I'd buy it. :cool But then I would convert the chin back to ANH and strip off the new paint. :lol
Original 1977 ANH Stormtrooper Armor and Helmet
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I'd buy it. :cool But then I would convert the chin back to ANH and strip off the new paint. :lol
RoCKo
Sr Member
first of all thank you for letting us take part with all this!
i´m really happy to see a original ANH suit in private hands.
please post as much pictures as you can... ;-)
if i were you, i´d probably would try to take off the black paint from the armor parts too.
but would keep the stripped off helmet as it is.
IMO to remove the black paint shouldn´t be too hard if you do it professionally and after a lot of research on methods and possible options without doing any further damage to it.
there should be modern techniques to do this but i´m no expert.
but i tend to believe that the stripped helmet is closer to the originals than any replica paint job could ever come. so i´d leave it as it is.
go with a HDPE replica helmet if you like to display this amazing piece!
(i´m still unsure if i would display this piece of history at home or keep it in a secret safe somewhere in a secret town... :lol)
i´m really happy to see a original ANH suit in private hands.
please post as much pictures as you can... ;-)
if i were you, i´d probably would try to take off the black paint from the armor parts too.
but would keep the stripped off helmet as it is.
IMO to remove the black paint shouldn´t be too hard if you do it professionally and after a lot of research on methods and possible options without doing any further damage to it.
there should be modern techniques to do this but i´m no expert.
but i tend to believe that the stripped helmet is closer to the originals than any replica paint job could ever come. so i´d leave it as it is.
go with a HDPE replica helmet if you like to display this amazing piece!
(i´m still unsure if i would display this piece of history at home or keep it in a secret safe somewhere in a secret town... :lol)
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voice in the crowd
Sr Member
I would speak to a museum and have it displayed there - making sure they pay the insurance costs on it of course
Oh and a museum in the UK
Chris
Right. The value of a screenused item has nothing to do with whether accurate replicas are available; its value is in the screen use itself, in the fact that you can look at a video or image and say, "I have that! I can shoot the the gun Robert DeNiro used in Jackie Brown. I can touch the uniform Captain Picard wore. I have a glove Robert Englund wore as Freddy Kruger." An air gun held by James Bond just sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars, despite the fact that anyone can buy a virtually identical gun for fractions of pennies on the dollar--clearly, the value of a screenused item has zero to do with the availability of accurate replicas.
Yet, this is far from the first time I've heard someone say "Casting my screenused pieces would devalue them!" I think it's just another example of the negative effects that secrecy ("I have items and information no one else has, and I must keep them to myself or my collection might be worth less than someone else's!") and paranoia ("If I share information I'll lose my edge at auctions, and maybe I'll get fooled by a replica too!") cause in the screenused collecting world.
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suckface
Well-Known Member
has their been any more progress with this or is their a new thread I've missed ?
I think Simon should just do whatever it is he feels is right, it's been in his family by the sounds of it for a long time and it's done no real harm to what it's value would be at auction
we all have opinions and would love to have a final say on how to do it and what he should or should not do but I thnk at the end of the day we should just be thankful that whatever comes of it he has shared it with people who are interested ( fans ) and not locked it away in a box for no one to ever see again lol
I think Simon should just do whatever it is he feels is right, it's been in his family by the sounds of it for a long time and it's done no real harm to what it's value would be at auction
we all have opinions and would love to have a final say on how to do it and what he should or should not do but I thnk at the end of the day we should just be thankful that whatever comes of it he has shared it with people who are interested ( fans ) and not locked it away in a box for no one to ever see again lol
I think the availability of replicas does affect the value of screen used originals. But mainly on the low end. An original stormtrooper helmet has the same value regardless of the quality of the replicas out there. If anything all the replicas serve to promote and add prestige to the original. Now on cheaper items good replicas can make the originals less valuable i think. For example If quality complete starship trooper replica costumes were available for $200 there would be less value in the originals as most buy them to wear anyway and it would make it harder to verify all the small items in the costume. If someone makes a rough "cheap" replica of an obscure item it does add some prestige to the original. Replicas made of Last Starfighter guns make the originals seem more in demand for just a holstered piece not really seen in the movie for instance. now if they were nearly identical to the originals that would make people shy away from "screen used versions" as it would be harder to tell whats what.
defstartrooper
Sr Member
I'd like to see someone be able to make a replica starship trooper costume of quality for $200 :lol
People buy screen used props because they are on screen or they've been used or worn by an actor.
It doesn't really matter what the item is, it could be a regular everyday unaltered shop bought item like a pair of boots and they will still sell for a premium even though you can go out and buy identical boots for a fraction of the price.
It's all a prestige thing.
I was giving an example. Overabundance and affordability of Starship Trooper things makes the screen used items sell well in low price ranges. If replicas came along that were cheaper some would opt for them instead. Some costumes from lesser named productions are bought to be worn later on or just because they look unique and are cheaper than "replicas" if such exist. Screen used costumes often sell for less than the cost to make an exact identical new one. A B grade movie with quality Roman Centurian costumes people might buy the items based on cost alone and if cheaper non screen used costumes were available elsewhere it would affect the selling price of things from such productions. Ordinary rubber rifles that are "screen used" by background characters or stunt people in varous movies often sell for less than the original cost to make them. In general $100 to $400 or so or more is what most movies pay to have generic rubber rifles made. Yet screen used rubber Ak-47's for instance can often be had to be reused in other productions or for display for less than the cost of buying one new.
Cost of replicas and replication gives certain items a minimum value no matter how bad a movie is. On "ordinary" wardrobe items the production or star use gives the item value beyond a replica. For custom made items the value is often in how unique the item is if its from a no name production. I do think cheap "cool" screen used sci-fi guns and costumes do compete with exotic replicas of a custom nature. Sometimes people just want things because they look cool. Replicas also are not necessarily cheaper than screen used pieces either. The licensed Stargate staff weapons retailed for $1500 years ago yet in the last year several screen used ones have sold in the $700 to $1400 range.
Believe it or not screen used scifi weapons do sell from movies you can not really get on vhs,dvd, or download or ever even see for all practical matters. Such items from low level nearly forgotten productions all sell based on how unqiue the item looks.
Cost of replicas and replication gives certain items a minimum value no matter how bad a movie is. On "ordinary" wardrobe items the production or star use gives the item value beyond a replica. For custom made items the value is often in how unique the item is if its from a no name production. I do think cheap "cool" screen used sci-fi guns and costumes do compete with exotic replicas of a custom nature. Sometimes people just want things because they look cool. Replicas also are not necessarily cheaper than screen used pieces either. The licensed Stargate staff weapons retailed for $1500 years ago yet in the last year several screen used ones have sold in the $700 to $1400 range.
Believe it or not screen used scifi weapons do sell from movies you can not really get on vhs,dvd, or download or ever even see for all practical matters. Such items from low level nearly forgotten productions all sell based on how unqiue the item looks.
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Too Much Garlic
Master Member
And you'd be destroying it's historical value. :thumbsdown
Productions alter things all the time though. Yet the items are not deemed worthless when they are found later. The big thing is to document the item in pictures before after and everything you did. Otherwise if it looks off its a nice replica 20 years from now when someone sees it. generally its a real bad idea to repaint or change a "valuable" prop. Yet almost all of the live fire stormtrooper blasters from a new hope exist without their original add on parts. And everyone seems to be ok with that as its just how things are.
defstartrooper
Sr Member
Yeah sure some people will opt for a cheaper replica rather than the original but those people would still probably prefer the original if they could afford it, most only buy replicas if they either cant afford the original or the original isn't on the market. but there will always be those that want the production original and have deeper pockets.
They are two different markets and one does not affect the other.
The only things that affect the prices on originals is demand,some stuff just doesn't stay popular for long.
Availability,if the item is rare it'll keep it's value or increase, if there are lots on the market they won't.
Economy, if nobody is buying then just like everything else you have to drop the price to get a bite if you want to sell.
The stargate example you gave has nothing to do with replicas driving the price down, the replicas as you said were sold years ago, well recently loads of original stargate stuff came onto the market, they simply weren't available when the replicas were.
If a production alters an prop then it's still part of it's original intended purpose, even if it's re-use for a sequel or whatever since they still own it.
Once an original prop gets into the collector's market it's a different story because the item has the distinction of having been in some film or show and people want it for that reason. The new owner then is more of a caretaker of the piece because of what it is. He owns it, but it's not really his to do whatever he pleases with it. It's his responsibility to look after it and preserve it, not to alter it or trash it.
The ANH Stormtrooper blasters were refitted with replacement greeblies and parts in order to bring them back to their original look, but actions like that are reversible. Painting authentic Stormtrooper armor is not reversible which is why it shouldn't be done.
It all depends on the piece because correctly restoring and repainting things like foam latex masks (a la Tom Spina Designs) is done for preservation purposes. Items need to be judged on their own to determine what the correct action should be.
I realize many folks on the RPF are very much fans of wearing and repainting, but items like this aren't R- they are O and that is a world of difference.
Repairing cracked armor or adding in a replacement for a missing component is one thing, but repainting is severely detrimental. This isn't a homemade Halloween costume, it's an original costume from one of the most famous and cherished movies ever.
Just enjoy it as-is then when the next caretaker has possession he can continue to maintain it's integrity.
-chris
sskunky
Sr Member
Keith
Sr Member
Please have the helmet professionally molded from the inside.
I would love an accurate unmodified replica which is nice and sharp like this helmet is.
The cap/back on the BR helmet that was molded is VERY soft and its really impossible to turn the castings of it into a replica of any other original trooper helmet.
Keith.
I would love an accurate unmodified replica which is nice and sharp like this helmet is.
The cap/back on the BR helmet that was molded is VERY soft and its really impossible to turn the castings of it into a replica of any other original trooper helmet.
Keith.
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