As explained in past articles and coverage, my experience with San Diego Comic Con (or Comic Con International) goes back to the late 80s, as I started attending around 1986 or 1987 or so (several years before I was even old enough to drive). So it’s always a bit remarkable to take a moment within the exhibit hall and just let the enormity of it all, as it lives and breathes today, soak in It is just a massive, massive event, and an awesome one at that. [Read more…]
San Diego Comic Con 2012: Profiles in History Auction Preview
Profiles in History has long held exhibitor space at Comic Con in San Diego as a way to build awareness of their brand and promote their regularly scheduled auctions. This year, they are promoting their two television and movie prop and costume auctions for July – The Dreier Collection, Part 1 and Hollywood Auction 49. [Read more…]
San Diego Comic Con 2012: Prop Store Original TV and Movie Props and Costumes on Display
2012 is Prop Store’s fifth year exhibiting at Comic Con in San Diego, and they continue to improve on their visually pleasing presentation and wide ranging original props and costumes on display. This year, the centerpiece holding the front corner spot is John Hurt’s spacesuit from Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979). Again, the booth features both items from their private collection as well as material for sale (the latter at a variety of price points). [Read more…]
Profiles in History ‘Hollywood Auction 49′ TV & Movie Prop Catalog Available Online for Sale Event July 30-31
Profiles in History’s Summer auction catalog, “Treasure from the Vaults” (or Hollywood Auction 49) – coinciding with the ‘Drier Collection, Part 1’ and ‘Animation Auction’ sales the days prior – is now available in print as well as online, via their official site. This portion of their larger auction is scheduled for July 30th to 31st at their Calabasas Hills facility. [Read more…]
Profiles in History “Peer Review” on George Reeves Superman Cape; More on 12/29/75 Western Costume Letters
As noted in recent articles (see Profiles in History Pledges More Transparency; Open Q&A On Website Regarding Provenance, Authenticity, Other Questions and Profiles in History Pledges More Transparency: Update & Response to “What We Are Currently Working On”), Profiles in History’s General Manager, Fong Sam, has written about embracing what they call “the concept of auctions as peer review” with regards to “verifying provenance” of material listed for public sale in their auction catalogs on his haxbee.com site. With their upcoming sale, The Dreier Collection, Part 1, a few principals in our art market have raised questions with me privately with regards to one of the items listed for auction, Lot 106 GEORGE REEVES “SUPERMAN” CAPE FROM THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN. Since the suggested resource on the Profiles in History website has yet to be created, I thought I would publish those questions raised with me in this article as part of the public “peer review” process with Profiles in History. [Read more…]
Profiles in History ‘Dreier Collection, Part 1′ TV & Movie Prop Catalog Available Online for Sale Event July 28th
Profiles in History’s ‘Drier Collection, Part 1’ auction catalog is now available in print as well as online, via their official site. This auction is scheduled for July 28th at their Calabasas Hills facility. [Read more…]
D23 Presents “Armchair Archivist: Avengers Edition” Video Interview with Kevin Feige
Josh with Disney D23 has published a great video featuring an interview with Kevin Fiege, Producer of The Avengers and President of Marvel Studios. They take a tour of props and costumes from films set in the Marvel Universe. [Read more…]
Profiles in History Sells ‘Captain America’ Hero Costume for a Quarter of a Million Dollars… Revenge of the “Hype Premium”? Alternate Explanation?
It would appear that auction house Profiles in History had an unbelievable success with their Captain America: The First Avenger Auction event this past weekend, on behalf of Marvel Studios. The stand out single sale, of course, was “Lot #154 Captain Amerca complete hero suit“, which sold for $233,700 ($190,000 hammer plus $43,700 Buyer’s Premium). Over a quarter of a million dollars for one of presumably multiple copies of a costume from a movie that was released nine months ago. I am not easily surprised by anything in this art market, but this I find astounding and shocking. And my first thought immediately went to a concept discussed on this site in the past – the “Hype Premium” – but even that cannot come close to explaining this auction result.