Buying Used Film Props

Today, fans of a particular movie have lots of ways to enjoy the films they are passionate about. They can, of course, buy the film on DVD or Blu-Ray, often purchasing special “collector’s editions”. They can buy the movie poster and hang it on the wall, the soundtrack on CD, and for more famous films, books offering behinds-the-scenes insight can be found, but for collectors, nothing can beat owning an item or prop that was actually used in making the film.

Today, most of the movie memorabilia market is taken up by “replica’s”, copies of on-screen props or film production items such as the shooting script or set design drawings. These are normally officially licensed by the film studio, but made and manufactured by a third-party unconnected with the film. Sometimes the items will be made using moulds, or computer models that were used for the film, while on other occasions they may only be similar only in appearance. In many cases they are described as being part of a “limited edition”, but in truth this limitation normally comes down to the number being the amount they think they can sell.

This is not the case with actual props or items from the films set. These will most often be completely unique, unless multiple copies were made for the film (such as weapons for background characters). Such items usually fall into one of three categories; “hero” props and costumes are items worn or carried by the members of the main cast, often clearly visible in the final film, and so made to a relatively high standard. Background props and costumes are those worn or carried by extras, and are generally made to a lower standard and often mass-produced as they will often be on screen only briefly, and not clearly visible. Finally, there is production notes and other miscellaneous items from the film. Scripts are common, as there will generally be copies issued to each actor, but also available is set design documents, schematics for vehicles and buildings, and even cast and crew pass badges, t-shirts and baseball caps.

Price-wise, the more complex the item, the more you can expect to pay, a full costume will cost more than a helmet, obviously. But the major factors are whether the items were worn or used by the main cast, and how much screen time an item has. Hero-props, particularly weapons used on-screen, command the highest prices, as they are easily recognisable and can be displayed to good effect. Costumes can fetch equally high prices, although they are more difficult to display. The cheapest items will be background “detail” such as faked up futuristic magazines or small components of set dressing. These make ideal first items for collectors, as they are often relatively cheap and reasonably practical to display, compared to, say, a full costume.

Prospective buyers should be aware of two issues: First, authenticity. There are several online stores that specialise in selling film props, and these will usually come with certificates, but be more wary of online auctions, particularly for more popular films. Many props were made out of simple materials that are easy to replicate, so only buy from reputable sellers, or where certificates of authenticity are available. Secondly, “movie magic” can often make props look a lot more impressive on-screen than they do in real life, particularly for background-items. Don’t expect a prop-weapon to look or feel particularly impressive up-close, and be aware that many items were design to last only for a few weeks, and may be looking somewhat battered, especially items like used stunt-weapons.