This is part of my new, ongoing series of YouTube videos, with this one serving as a direct update to an article published here on the Original Prop Blog back in May of 2010. At that time, there were questions about a prop lightsaber up for auction attributed to the character of Darth Vader in the film, Return of the Jedi. Some of these questions were raised in my article published on May 31, 2010 (Profiles in History ‘Hollywood Auction 40′ Video Preview: Darth Vader Lightsaber Prop from ‘Return of the Jedi’). Don Bies, former curator of the Lucasfilm Archives, has provided some information relevant to those outstanding questions, which is shared in this latest YouTube video. [Read more…]
YouTube Close-Up Look – Luke Lightsaber Auction Part 5: Profiles in History Withdraws Lightsaber From Auction
This is a Part 5 follow-up my Part 1 , Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 close-up looks at the “[o]riginal production used “Luke Skywalker” lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope from the collection of Oscar-winning set decorator Roger Christian” featured in the upcoming Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 96” taking place on December 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th. This latest video features news of the lightsaber being withdrawn from auction by Profiles in History, per a report from Reuters. [Read more…]
YouTube Close-Up Look – Luke Lightsaber Auction Part 4: Roger Christian Responds
This is a Part 4 follow-up my Part 1 , Part 2 and Part 3 close-up looks at the “[o]riginal production used “Luke Skywalker” lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope from the collection of Oscar-winning set decorator Roger Christian” featured in the upcoming Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 96” taking place on December 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th (the lightsaber specifically is scheduled to go under the hammer on December 13th). This latest video highlights a “Reader Comment” made today by Roger Christian himself. As he took the time to respond to some of my questions in my prior videos as well as correct a few mistakes made by me, I wanted to bring attention to the comment that he published in order to share it with anyone who might have watched prior videos on YouTube and/or read prior articles here on the Original Prop Blog. One of my primary questions was whether or not the prop lightsaber seen in the photos on the Letter of Authenticity (LOA) is the same lightsaber or a different lightsaber from the one up for auction and as seen in the photos published by Profiles in History in their auction catalog and in the online listing at iCollector. Today, Roger Christian says that: “[t]he two photos immediately below my signature in my COA depict the exact same lightsaber that is being sold by Profiles in History”. [Read more…]
YouTube Close-Up Look – Luke Lightsaber Auction Part 3: Which Lightsaber Is Original?
This is a Part 3 follow-up my Part 1 and Part 2 close-up looks at the “[o]riginal production used “Luke Skywalker” lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope from the collection of Oscar-winning set decorator Roger Christian” featured in the upcoming Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 96” taking place on December 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th. This latest video primarily looks into additional discrepancies between the lightsaber depicted in the Letter of Authenticity (LOA) and the lightsaber depicted in the auction catalog, in the online iCollector listing, and that was on display at San Diego Comic Con earlier this year, as well as Roger Christian’s own characterization of the same in various interviews over the years. [Read more…]
YouTube Close-Up Look – Luke Lightsaber Auction Part 2: Is The Lightsaber In The LOA Different From The One Up For Auction?
This is a Part 2 follow-up to my last YouTube video taking a close-up look at the “[o]riginal production used “Luke Skywalker” lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope from the collection of Oscar-winning set decorator Roger Christian” featured in the upcoming Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 96” taking place on December 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th. This latest video primarily looks at the discrepancies between the lightsaber depicted in the Letter of Authenticity (LOA) and the lightsaber depicted in the auction catalog, in the online iCollector listing, and that was on display at San Diego Comic Con earlier this year. [Read more…]
YouTube Close-Up Look – Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 96” Luke Skywalker Lightsaber from Star Wars: A New Hope
This is part of my new, ongoing series of YouTube videos, with this one taking a close-up look at the upcoming Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 96” taking place on December 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th. As a follow-up to the previously posted overall preview of the auction, this latest video editorial specifically takes a closer look at Lot 1479 described as the “[o]riginal production used “Luke Skywalker” lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope from the collection of Oscar-winning set decorator Roger Christian”. [Read more…]
New Original Prop Blog YouTube Channel – Introduction & Overview
This is the first in a new series of videos that I will be publishing on YouTube, to supplement the ongoing content on the Original Prop Blog. I have in the past published the occasional video on YouTube, but I saw the platform more as a place to host videos rather than as a “channel” per se, so mixed among content intended for the Original Prop Blog were other videos that had nothing to do with the Original Prop Blog. So this is a brand new channel going forward, and my hope and intentions are to use the video format more regularly in order to produce some different content than what has been the norm. Further explanations are provided in this first introductory video. [Read more…]
The 11th Annual Original Prop Blog “Year in Review” for 2017: News, Developments, and Trends in Collecting Original TV & Movie Props, Costumes and Pop Culture Memorabilia
As per tradition, (see 2007 Year in Review, 2008 Year in Review, 2009 Year in Review, 2010 Year in Review, 2011 Year in Review, 2012 Year in Review, 2013 Year in Review, 2014 Year in Review, 2015 Year in Review, 2016 Year in Review), what follows is an editorial featuring my personal observations and opinions with regards to the business of buying, collecting, selling, and preserving original pop culture artifacts used in film and television productions. A look back at interesting trends, developments, and news stories from 2017. As is always the case, this is a completely subjective exercise, and merely touches on the developments and events that relate to the hobby and art market. [Read more…]