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| Passion Investments: Collectibles |
Forever Young
Debra Ryono
03/01/2008
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"Not everything goes up and up and up," Ettinger says. "Having
said that, if you buy judiciously and look beyond what is trendy or hip, you
can’t go wrong." He advises new collectors to spend their resources on a few
great items rather than a lot of things that are only "pretty good."
BONANZA
Prices paid in 2007 for TV and movie memorabilia
Short Circuit and
Short Circuit 2—Johnny-Five robot $138,000.
Alien—the alien $126,500.
The Wizard of Oz—guard costume $115,000.
Superman (1978
movie)—"Superman" costume $115,000.
Lost in Space—hero
laser gun $92,000.
Raiders of the Lost Ark—Staff of Ra headpiece $69,000.
Star Trek—Leonard
Nimoy "Spock" tunic $34,500. |
And as with most collectibles, provenance is critical. Buyers
should ask whether the item has ever appeared at auction before, and whether
anything was said about it. "Frequently things that look too good are too good
to be true," Ettinger warns. "It’s easy to create some of this mate-rial. There
are bad people who are out there."
Once a collector has assembled a formidable collection, what’s
next? Azarian lends out some items, although he adds, "For me, it’s an expensive
hobby. It’s not a money-making venture, so I’m selective in loaning it out." His
tiara from Wonder
Woman was included in an exhibition at the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Alongside gem-laden real tiaras was the TV
prop: cardboard covered with gold lamé. He also renovated his home, adding a
2,500-square-foot museum room. While the house was undergoing construction, his
collection was in storage for a year and a half. "I didn’t see anything. When I
went to move it, it was like playing with my toys."
Debra Ryono is the managing editor of Worth.
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