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Hot trend alert: Movie memorabilia, Sci-Fi at auction

'Forbidden' fruits

Another red-hot market consignors and collectors should be aware of is movie memorabilia. Last week, Robby the Robot – the seven-foot tall robot from the 1956 MGM Sci-Fi classic “Forbidden Planet” – sold at Bonhams New York for a world record price of $5,375,000. This makes it the most valuable movie prop ever sold at auction, according to Bonhams press release.

This out-of-this-world result is just part of a trend of ever more successful auction sales in the category of movie memorabilia, including the titular statuette from “The Maltese Falcon,” which sold for $4 million; Marilyn Monroe’s white dress from “The Seven-Year Itch,” sold for $4.6 million; and the original 1966 Batmobile, which sold for $4.6 million.

Robby the Robot from "Forbidden Planet"
Robby the Robot from “Forbidden Planet.” Sold at auction by Bonhams for a record $5.375 million.

RR success stories in movie memorabilia

RR Auction has a love for movie memorabilia as well. We were proud to curate the Tom Gregory Hollywood Collection for him in 2016:

Fully one-third of the nearly half-million items we’ve sold at auction are from the category of entertainment. Some of our stand-out items include:

  • Original “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” final working draft manuscript, sold for $313,056
  • Screen-used 2003 Escalade from “The Sopranos”, sold for $119,776
  • Jack Nicholson’s suit from “Chinatown”: $45,987
  • Screen-worn sash worn by Charlton Heston in “The Ten Commandments”: $33,784

With Robby the Robot garnering such a huge payoff for his consignor, perhaps it’s time to sell your own Sci-Fi memorabilia at auction? Learn more here!