Minotaur Costume from The Chronicles of Narnia movies.
There is a small but growing industry in acquiring movie props and costumes. Perhaps the most famous movie memorabilia are the ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz.” Five pair of the original shoes are known to exist. One pair is on display at the Smithsonian and made an appearance on the red carpet at last night’s Academy Awards. Debbie Reynolds owned the “trick” pair that curled up under the house. Years ago, Reynolds invested money into movie memorabilia which she planned to sell to help provide for herself during retirement. At auction in 2011, her ruby slippers fetched $510,000.
Movie buffs have begun displaying props as part of the decor of their home theaters or media rooms. The internet has made shopping for props easy for anyone.
Bread Dish from Titanic
Favored props from more contemporary films were those produced by WETA Workshop which produced thousands of highly intricate (and in many cases beautiful) props for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Troika Brodsky is the proud owner of the largest private collection of LOTR film props in the world–second only to the official studio archive in New Zealand.
Because prop designing has become such a refined art, owning and displaying actual pieces used in movies is (to movie buffs at least) as good as owning actual museum artifacts.
Armor Costume from The Last Samurai
As a result, the most cherished items collectors possess are often set up on display in their homes as part of their private, at-home movie-going experience. In many cases, favorite movies are viewed in laser-sharp definition with crystal-clear, digitized audio reproduction while surrounded by “artifacts” professionally lit and displayed on the walls around them.
Not only are originals in high demand, but the reproduction market has benefitted as well. Replicas have become highly refined due to consumer demand and such merchandise now figure prominently in home media rooms as well.
But the real art is found in the movies you enjoy on your own home entertainment system. Movies magic still begins on the silver screen. And while you may not be in the market for movie collectibles, you may be interested in enhancing your movie-going experience in your own home. If that’s you, you owe it to yourself to give us a call to see how we can help bring more of the magic home!
by Bryan Naquin. Follow Bryan on Twitter @ACIexperts. And you can always contact him at 225.906.2589 or by email at bryan@aciexperts.net. Bryan Naquin is president of Acadian Home Theater and Automation based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. CEPro Magazine has ranked Acadian in the top 100 consumer electronic companies in the U.S. for the third year in a row.
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