An eBay listing is scheduled to end tomorrow – “William Katt Greatest American Hero original costume” (eBay Item #220184242364) – which has raised concerns as to authenticity.
Because an original suit was copied many years ago, with replica suits introduced into the marketplace as real, it has made authentication of these suits highly problematic.
By way of back story, an original and authentic costume from Greatest American Hero has long been my most sought after piece. I have monitored the hobby for many, many years, and have yet to come across a confirmed authentic suit available for sale. Having said that, I have saved information over the years, and have files and information at my disposal to help me scrutinize these costumes, including copies of the original patterns and designs.
This week, I have communicated fairly extensively with the seller of this suit offered on eBay. What follows is an archive of the listing and marketing description:
Greatest American Hero Costume eBay Auction Archive
Marketing Description:
Hello. What I have here is a Greatest American Hero costume used in the TV series. Now it took me a long time to figure out what this outfit was. You see my brother passed away recently and left me this in his will. He didn’t leave a description of it at all, just “this outfit goes to…”. I searched on the internet for Will Katt (which is written on the top and pants) and came up with Katt Williams and others who didn’t seem to be the person until I came upon a reference to William Katt the actor and saw a photo of him in the costume and it all came together.
My brother worked in the TV industry in various positions at Disney, MGM studios, ABC and NBC and a few other I think. So he must have been given this or got it some other way. I really don’t know. He moved back to England after living and working in the USA since 1968 in 1991 (I moved to Australia in 1969) and he remained there until his death.I don’t have any interest in this costume, and would like to see it in the hands of someone who would treasure it as much as I’m sure my late brother did. This would make an interesting Christmas gift to any fan of the show.
Postage costs will vary depending on where you live, so please contact me for postage cost to your area. At the end of the auction, please contact me for total price.
If you would like to know anything more, please feel free to contact me. Thank you.
My communications with the seller have been friendly and cordial. As she reveals in the description, she does not know anything about the television series or original prop collecting.
I am friends with an industry professional who is the foremost expert on this television series and the original props and costumes from the show. I was able to get in touch with him yesterday to discuss the suit offered in this auction, as well as speak with him on the phone at length today.
This expert has three verified authentic William Katt hero suits – one example from each of the three seasons – from impeccable sources. He personally knows Judy Corbett (the original costumer designer), Stephen J. Cannell (the creator and executive producer), and William Katt (the star) and has discussed the production extensively with those individuals. He is also familiar with the details of the replica suits in the marketplace.
He shared with me the specific details and differences and “tells” of the original suits compared with the suit offered at auction, and he is confident that this suit is a reproduction, not an authentic and original suit from the production. I do not think it would be appropriate for me to share any of that information here publicly, but the differences cover specific elements of the costume – the chest emblem, the belt, the belt buckle, the zippers, the costume tags – and a variety of details – materials used, size, design, and more.
The expert has shared his assessment with the seller, via eBay, and the seller has publicly posted his comments and her reply on the “Q&A” area of the listing:
Q: I don’t know if you know this – but this costume is NOT screen used. It’s a repro done by a Florida dealer who is known for copying costumes and selling them off as “authentic” . I happen to own 4 costumes from the show, am friends with the people who made them as well as actor William Katt. The buckle pictured above was cast in resin from a metal buckle, the symbol is not constructed the same as originals, and the zippers on the leg are tab (never used) instead of teardrop shaped. It’s your choice to change the header of your auction to let people know what they are getting.
A: Hello, I will begin by saying that I do not have any knowledge of this dealer in Florida, although I have been educated by other members that this is a serious concern regarding authenticity. This whole experience has been very exciting, but my heart sinks when responding to a person such as yourself. You and others like you are so knowledgable on this subject, and the response to this outfit is overwhelming, as I just don’t have the knowledge or mental fortitude to cope with the constant questions. I have done my best to discover the meaning of this outfit, and I have done my best to bring it to public attention, in the hope that it was indeed valuable to someone, or in turn held in the hands of someone whom may appreciate it, as I’m sure my brother had for so many years. I do not know how or why my brother came to possess such an outfit, and I can only assume he would pass it onto me if it had some value. Among the vintage cars and Henry Scott Tuke paintings left for other members of the family, I was handed over this outfit. The company it must have kept with other very valuable possessions, leaves no doubt in my mind it is authentic. Thank you for your statement.
Jason De Bord