I am in receipt of a phone call today from a gentleman from Missouri, calling me claiming that he was told by an eBay dealer that the “vintage Listerine bottle from The Waltons” that he purchased was sold by the Original Prop Blog to the eBay dealer. A simple search brought up such a listing on eBay – VINTAGE LISTERINE BOTTLE FROM TV’S THE WALTONS+ – sold five days ago by eBay dealer jnsmcmahan. Long time readers of the Original Prop Blog will know that I personally do not find “jnsmcmahan” to be a credible dealer of authentic Hollywood memorabilia. None the less, this notice is being published to make it perfectly clear that I have not sold anything to and will never in the future conduct any business with those behind eBay accounts “jnsmcmahan”, “jsnent”, nor anyone directly or loosely associated with such dealers or material or type/kind of material, including John Tarter, Billie Null, Mark Sullivan, L.A. Prop & Wardrobe, Hollywood Prop Supply, Studio West Prop, Ellis Props, and others. In fact, the Original Prop Blog does not supply props or costumes to anyone. [Read more…]
Cross-Hobby Buzz & Questions About Unfinished/Incomplete Stormtrooper Helmet
In October, there was a significant amount of buzz, discussion, and questions about a Stormtrooper helmet presented to hobbyists publicly and described as original and attributed to Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. These debates resulted from the owner of the helmet, “JoeR”, initiating discussions about the newly acquired piece on several original and replica prop hobby discussion forums. [Read more…]
eBay “Drop-Off” Seller Editorial: Response to Reader Comment
Rick Spector of Stairway to the Stars published a “Reader Comment” to this week’s editorial about eBay “drop-off” sellers (see A Case Against eBay “Drop-Off” Vendors Selling Original Props). Given that Rick takes issue with me on a number of fronts, I took the time to respond to each of his points, and thought it would be appropriate to highlight his concerns.
A Case Against eBay “Drop-Off” Vendors Selling Original Props
As inherently problematic buying “original” props and wardrobe on eBay may be, the risks are that much higher if the seller listing the item is a “drop-off” company. Such offerings introduce additional issues that collectors should be aware of and consider. [Read more…]
Instruments of Authenticity & The Chain of Provenance
As discussed in the prior article, Authenticity & Burden of Proof, I’ve found the notion that a piece is authentic, unless proven otherwise, to be faulty (as a buyer and collector, anyway). [Read more…]
Trend: “I Want To Believe”
Article Summary: This opinion piece explores a phenomenon within the hobby of collectors coming from a perspective of wanting to believe a piece is authentic, rather than being discerning and skeptical to properly vet a piece to ensure its marketing matching up with material facts. [Read more…]