The Rock VX Gas String of Pearls / Propstore legitimacy

[ross1978]

Hi lovely people

I recently acquired from Propstore a string of VX Gas pearls as used in The Rock.

Prop Store Auction

I am pretty new to collecting and have a handful of items, but I would be really grateful for a more experienced opinion on the legitimacy of things like this, and this item in particular.

The auction was pretty clear, these are the ones used in the film. However the photographs I have seen of what appears to be the original prop (see this thread VX gas rounds build update.... still hate soldering) show an item which looks more like what I would expect.

My purchase looks almost brand new, in fact looks more like one of the replicas I have seen on here! The copper wire and solder joints are shiny, the plastic bits look new and the balls themselves are all full. Pretty much all the previous auction lots I have seen for the same items have lost their goopy green filling.

I guess my question is, what is the value of a Propstore COA? Are we safe to just take their word that they have done their research and take it as read that they are correct?

My concerns stem from another Propstore auction purchase (a Walter White costume from Breaking Bad). The auction pictures show the clothes in use on screen, however 5 mins of research by me is all it took to show that the jacket I purchased, is not the one on screen. Who's to say that a previous owner has not kept the original jacket and consigned to Propstore a brand new but identical jacket?

What are peoples' thoughts on their authentication process? What do people think of the legitimacy of these lovely green balls?

If I am questioning Propstore's COAs, what's the point?

 

[ch3ckme0wt]

PropStore is as good as it gets. I would contact them if you have any questions and they can answer more about the provenance.

As for your Breaking Bad jacket. You have to be careful with things. If it's not advertised as "screen matched", you might not be able to see it on screen. It could be in another shot that isn't as clear, or it could have been used in a different take and cut for example. It doesn't mean its not legitimate. They will often show photos of the same kind of prop as an example for the auction, but it's no guarantee its the exact one seen in the shot.

 

[Tom]

PropStore is the best in the business, but they are not immune to mistakes. As a fellow “The Rock” collector, I think I have seen most strings of VX gas balls that have come up for sale in the past 10 years or so, and I have never seen a string as pristine as yours. I’m not saying it’s not authentic, but you may want to ask PropStore about how this particular piece was authenticated. You may also want to ask your questions in the Movie Prop forum on Facebook (the big one with over 30,000 members). There are many knowledgeable collectors and there’s a good chance the actual consignor of the piece is also a member.

 

[ross1978]

Thanks people, very useful. I will check the Movie Prop forum mentioned.

 

[AvZ]

Just a side note, Propstore will never state an item is the one on screen unless it can be screenmatched (meaning: small defects that make that particular instance of the prop make it unique enough to say that is the same one) or a one-of-a-kind piece. Anything else should be seen as production made (which can mean for example used on screen, production used or a non-used production made piece).

While I don't know anything about this prop, propstore did not state the pieces you bought were the ones on screen.