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Your 1st screen used prop and what got you into it?

gus said:
My usual story is that when I started, I picked up the original Death Star model in 1999 and it's been all downhill since then. :)

Although that's not completely correct. Around 1996-1999, I picked up a couple of Death Star surface pieces, a panel from the full size Return of the Jedi AT-ST, a Princess Leia belt from Return of the Jedi, several Krayt Dragon and Lars Homestead pieces from Star Wars A New Hope and a ton of stuff that was thrown out from the Episode I sets while I was visiting Tunisia in 1998 and 1999.

I really didn't get moving in earnest on original props until a couple of years later. Now I can safely say finding screen-used pieces is my primary focus in Star Wars collecting.

Gus
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You put us all to shame, in a good sort of way! :)

Most of us would feel lucky to even see that icon in person, let alone own it.
 
That would have to be...Chucky's Good Guy Doll Shoelaces from Child's Play 2!!!!!!!!!!! I grew up watching Chucky, so when the time came, I bought his Shoelaces!!!!!!!!!! :love
 
It's interesting to note how much of these "first props" are technically wardrobe. My first, and to date only (apart from crap I've kept from the few minor things I've worked on), screen used piece is a tri-corn hat from the 1935 "Mutiny on the Bounty".

I bought it back in the late 80's I think from an antique dealer in Denver. I'd always been a collector of "things"--mostly WW2 memorabilia--I'd wanted a tri-corn hat since I was a kid and this one was pretty neat and inexpensive. It was a few years earlier that I bought my first replica props-- a Phaser 2 and communicator at StarCon so I already had the bug.

Someday I want to own a decent screen-used piece of Star Wars.
 
gus said:
My usual story is that when I started, I picked up the original Death Star model in 1999 and it's been all downhill since then. :)

Although that's not completely correct. Around 1996-1999, I picked up a couple of Death Star surface pieces, a panel from the full size Return of the Jedi AT-ST, a Princess Leia belt from Return of the Jedi, several Krayt Dragon and Lars Homestead pieces from Star Wars A New Hope and a ton of stuff that was thrown out from the Episode I sets while I was visiting Tunisia in 1998 and 1999.

I really didn't get moving in earnest on original props until a couple of years later. Now I can safely say finding screen-used pieces is my primary focus in Star Wars collecting.

Gus
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Good stuff Gus. It's amazing to me how relatively recently most of us have started collecting... and further, how quickly screen-used pieces can become the focus of a collection.

In some sense, it's a fairly natural progression, but (and maybe this is just me) when it comes to collecting movie items, original props/wardrobe from the films really is the ultimate.

Unique replicas are wonderful (I still have a few that I feel are incredible works of art in their own right), I'll always have a soft-spot in my heart for fan-made busts and masks and of course, toy collecting has its own rewards but it's really hard to beat bringing something into your collection that you can look at and say, "yes, that's what I've been staring at on-screen all these years!"

best,
Tom
 
My first items were (I think) some trinkets I got from Star Wares - a stone tablet and mug from The Flinstones, and a plastic stunt throwing knife from Raising Arizona (you can actually do a freeze frame of the stunt knife hitting Cage's hand and bending on impact).

I got involved in winning some auctions from Premiere Props - got a stunt sword from The Mummy Returns, a foam bell from The Grinch and a foam "engine" from The Grinches" sleigh.

My best/favorite items though are the gas-spitting baby from The Rock (from Profiles In History - I also have a foam .357 from Cliffhanger and a tomahawk from Dances With Wolves; both from PiH), and Chingachook's hero war club from Last Of The Mohicans (obtained from The Propstore).

Also from Propstore, I have two foam pumpkins used as set dressing in Sleepy Hollow; mundane props, but CLEARLY seen on screen, sitting on a barrel just outside a doorway.
 
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I got into screen used by accident..lol As a kid one of my favorite movies was the 1978 live action Marvel movie "Dr.Strange" Staring Peter Hooten. Well I tried every so often to get his autograph with no luck. Well a year or two ago I deceided to try and get it again.
Well as a P.I. tracking people down was my bread and butter,so I used the tricks of the trade and found his address and phone number (and no I won't post it..lol).
So I sset down and wrote him a letter then I called the number and got his machine and told him the story of how I have been trying to get his autograph since I was 7 or 8 years old . Well about a week later I get a call and it's Mr. Hooten! Needless to say that I was shocked and excited at the same time...lol :lol I mean can you imagine talking to a childhood hero? AWSOME!
We talked for about an hour and a half, He was impressed that I was able to find an address and phone number and that I have waited so long to get his autograph :$ He said that I would receive said autograph and we said our good byes.
A few weeks later I receive a book with his return address,I remember thinking that :This is way to big to be just a pic!".Boy was I right.
In the box was a very nice framed drawing of him that was used as the closing credit screen from Dr.Strange! Personalized and all! Talk about a man of his word:lol.
Well that's my story hope you enjoyed reading it.
Eradicator
aka Dusty
UPDATE 01/26/10 Added pic of said prop
 
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ART ANDREWS said:
My first was a set of Starship Troopers armor. While I know it isn't unique or special, the fact of having something that wasn't "close" or "almost accurate" but was actually impossible to get more accurate was such a relief and such a pleasure that it has prompted me to buy more and more and more.
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Same here...I got mine from someone who worked at Sony through a third party....later I found out it was Jose...aka Got Maul.



Derek
 
TomSpinaDesigns said:
Very cool Rob... great pic! :)

Tom
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Guardian Devil said:
I love those Pumpkins - Very cool :thumbsup
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Thanks guys... I like the film, and they get CLEAR screen time (albeit just one shot).

On my personal scale of screen-used prop value they score about 40 out of 100

Screen time/visibility (20 possible) - 18
Importance/quality of film (20 possible) - 12
Handled by a principal character (20 possible) - 0
Relevance to plot (20 possible) - 0
Duplicates made (20 possible) - 10
 
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I can't call myself a collector, but I bought some screen used props over the last few years. Nothing big though, too expensive for my taste. :)
My first was a fake fern plant used in Jurassic Park 3, shortly followed by a mummy leg, and a broken stunt sword, both from The Mummy Returns.
I was never able to figure out what happened to the stunt sword. It seems as if it was damaged during production or something like that.

norm48466b4db0b1cmummyr.jpg
 
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Well a lot of my stuff is cast from, and is usually small pieces, screen used i have a couple of foam latex head pieces from alien nation, AVP small set tiles and mould, and recently a pair of vampire feet used in dusk till dawn, odd collection but i like em!
 
Well, I was introduced to 'collecting' over30 years ago ,by my uncle ,now deceased who worked in the industry , I can't really remember my first prop , but I have a fair collection split between Sci-FI TV & film , costume pieces, studio scale models , hero type handprops etc I think my first were some Starwars bits , then BBC Dr Who ,then Startrek TV & film , Planet of the Apes , Terminator, Aliens ,I have a few actual screen used small items mainly, but it's really big business now and prices so high, so I tend to go for good quality replicas or pieces that need restoration. A couple of favourite are a John Carpenter ape mask POA, a klingon tricorder STSFS, and a Darth Vader Stunt Mask& helmet SW ESB !
 
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