Vast quantities of rare and iconic TV props and costumes are being auctioned by Prop Store on 1 December at their Valencia, California premises. Not to worry if you’re bidding from overseas – Prop Store also accepts phone and online bidding.
Brandon Alinger, Prop Store COO, commented on the upcoming auction: “Our TV Treasures auction curated by James Comisar includes rare pieces that have never been out in the market before. Prop Store is proud to present this collection from Comisar’s archive, which has previously been referred to as: ‘The World’s Greatest Collection of Television Memorabilia’. We expect this to be a landmark sale for collectors."
Though there are plenty of highlights to the sale, we’ve selected our favourite few. Let’s dive in.
First is this egg-shaped spacecraft from American sitcom Mork & Mindy (1978-82), specifically from a 1981 episode titled ‘Escape from New York’.
Originally, the egg was built for John Carpenter’s dystopian motion picture Escape from New York (1981), where the storyline centred around rescuing the President of the United states from this escape pod. Soon after, the egg was repurposed for Mork & Mindy, as pictured here with Robin Williams.
The fibreglass spacecraft, which has a top hatch that opens up with large gray vinyl seats and padded interior, was carefully restored in the 2000s by Disney artist Chris Koon. Since then, it has been stored in a light climate in a humidity-controlled warehouse. It is consequently in excellent condition. It measures 193 x 165 x 152.5 cm.
This transparent acrylic shield, cut into a bat shape, is the Bat Shield from the classic superhero series Batman, featuring Adam West and Burt Ward.
According to the show’s mythology, the shield is ‘bullet-proof’ and is used by the heroes to defend themselves from various villainous characters in seasons one and two. It is believed to have been the only shield made for the show.
It was acquired by the Comisar Collection from Christie’s Sale #7035, 20 June 1990, lot 536, where it sold for nearly four times its estimate.
This custom-made ancient Greek-style costume was worn by William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk in a Star Trek episode titled ‘Plato’s Stepchildren’.
In the episode, the USS Enterprise answers a distress call from the Platonians, who dress in the styles of ancient Greece and use their telekinetic powers to control Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Kirk. Due to production budget constraints, duplicates of episode-specific costumes were seldom constructed for the series, and, most likely, this is the only Grecian ensemble utilised by Captain Kirk in the episode.
This fairytale princess gown was worn by Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina in the popular family sitcom Sabrina, The Teenage Witch. It is from the episode ‘Troll Bride’ (124), where a troll helps Sabrina find her lost homework and demands her hand in marriage in return. Sabrina wears her pink gown during the troll’s fantasy sequence.
The gown is a confection of pink and metallic silver lace with exaggeratedly full puff sleeves, modified sweetheart neckline, fitted bodice and skirt of multiple layers of organza, tulle, net and lace.
With over 400 lots on offer, there’s something for every TV enthusiast out there.
