U.S. District Judge Peter C. Dorsey today sentenced a Connecticut man, who plead guilty to committing fraud on eBay, to one year and one day in prison. He also ordered that he pay over a quarter of a million dollars in restitution, perform 150 hours of community service, and have three years of supervised release, following the completion of his prison term. [Read more…]
Jim Hambrick’s “Americana Hollywood Museum”: First Party Damage Appraisal at $111,500
In January, WSIL-TV Channel 3 and KFVS Channel 12 each broadcast reports about Jim Hambrick’s “Americana Hollywood Museum” being flooded due to a broken pipe, with Mr. Hambrick estimating over $100,000 in damages. Today, The Paducah Sun updates the story with Mr. Hambrick declaring $111,500.00 in memorabilia damage. [Read more…]
Jim Hambrick’s “Americana Hollywood Museum”: Additional News Coverage
Yesterday WSIL-TV Channel 3 in Southern Illinois broadcast a report about Jim Hambrick’s “Americana Hollywood Museum” being flooded over the weekend due to a broken pipe. A second report broadcast by KFVS Channel 12 surfaced on the Internet today with similar coverage emphasizing Mr. Hambrick’s report of over $100,000 in damages. [Read more…]
Jim Hambrick’s “Americana Hollywood Museum” Flooded, Reports Over $100,000 In Damages
WSIL-TV Channel 3 in Southern Illinois broadcast a report about Jim Hambrick’s “Americana Hollywood Museum” being flooded over the weekend due to a broken pipe. In the video and an associated news feature with reporting by the Paducah Sun, Mr. Hambrick reports over $100,000 in damages “to talk to the insurance company about”. [Read more…]
Dual Forbes Magazine Articles on Michael Shaw, Joseph Maddalena, The Wizard of Oz
There are two new features today on Forbes.com related to the original prop collecting hobby. One, “Behind the Scenes with an Obsessive Collector”, outlines Joseph Maddalena’s origins of acquiring an interest in collecting movie memorabilia, and his own lifelong pursuit for the broomstick from The Wizard of Oz. The other, “Inside the Search for Dorothy’s Slippers”, shares the story of the ruby slippers stolen from Michael Shaw in 2005. [Read more…]
Tools of Authentication: Categorizing & Classifying COAs
This is the first in a series of articles intended to discuss and build upon the tools of authentication: concepts, terminology, definitions, analysis, and more. While Certificates of Authenticity, or “COAs”, have been the topic of a number of previous articles, the scope of this feature is to define and categorize COAs by 1) their source and 2) their function. [Read more…]
“Original Prop Purchase Agreement” Template
One thing many collectors do not consider are the potential (unfortunate) “what if?” possibilities we can encounter in buying and selling original props, wardrobe, and other artifacts from film and television.
In the event a problem arises, it is best that both Buyer and Seller have a common understanding of the consequences and responsibilities.
Also, there are areas in which specifics are often not addressed or clarified appropriately, such as ancillary costs and other details beyond the “purchase price” (i.e. shipping costs, shipping method, etc.).
I recently developed an “Original Prop Purchase Agreement” for one of my own purchases, so I decided to simplify it, convert it into a more basic template, and offer it here as a tool for other collectors to consider, edit, amend, and/or employ however they see fit: [Read more…]
Challenging The Hobby: The COA & The Guarantee
Article Summary: An opinion piece about original prop Certificates of Authenticity and dealer/retailer “guarantees”, including the Origins of the COA, The “Guarantee” (Money Back, Lifetime), The Studio Reseller COA & Guarantee, The Professional Dealer COA – Issues of Lost Provenance, Professional Dealer COA Questions, Individual & Private Seller COAs & LOAs, and the Auction House COA & Guarantee. [Read more…]