Writer Gary Baum has written an interesting primer on the art market for original production material from film and television for Hollywood Reporter, which was published today. It takes a look at the market from several viewpoints – the increasing market and values, theft and fraud, some of the motivations behind collecting – and he interviewed principals in the industry such as Max Anderson of the Stan Lee Museum, Steve Sansweet of Rancho Obi-Wan, Darren Julien of Julien’s Auctions, James Comisar of the Comisar Collection, Joe Maddalena of Profiles in History, collector David Mandel, Jeff Pirtle of NBCUniversal, Brandon Alinger of Prop Store, Catherin Williamson of Bonhams, Laura Woolley of The Collector’s Lab, Jacob McMurray of Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture, Margaret Barrett of Heritage Auctions as well as law enforcement, and it also gives some history of the hobby (and business) of buying and selling high end memorabilia. [Read more…]
Star Wars Celebration Preview: Original Movie Props, Costumes, & Artwork Discussion Panels and Events
Star Wars Celebration, the world’s only official Star Wars convention, is coming to Anaheim, California from April 16th to 19th. It is anticipated that 150,000 fans will be in attendance, which rivals San Diego Comic Con numbers. With much to see and do and a focus on the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, there is still quite a bit to look forward to for those focused on original props and costumes. I’ve gone through the published scheduled and put together the highlights below, which might be of interest to readers of the Original Prop Blog who also are fans of Star Wars. [Read more…]
Tour of ‘Rancho Obi-Wan’, Steve Sansweet’s Star Wars Memorabilia Collection and Museum, Part 2 of 2
This is a continuation of my article about a visit to Mr. Steve Sansweet’s ‘Rancho Obi-Wan’ museum in Sonoma County. This second part includes additional photos from my visit yesterday – click here for Part 1. [Read more…]
Tour of ‘Rancho Obi-Wan’, Steve Sansweet’s Star Wars Memorabilia Collection and Museum, Part 1 of 2
This past weekend, I had an opportunity to spend some times with friends and Mr. Steve Sansweet at his ‘Rancho Obi-Wan’ museum in Sonoma County. Mr. Sansweet is famous worldwide for his incredible collection of Star Wars artifacts and memorabilia, having written and published many books, as well as having worked for Lucasfilm for over 15 years as Director of Content Management and Head of Fan Relations. His museum holds over 200,000 Star Wars items and spans over 9,000 square feet, and being able to view his diverse and comprehensive collection is truly amazing. Please note this is being broken into two parts due to the large number of photos – click here for Part 2. [Read more…]