There was a time when movie props were worthless. When a film wrapped, the studio would often recycle props and costumes for use in other films, or sometimes simply throw them away. But that’s changed over the years, and now movie collectibles are a big business, with high-profile props going for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, when you start talking that kind of money, there are bound to be a few crooked characters who will do whatever it takes to get their hands on a piece of Hollywood history.

It’s believed there were six or seven pairs of Dorothy’s famous ruby red slippers made for the production of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Of those, the location of four pairs is currently known, including one that resides in the Smithsonian. The Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, had their own pair, until the shoes were stolen one night in August 2005. The case went cold until this past April, when police received a tip that a resident in Homer Glen, Illinois, had not only bragged about paying someone to steal the slippers, but openly displayed the shoes in a glass box. Police raided the alleged thief’s house, but didn’t find the ruby red shoes. For now, the case remains open, and the shoes are still at-large.
There are few motorcycles more iconic than the ones ridden by Peter Fonda and the late, great Dennis Hopper in their counterculture classic, Easy Rider. There were four custom motorcycles built for the film—two copies of each bike, including the “Captain America” chopper ridden by Fonda, featuring a star-spangled fuel tank and an extra long fork for the front wheels. One of the Captain America bikes was destroyed during filming, while the other three motorcycles were stolen from a storage garage before the film was even in the can. Obviously the bikes weren’t famous yet, so they were presumably stripped and sold for parts. The thieves left the damaged Captain America bike, which was later restored, and now resides at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa.
In the 1974 movie The Man with the Golden Gun, James Bond takes on Scaramanga, an expert assassin who charges $1 million per kill. The hitman’s signature is a custom-made, solid gold gun that can be cleverly disassembled and disguised as everyday items like a cigarette case, a lighter, a pen, and a cuff link. There were three prop guns made for the film—one that came apart, another that didn’t come apart, and one that could fire a blank round. In October 2008, one of these props (it’s unclear which one it was) was discovered missing from its display case at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, England. Police still have no leads on the disappearance of the prop, worth an estimated £80,000 (~$117,000) on the collector’s black market.
There were a handful of falcon statues made for the 1941 noir classic, The Maltese Falcon, starring Humphrey Bogart as Dashiell Hammett’s famous private eye, Sam Spade. Over the years, nearly all original models of the bird have been lost, making the few remaining copies very valuable—including one that sold for nearly $400,000 in 1994. For promotional purposes, plaster casts of the bird were made upon the film’s release, and Elisha Cook, Jr., a character actor who played a henchman in the film, got his hands on one. His copy of the bird was later acquired by John’s Grill in San Francisco, a restaurant dedicated to Hammett, who often wrote and ate there in the 1930s. The replica bird was on display for years, sitting on the second floor in a display case for all to see. That is, of course, until the day it disappeared in 2007.
After the falcon went missing, John’s Grill offered a no-questions-asked reward of $25,000 to the person who brought it back, but no one came forward. The owner could have easily gotten a good replacement replica off eBay for a few hundred bucks, but he took a different approach instead. He put the $25,000 towards the creation of a new, original design of the Maltese Falcon that is a more stylized interpretation than the one used in the 1941 film. The new statue is five inches taller than the original and weighs around 150lbs, three times heavier than the plaster replica that was stolen. To ensure this bird doesn’t go missing, it’s been bolted down and is monitored 24/7 by closed-circuit cameras. With that much security, the next time someone messes with this Maltese Falcon, it won’t take Sam Spade to crack the case.
Apparently no one’s spider-sense was tingling when crooks made off with four hand-made superhero suits from the set of the first Spider-Man film. Each Spider-Man costume, valued at around $50,000 a piece, disappeared from a locked building on the Sony Pictures lot, leading authorities to believe it was an inside job. Police received a tip from the ex-wife of a former security guard at Sony, Jeffrey Gustafson, who said he might be involved in the theft. Police searched Gustafson’s home and found records indicating that one costume was at a friend’s house, two were traced to a collector in New York, and the last one was in the collection of a man in Japan. Adding to Gustafson’s woes, police also found in his home a mannequin dressed in a $150,000 Batman costume that went missing from the Warner Bros. lot in 1996. Not coincidentally, Gustafson worked as a security guard at Warner Bros. at the time. For stealing the Spidey suits, Gustafson got 9 months in jail, 5 years probation, and had to pay $93,000 in restitution.
As he’s hunting android replicants in a dystopian future, Blade Runner‘s Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, carries a strange-looking handgun that has captivated sci-fi fans for decades. The prop was custom-made using pieces from real firearms, including a bolt action from a rifle, two triggers, various knobs and dials, and even LED lights. To prevent their very expensive, one-of-a-kind prop from breaking, the producers made two solid rubber copies that were indistinguishable from the original at a distance, and could be knocked around during stunt scenes without getting damaged. But during the shoot, one of the dummy guns went missing and was never seen again.
Oddly enough though, about a month after the film was released, highly accurate plastic replicas of Deckard’s gun began appearing for sale on the collector’s market. These knock-offs were so close to the ones used in the film that they must have been created using molds taken from the missing, now presumed stolen, dummy gun.
While it’s certain the thief made a pretty penny by selling the dummy gun, he would have surely been better off stealing the custom-made gun instead—it sold at auction in 2009 for $270,000.
In March 2000, a few guys got their hands on the ultimate movie collector’s item when they stole 55 Oscars just days before the Academy Awards ceremony. Anthony Hart, a dock worker at delivery company Roadway Express, conspired with a fellow employee, truck driver Lawrence Ladent, to load 10 boxes of Oscars onto Ladent’s truck. Ladent then took the statues to the home of accomplice John Harris for safekeeping until they could line up black market buyers. However, the men got spooked by the publicity surrounding the missing statues and dumped the boxes in an alleyway instead. Shortly after, Harris’ half-brother, Willie Fulgear, found 52 of the Oscars while rummaging through the trash, looking for packing boxes to use during a move.
After reporting his find to police, Fulgear collected a $50,000 reward from Roadway Express, but the other men didn’t make out quite so well. Anthony Hart received the lightest sentence with three years probation. John Harris was sentenced to six months in jail, three years probation, and had to pay $921 to the Academy in restitution for the three missing statues. Lawrence Ledent was given six months in prison, five years probation, had to pay the Academy $1,050, and pay Roadway Express the full amount of the reward they offered to Fulgear.
As for the three missing Oscars, one was found in 2003 during a Miami drug raid, but the other two are still out there somewhere.
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What piece of movie memorabilia would you like to get your hands on? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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I want Captain Kirk’s chair!
posted by Witty Nickname on 6-16-2010 at 3:31 pm
Indiana Jones’ fedora, any of the lightsabers from the Star Wars saga (Mace Windu’s and Vader’s especially), and the One Ring from the LOTR trilogy would be my choices.
posted by Steve from San Diego on 6-16-2010 at 3:37 pm
The golden gun that comes apart sounds pretty awesome. I’d spend all day putting it together… taking it apart… making “pew! pew!” sounds… taking it apart… putting it together…
posted by TBV on 6-16-2010 at 3:54 pm
A Time-Turner. I can’t decide if I would want one that actually worked, though. :D
posted by Laura. on 6-16-2010 at 3:54 pm
Good call on the hat, Steve from San Diego..it’d be nice to see one that doesn’t feature an Indiana Jones tag inside the brim…
posted by sammylee on 6-16-2010 at 4:07 pm
I want a Stargate.
posted by Mark on 6-16-2010 at 4:08 pm
I saw the original Death Star model at the SciFi hall of fame in Seattle. Not to nerd out too much, but it was mind blowing to look at it and think that it was ‘the’ Death Star from the movie that made such an impact on the world.
I think at one point it was lost as well, though more ‘lost in a studio warehouse’ rather than stolen if I remember correctly. I’ll have to google that.
posted by EV on 6-16-2010 at 4:15 pm
The DaLorean from Back to the Future, the Hanson brother’s glasses from Slap Shot and Han’s blaster.
posted by Dennis M on 6-16-2010 at 4:23 pm
Could Jenna Jameson be considered a movie prop????
posted by Leroy Jenkins on 6-16-2010 at 4:28 pm
I’d like the skull-shaped stone key from The Goonies, and whatever is glowing inside Marcellus Wallace’s briefcase.
posted by Screamer on 6-16-2010 at 4:42 pm
My thought is Megan Fox ;0
posted by bubba on 6-16-2010 at 4:45 pm
During one college production I was in many years ago we rented costumes from a national costume chain. My mother was the costume designer for the theatre so when the pieces came in I got dibs on which vest I would wear. As I was looking through the boxes I found one that had a label in it “Property of Universal Studios… S. Tracy”. It was a vest Spencer Tracy wore in Adam’s Rib.
After the run, we sent the vest back… I however kept the tag.
posted by Jason on 6-16-2010 at 4:48 pm
I’d like the red stapler from Office Space, or the yellow jump suit Uma wore in Kill BIll.
posted by James H on 6-16-2010 at 5:06 pm
I always wanted a landspeeder from Star Wars. “Ever since the XP-38 came out, they just aren’t in demand”.
posted by DietCoke on 6-16-2010 at 5:12 pm
I want the hot tub from Hot Tub Time Machine. :)
posted by Corinne on 6-16-2010 at 5:35 pm
I would definatly want Lord Voldemort’s wand, and Bellatrix Lestranges Death Eater mask.
Oh and the Ressurection Stone!
posted by ufluffed on 6-16-2010 at 5:36 pm
1. Anything that belonged to Marilyn Monroe. I would LOVE to have her diary, as would many MANY people, but I’d be happy with anything that she owned.
2. Any dress/hat worn by Vivian Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara in GWTW.
posted by Jenny on 6-16-2010 at 5:47 pm
Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber from Return of the Jedi.
posted by debbie on 6-16-2010 at 7:03 pm
Easy – the rug from The Big Lebowski.
posted by Bert on 6-16-2010 at 7:23 pm
You can buy the red stapler. Check out Thinkgeek.com; on sale right now for $22.00.
I always thought Dave Stoller’s Masi bicycle, or one of the Team Cinzano bike jerseys worn in the movie “Breaking Away” would have been cool to have. Also, some of the custom-made “AMRoad” dining car props from “Silver Streak” would be nice.
-”BB”-
posted by Bicycle Bill on 6-16-2010 at 7:33 pm
Sam’s piano would be fun…especially if it came with a bottle of gin…
I’d also love to have Holly’s bathtub couch.
posted by georgia on 6-16-2010 at 10:25 pm
Serenity? *L* Seriously, though, any of the little things from any of the Joss Whedon shows: Mr. Pointy from Buffy, the Shanshu Prophecy from Angel, an ice planet, Mal’s fake paperwork, or the Lassiter from Firefly, and, um… Enver Gjokaj from Dollhouse?
posted by Day on 6-16-2010 at 10:52 pm
There are a few that i can think of off the top of my head, so i’ll list them.
1. The mannequin of Roger Moore that was used in The Man with the Golden Gun (Scaramanga kept in in his funhouse and shot the fingers off of it)
2. One of the golden guns, obtained legally of course.
3. One of James Bond’s tuxedos.
4. The Aston Martin v12 Vanquish from Die Another Day
5. A batsuit WITHOUT nipples. lol
posted by Mr. Bond on 6-16-2010 at 10:54 pm
Without hesitation, I choose the Minigun wielded by “Mac” in Predator.
That should keep those little devils off the lawn.
posted by JEFF on 6-16-2010 at 10:55 pm
James Dean’s red wind breaker from Rebel Without a Cause, hands down the one thing I would love to have most from Propland.
My hubby has the red Swingline stapler. I bought it for him from Staples :D
posted by Eden on 6-16-2010 at 11:12 pm
The Ferrari from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”…while I’m at it, I’ll take Cameron’s house.
The phone booth from “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure”, with time-travel capabilities of course!
An amp that goes to 11 from “This is Spinal Tap”…because it’s 1 louder, you see?
posted by Krie on 6-16-2010 at 11:14 pm
The Giant W from Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Where was that anyway?
posted by Tex on 6-17-2010 at 12:39 am
The Ferrari in Ferris Bueller’s day off is one of the most recognizable Ferrari’s out there. And it’s a total fake. It’s built on a Datsun Z body. The car was damaged as Cameron and Ferris banged it up in front of the camera as part of the script. So much for having fun though. And it is a beautiful Ferrari (the real thing)
posted by Dale on 6-17-2010 at 12:47 am
I want the bolt gun from the movie “The Good Son”! That would be awesome!
posted by Kurgan on 6-17-2010 at 1:19 am
I want Dirk Diggler’s prosthesis in Boogie Nights…
posted by Eric on 6-17-2010 at 4:21 am
It would also be pretty sweet to have an original General Lee.
posted by Eric on 6-17-2010 at 4:22 am
Feverishly searching Mental Floss for the Adam Savage video of his quest to make the Maltese Falcon, which is quite possibly the geekiest cool thing ever published on Mental Floss!
posted by Don on 6-17-2010 at 9:40 am
Don:
Mythbuster Savage is also obsessed with the gun from Blade Runner. He spent years making his own version. You can read all about it here: http://bit.ly/9Cnveg
posted by SpaceMonkeyX on 6-17-2010 at 9:58 am
The Holy Hand Grenade from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Any of Ingrid Bergman’s costumes from Casablanca.
posted by Rachel on 6-17-2010 at 10:05 am
Billy Baroo from Caddyshack.
posted by Geo on 6-17-2010 at 10:54 am
@ Rob Lammle – Very clever with the title to the Blade Runner piece. Very clever.
@ Leroy Jenkins – You mean as a fake plastic copy of what once was a real person? Yes, I think it qualifies.
posted by crocostimpy on 6-17-2010 at 1:19 pm
@ Tex–
From Wikipedia:
“Santa Rosita State Park” was actually the park-like grounds of a private residence located in Rancho Palos Verdes. By 2008 the last of the four palm trees forming the “Big W” had disappeared.
posted by Wayne on 6-17-2010 at 1:50 pm
Eleanor- 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1
Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)
posted by roy on 6-17-2010 at 1:57 pm
Rosebud!
posted by DJ on 6-17-2010 at 2:03 pm
I’d want that stunning blue dress Grace Kelly wore in Rear Window. So gorgeous…
posted by Nora on 6-17-2010 at 2:13 pm
Not from a movie, but I’d pick Capt. Picard’s flute.
posted by Armando on 6-17-2010 at 6:07 pm
Would have to go with Chuck Norris…we all know he’s the prop! His beard is the real star!
posted by James Shields on 6-17-2010 at 11:34 pm
elonore from gone in sixty sec
posted by david on 6-19-2010 at 9:46 am
The jewelry Mme. Hellene de Bursac (Dolores Moran) gives to Steve (Humphrey Bogart’s character)for safe keeping from “To Have and Have Not” or the beret Slim (Lauren Bacall) wears in the movie.
posted by Sara on 6-20-2010 at 12:46 am
I would like the car/submarine from The Spy Who Loved Me. Oh, and Apollo Creed’s boxing shorts for my girl.
posted by Chris on 6-20-2010 at 12:57 am
Pee Wee’s bike
posted by Seth on 6-20-2010 at 12:57 am
There are ways to get props, easily and relatively cheaply, especially if your favourite movie isn’t one of the big blockbusters. Most cities have movie prophouses, and they have semi-regular sales of stuff that hasn’t been rented out in awhile.
posted by Eilonwynn on 6-20-2010 at 10:15 am
This is too easy.
Just the greatest relic of all time.
“The Lost Ark of the Covenant”
Of course, the real one would be nice, it would be the centerpiece of the new temple in Jerusalem, after we demolish the eyesores that are there now.
posted by DadRules on 6-20-2010 at 10:26 am
The phone booth from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
posted by Terri on 6-20-2010 at 10:30 am
I’d love to have any of the costumes from Priscilla; Queen of The Desert, but sadly I don’t believe any exist anymore. Short of that, I’ll take Spock’s ear prosthesis.
posted by Andrea M on 6-20-2010 at 12:48 pm
I’m with Mark – I’d love to have a Stargate. Although I’m torn between the one they used on SG-1 for location shoots (a bit more weather resistant, and how awesome would THAT be in my backyard?!) or the one they used for the SGC that could actually be dialed (pros: DUDE, you can DIAL IT! while cons: need a big room to put it in).
I’d also like any of the captains’ chairs from Star Trek – although I guess DS9 would be represented by the Defiant’s. A dabo table would be cool too.
And while the topic of sci-fi props is up – I want one of those little robots that do all the maintenance on Moya from “Farscape” – I know you can get a stuffed version, but I want a real one, and a remote so I can drive it around the house and irritate my cats.
posted by Kate on 6-20-2010 at 1:52 pm
I would go with the carrot from Bugs Bunny
posted by Drew on 6-20-2010 at 4:18 pm
I’ve always wanted Xena’s complete outfit. Including the chakram & sword. (yeah, I know it isn’t a movie….yet.)
posted by LiloandStitch on 6-20-2010 at 5:39 pm
Definitely Pee Wee’s bike. I think a Pink Ladies jacket would be sweet too.
posted by shirleyfeeney on 6-20-2010 at 6:59 pm
Molly Ringwald’s panites in 16 Candles…Jake Ryan’s Porsche in 16 Candles (equipped w/Jake Ryan of course)…
Oh! I’d love the gym uniform Gary & Wyatt wore in the beginning of Weird Science!
posted by Pearls on 6-20-2010 at 11:03 pm
@ShirleyFeeney…Pink Ladies jacket would be AWESOME! And roller skates from Xanadu!
posted by Pearls on 6-20-2010 at 11:05 pm
I would have to say the horse’s head from The Godfather.
posted by Charlie on 6-21-2010 at 2:19 pm
How about some realistic fantasies, like the fully-lit starship models from Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: First Contact? Both of the 8-foot models of the Voyager and the Enterprise-E were sold at an auction a few years ago for somewhere around $75,000.
And the TARDIS Police Box prop from the 2005 season of Doctor Who is going up for sale soon, though that’s not from a movie. ;)
http://technabob.com/blog/2010/06/20/tardis-auction/
posted by John on 6-21-2010 at 7:41 pm
I understand that One-Eyed Willie’s ship from the goonies was full size and was offered to the cast but no one wanted it so it was taken apart.
Yeah, I want that…..My life would be complete if I had my own pirate ship!
And if I were to dream of a real version of something it would have to be R2-D2.
And last would be either one of the gloves from nightmare on Elm St. or a Mask from Friday the thirteenth
posted by hockeyzombie on 6-22-2010 at 3:53 pm
Even though some of them were mentioned before…
1) Eleanore from Gone in 60 Seconds
2) Mal’s gun from Serenity
3) Indiana Jone’s whip, any movie
4) The fist worn by Mark Hammill in Jay & Silent Bob Strikes Back
5) The holy Hand Granade from Holy Grail
6) Dick Tracy’s suit
7) The cricket mallet from Shawn of the Dead
posted by Matt on 6-23-2010 at 3:09 pm
I’d want…
Legolas’ Lorien bow and quiver from Lord of the Rings
Prince Nuada’s spear from Hellboy II
Wolverine’s dogtags from X-Men
Snape’s cloak from Harry Potter
Anakin’s Jedi robe from Revenge of the Sith
Elrond’s circlet from Lord of the Rings
The Phantom’s mask from Phantom of the Opera
Sloane’s fringed jacket from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
The mysterious briefcase from Pulp Fiction
David’s laptop from Independence Day
Catwoman’s helmet/mask and whip from Catwoman
Selene’s leather trenchcoat from Underworld
Agent Smith’s sunglasses from Matrix
A Lorien cloak (anyones!) from Lord of the Rings
Mina’s red dress from Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Lestat’s see-through concert shirt from Queen of the Damned
Louis’ embroidered vest and frock coat from Interview With the Vampire
A TARDIS and a sonic screwdriver from Doctor Who (functioning please)
Ant costume from Dangerous Liaisons
Spock’s shirt from the recent remake
posted by Jennifer on 6-23-2010 at 4:58 pm
Didn’t someone steal Captain Picard’s chair from one of the Star Trek movies? I’m pretty sure Patrick Stewart mentioned it on an interview with Conan O’Brien.
posted by Jeff on 6-23-2010 at 5:42 pm
I would want something from the Dark Knight; also the bathtub couch from Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
posted by devontastic on 6-23-2010 at 8:37 pm
I’d love Darth Vader’s helmet from Star Wars, Darth Maul’s lightsaber from Star Wars, Governor Tarkin’s uniform from Star Wars……you know what, I’ll just take anything at all from or involved with Star Wars. Thanks and have a nice day.
posted by Logan on 6-24-2010 at 8:39 pm
you guys missed the best one : that front opening red bikini pheobe cates so famously opened in “fast times at ridgemont high” drooooooooooooooooooooll!
posted by bret colvin on 6-30-2010 at 2:02 am
My dad worked at the Roadway where the Oscars were stolen via a dumpster. He said everyone underwent questioning and “through” searches
posted by D on 7-21-2010 at 5:28 pm
Billy Idols face made out of neon tubing that is on the wall in Demi Moore’s apt in St. Elmos Fire
posted by Sandy on 7-21-2010 at 6:19 pm
If I could get it, Captain Jack Sparrow’s outfit, or perhaps the Black Pearl.
posted by John on 7-21-2010 at 8:27 pm
I want the bust Batman used to flip back to press the button and open the secret door to the poles which lead to the Batcave below his mansion.
posted by Burt on 7-21-2010 at 9:11 pm
The guns John Wayne used in “The Shootist”
Any of the Predator’s weapons and/or armor
Mad Max’s Interceptor
The pile of cocaine off Tony Montana’s desk
posted by boogerpicker on 7-22-2010 at 12:44 am
Anything from Titanic, my favorite film, especially something of Rose’s (my dream woman). The portrait, Heart of the Ocean, or butterfly hair pick would be cool. Ship pieces like the bell, telemotor, crew uniforms, or plates/glasses would be really nice to have too. I got replica tea cups from 2nd and 3rd class at a Titanic museum exhibit that look awesome. Also got
some actual coal from the boilers.
I’d also love Joker’s jacket, a Batman cowl, the Phantom of the Opera’s mask, and Veronica’s veil from The Passion of the Christ.
Good call on James Dean’s jacket–that would be amazing to own!
posted by Stephen on 7-22-2010 at 1:47 am
The key in The Goonies was actually shaped like an erect penis, not a skull. Watch the movie again and you’ll see what I mean. There is so much penis imagery and symbolism in that movie it is unbelieveable (One-Eyed Willie? Come on!)
posted by Archie on 8-26-2010 at 10:10 pm
I’d love Paul McCartney’s white, light-up organ from Help!
posted by M on 1-10-2011 at 5:48 pm