Screen Used piece bought from PropStore but with lost COA?

tubachris85x

Master Member
So some years back I had purchased from another member a framed portion of screen used Wampa fur. At the time, I was still 'new' to the prop collecting aspect, and didn't realize I was suppose to have a COA with it- It's framed and sealed in an official Prop Store of London frame after all. Lately, I had been considering the idea of potentially selling it, and upon my own research, realized that I did not have the COA to go with it. I had contacted the individual I purchased it through, which turns out it was sold through a 3rd party, and hasn't been able to get a hold of the original owner. I contacted the Prop Store about this, but they told me that they don't re-issue COAs, and the most they could do is offer the buyer's receipt from the purchase, but that would require the original buyer to contact them.

So, am I SOL if I ever want to re-sell this? Do I automatically lose "value" as a result? Or will I have a hard time trying to even sell it at all because of that? I know the community already has to have a certain level of "trust" when it comes to props, replicas, etc. and their lineages, but given that this is a piece of the Empire Strikes Back film production, it would have to be even more cautious.
 
So some years back I had purchased from another member a framed portion of screen used Wampa fur. At the time, I was still 'new' to the prop collecting aspect, and didn't realize I was suppose to have a COA with it- It's framed and sealed in an official Prop Store of London frame after all. Lately, I had been considering the idea of potentially selling it, and upon my own research, realized that I did not have the COA to go with it. I had contacted the individual I purchased it through, which turns out it was sold through a 3rd party, and hasn't been able to get a hold of the original owner. I contacted the Prop Store about this, but they told me that they don't re-issue COAs, and the most they could do is offer the buyer's receipt from the purchase, but that would require the original buyer to contact them.

So, am I SOL if I ever want to re-sell this? Do I automatically lose "value" as a result? Or will I have a hard time trying to even sell it at all because of that? I know the community already has to have a certain level of "trust" when it comes to props, replicas, etc. and their lineages, but given that this is a piece of the Empire Strikes Back film production, it would have to be even more cautious.
I would say it might be hard to sell it as original without that paper trail. If you cannot get the original owner to contact for a copy of that bill of sale, see if Prop store offers an authentication service. Maybe you can pay to have them authenticate it and then they can provide a LOA for it. Or maybe another authenticating service and be hired and have them authenticate it and provide their assessment in writing.

Also... could you dig up any old auction listings that show the item for sale with the original COA in the photos? Having a paper trail of the auctions should help as well. Showing the lineage of owners helps pacify collector's a bit. Having those auction listings printed out along with a new LOA would probably be all you need.
 
I would say it might be hard to sell it as original without that paper trail. If you cannot get the original owner to contact for a copy of that bill of sale, see if Prop store offers an authentication service. Maybe you can pay to have them authenticate it and then they can provide a LOA for it. Or maybe another authenticating service and be hired and have them authenticate it and provide their assessment in writing.

Also... could you dig up any old auction listings that show the item for sale with the original COA in the photos? Having a paper trail of the auctions should help as well. Showing the lineage of owners helps pacify collector's a bit. Having those auction listings printed out along with a new LOA would probably be all you need.

Didn't think of an authenticating service, which Prop Store might due. Unfortunately the original sale was through the RPF in 2012, and that thread is long gone. I do have the original email chain from when I bought it though. I do remember the listing not even having or mentioning the COA either.
 
Didn't think of an authenticating service, which Prop Store might due. Unfortunately the original sale was through the RPF in 2012, and that thread is long gone. I do have the original email chain from when I bought it though. I do remember the listing not even having or mentioning the COA either.

Could you contact the person who you bought it from here and see if they recall the auction that they bought it from? Maybe they can point you in the direction for you to obtain some more info.
 
Could you contact the person who you bought it from here and see if they recall the auction that they bought it from? Maybe they can point you in the direction for you to obtain some more info.

well as my first post, the original buyer is not able to be reached, and the middle-man hasn't provided a name for this person
 
Are any of these the item?

http://www.propbay.com/original/ori...v-empire-strikes-back-1980-wardrobe-3058.html

http://movie-memorabilia-original.c...ire-strikes-back-star-wars-coa-prop-store.php

https://www.yourprops.com/Hoth-Wamp...ars-The-Empire-Strikes-Back-1980-YP62895.html

http://www.propbay.com/original/hot...-v-empire-strikes-back-1980-wardrobe-518.html

http://movie-memorabilia-original.c...pa-fur-prop-authentic-from-propstore-rare.php

- - - Updated - - -

well as my first post, the original buyer is not able to be reached, and the middle-man hasn't provided a name for this person

I read that.... I wasn't saying to have them contact the person, but wondered if they had an idea of where they bought it. Ebay? Online auction? etc. I thought perhaps you could look where they bought it and find the original auction details so you could print out the listing for some paper trail.
 
Are any of these the item?

http://www.propbay.com/original/ori...v-empire-strikes-back-1980-wardrobe-3058.html

http://movie-memorabilia-original.c...ire-strikes-back-star-wars-coa-prop-store.php

https://www.yourprops.com/Hoth-Wamp...ars-The-Empire-Strikes-Back-1980-YP62895.html

http://www.propbay.com/original/hot...-v-empire-strikes-back-1980-wardrobe-518.html

http://movie-memorabilia-original.c...pa-fur-prop-authentic-from-propstore-rare.php

- - - Updated - - -



I read that.... I wasn't saying to have them contact the person, but wondered if they had an idea of where they bought it. Ebay? Online auction? etc. I thought perhaps you could look where they bought it and find the original auction details so you could print out the listing for some paper trail.

Here's my display, which doesn't seem to match those, but I'll keep looking around.

As for the owner, I can't reach the owner who bought this at all. It was sold through a 3rd party. Think he was some kind of lawyer or something

wampa fur display.jpg
 
To me.. thats a HUGE distinction IMHO..

and maybe why no COA?

All the propstore wampa furs, just like mine, have had a COA issued, and are identical to mine, so I don't believe the debate over whether it's "original ESB Wampa from 1979" or "special edition wampa" is relevant here, as of all the ones I've seen appear to be just the special edition wampa.
 
Sorry.. to be clear/clarify..

I dont think it is relevant to the COA now.. if you say others like yours had it.. (I thought from reading above.. that there was a mix up,...etc.. not given to you,...etc... then there was not one after all, after contacting the seller/previous owner chain of communication)

I still think its a big distinction between "1979" or "special edition wampa".. as far as people understanding what they 'getting' (I did know from the OP)..

Either way I hope it works out.. and you can at the very least get it authenticated.
 
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