ruled in a manner very different from the outcome in U.S. courts).
The Original Prop Blog published no less than nine articles on the case in 2011 alone (all related articles going back to 2007 can be found here).
3) ‘The Seven Year Itch’ Dress and… ‘Bachelor Flat’?
I believe 2011 will go down as a year with many huge successes for auction house Profiles in History, with the first Debbie Reynolds sale (see further below) being the biggest, and among that sale, the Marilyn Monroe “subway dress” from The Seven Year Itch being the most prominent piece, that brought over $5 million dollars and extensive mainstream media coverage.
Just days following the sale, Scott Fortner published an article on his Marilyn Monroe Collection Blog asking, “…But Was It THE Dress?”
Scott wrote an incredibly detailed and revealing analysis about the dress, with some speculation that the piece offered may have subsequently been altered and used in a comparatively obscure film, Bachelor Flat. Based on his published analyses, it would appear that was precisely the case.
The Original Prop Blog published a pair of articles itself, highlighting Scott’s work:
- The Marilyn Monroe Collection Blog Asks: “Was It THE Dress?” (Profiles in History’s Debbie Reynolds Auction)
- The Marilyn Monroe Collection Blog: New Evidence “The Seven Year Itch” Profiles in History Subway Dress Altered for “Bachelor Flat”?
Though the mainstream media was very interested in the dress and sale (particularly the amount the piece sold for), I’m not aware of any such outlet covering the story of Scott’s subsequent analysis and finding, which I personally find fascinating.
In addition to the questions raised in my articles (many of which remain unanswered), the developments related to the dress prompt many questions.
Given the high value and high profile nature of the dress, it is kind of shocking to me that any auction house would not first do a more thorough analysis of their own as to the authenticity of the piece, and history of its use afterward, as well as chain of ownership. Scott’s own research and findings were without benefit of hands on analysis, to which he relied on publicly available photos.
While all auction houses make mistakes, one would hope (and perhaps expect) more care and diligence would be taken with the premiere piece of a sale, in the biggest auction of the year. Coupled with past high profile missteps in authenticating and marketing high profile items, it certainly underscores the “as is, where is” nature of auction house sales and the old adage, “buyer beware”. Though it does appear to be a dress made for the film in question, The Seven Year Itch, I believe that the subsequent alterations to the piece for a much less “classic” film, Bachelor Flat, is absolutely material information and it does indeed affect the overall value (negatively), though that is merely my personal opinion.
In any event, in a year in which others in the field are talking about values and “the Bubble”, this sale would appear to be the high water mark, and in my opinion, it is worth underscoring the aspects of the sale that the mainstream media completely missed.
Lastly, an interesting point of comparison is the pair of ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz that were offered by Profiles in History at the end of the year. This was with similar media fanfare and publicity, and being what might be the world’s most iconic (an overused term, but never more appropriate than here) prop of all time, it is strange to me that it went unsold with a $2 million dollar opening bid – less than half of the subway dress. This leaves the question of values (and true, actual values) completely open, and raises “the Bubble” question.
2) Hollywood Treasure & “Reality” Television
Candidly, I don’t really know where to begin with this one. As friends know, I am not a fan of the show to say the least, though I was originally optimistic and initially very forgiving, I quickly found the series to be unwatchable, for a variety of reasons.
Given that some time has passed, I think it is only fair that I have an opportunity to publish an honest review and personal, subjective-minded assessment of the series overall. I would like to stress though, that 1) these are my personal opinions and 2) that I have not watched every episode (definitely less than half of the collective two seasons that have aired). However, I find it difficult to write a review, as there are so many things about the show that I personally dislike that I hardly know where to begin (I had much the same challenge telling people why I could barely sit through Indiana Jones 4 without walking out of the theater, if such an analogy can convey my sheer disappointment at opportunity squandered).
Going back to the beginning (for me personally), in 2010, I happened to come upon the filming of a segment at San Diego Comic Con for what ended up to be part of the third episode. Funny enough, you can see me taking photos in the background of the footage that aired on the series…
I am not naive when it comes to “reality TV” and television production in general, so seeing take after take of the same “scene” was not a shock. Seeing someone with a “Hunting Hollywood” (the original name of the show) shirt on feeding people lines… was kind of off-putting. But I figured that it was a new series finding its way and overcoming some hurdles, such as the wild environment of the floor of Comic Con. Having said all that, I definitely had some opinions formed about the series, based on my having witnessed it being filmed, and this was about three and a half months before the first episode debuted.
I was still optimistic that the series would spread awareness about this art market in a positive way, though perhaps it would take some time for it to find its feet and mature and evolve. In fact, such optimism was reflected in my #1 story for my 2010 Year In Review article – “Reality Television (Pawn Stars, American Pickers, Hollywood Treasure)”.
I had originally intended to publish reviews of each episode, which I did twice, covering four episodes (101 & 102, 103 & 104 – they were originally broadcast in pairs). Based on some of the problems I had with the series from the beginning, my reviews of them ended there, as I didn’t feel it would be productive to continue on, in what I speculated would be an increasingly negative and frustrated manner, and I was bothered on a personal level that an individual was featured in an episode that I simply cannot respect as a legitimate source of original props as was the context provided on the series. Following the first four episodes, I only watched more of the series based on others directing my attention to certain episodes and segments.
I had read with some interest a story on the Courthouse News Service Entertainment Law Digest about the lawsuit by one of the two Executive Producers on the first season of Hollywood Treasure against the other (and the related complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court), and wondered if the change in creative team on the second season might results in some changes to the series itself (especially the highly formulaic and staged nature of the show overall). Having watched a few episodes of Season Two, it would appear not.
In general, though touted as a “reality” television series, based on my knowledge of and experience in this field, I just cannot watch the show and enjoy it, as I am distracted by all that is presented that is not “real”.
From my personal perspective, on the reality television spectrum that spans from “real” and “unscripted” on one end to “staged” on the other, SyFy’s ‘Hollywood Treasure’ falls somewhere in the proximity of truTV’s ‘Lizard Lick Towing’. Everything else aside, I simply cannot suspend my disbelief to such an extent, and I don’t think that much staging and recreated (or even fantasy-based) reality has any place in an art market where credibility, honesty, and transparency is paramount.
I have had lengthy discussions with many, many individuals who have been approached to be on the show as well as some who have appeared on the show, and related stories have made me even more disappointed in what the show is, what it portrays, and the manner in which it is presented. I won’t go into the details and examples of what has been shared with me, but it’s left me of the personal opinion that our art market would be better served if the second season were also the last.
I still hold out hope that someday there may be a documentary-quality television series produced that better represents this field as it really is (the good, the bad, and the ugly), but in my personal opinion, it would have to be nearly the opposite of Hollywood Treasure in every way.
1) The Debbie Reynolds Auction, December 2011, and “The Bubble”
What a difference a year makes. “Debbie Reynolds” came in at #4 on my 2010 Year In Review article, though it was based on the mere speculation of the sale of her collection, which were just rumors at the end of last year.
As has already been touched on herein, it was a tremendous financial success for Ms. Reynolds and her auction partner, Profiles in History.
Would such benchmark-creating prices have been realized with an alternative auction house? Save Christie’s NY (a la Paramount’s Star Trek sale), probably not. Is this good for the field? It depends upon who you ask. Some I have spoken with absolutely believe the prices realized reflect an “artificially inflated market”. Time will tell.
Values aside, and regardless of your opinion about them, it did bring a lot of attention to the field, but that was, in large part, about the prices, so that kind of media attention is somewhat of a mixed bag.
My article about the sale at the time can be found here.
All of this of course leads into December 2011, a month with an astounding number of auctions and material, which was recently recapped in an Original Prop Blog article. I think 2011 is a year of notable events, and it take 2012 (or longer) to truly sort out what has happened, and the impact on the future of the hobby.
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In closing, as always , I would like to thank all of those in the field who have supported the site in a variety of ways. 2012 should prove to be an exciting year, and I have some great plans in the works…
Jason DeBord