GOING ONCE! GOING TWICE! GOING HOLLYWOOD! STUDIOS UNLOAD PROPS FOR A PRICE IN CYBERSPACE.Byline: David Germain Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Want a piece of Austin Powers? Looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. something in a gaudy '70s jumpsuit from ``Boogie Nights?'' Interested in ``Melrose Place'' swimming pool water with a guarantee that Heather Locklear swam in it? Movie studios, with warehouses full of the stuff that dreams are made of, have begun testing the collectibles market with online auctions to peddle props from films and TV shows, along with other entertainment memorabilia. Many studios and production companies have online stores that sell mass-produced items related to popular movies or shows. But Universal and New Line are the first to take up the Web gavel gavel small mallet used by judge or presiding officer to signal order. [Western Culture: Misc.] See : Authority and offer one-of-a-kind wardrobe items, pieces of movie sets and other props to high bidders in sales similar to those run by eBay, Amazon.com and other online auctioneers. ``It's a chance to own a part of the movies,'' said Jim Rosenthal Jim Rosenthal (born 6 November 1947) is a sports presenter on British television. As a child he grew up in Oxford and attended Josca's Preparatory School before going to Magdalen College School. , executive vice president of business development at New Line. ``It's a neat thing for somebody to be able to point and say I own the silver suit that Mini-Me wore'' in ``Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged shag 1 n. 1. A tangle or mass, especially of rough matted hair. 2. a. A coarse long nap, as on a woolen cloth. b. Cloth having such a nap. 3. A rug with a thick rough pile. Me.'' That item sold for $5,502. The biggest-ticket item so far has been Felicity Shagwell's Corvette corvette, small warship, classed between a frigate and a sloop-of-war. Corvettes usually were flush-decked and carried fewer than 28 guns. They were widely employed in escorting convoys and attacking merchant ships during the great naval wars of the late 18th and Stingray stingray: see ray. stingray or whip-tailed ray Any of various species (family Dasyatidae) of rays noted for their slender, whiplike tail with barbed, usually venomous spines. from the ``Austin Powers'' sequel, which New Line sold for $121,000. Most items sell for far less, and the money the studios take in is minuscule compared with box-office receipts. The studios say they donate part of the proceeds to charity. The real benefit is promotion, luring fans to studio Web sites, with the props themselves serving as ads for particular movies and shows. ``It's a way of getting people on your site, and once they're there, you hope they'll stay and move around to other areas, click and travel the neighborhood,'' said Craig Parsons, spokesman for MGM MGM in full Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. U.S. corporation and film studio. It was formed when the film distributor Marcus Loew, who bought Metro Pictures in 1920, merged it with the Goldwyn production company in 1924 and with Louis B. Mayer Pictures in 1925. , which is considering adding its own online auction site. New Line's site sells only items from the studio's own productions, while Universal's is more universal, offering props, autographed photos and other entertainment merchandise from a variety of sources. ``The studios are building a fan base of people who are interested in being connected with either newer films or films in the library,'' said entertainment consultant Michael J. Wolf, senior partner for Booz, Allen & Hamilton Inc. ``One way is to own a piece of the films.'' Many props have little intrinsic worth, but in some cases, fans are willing to pay a lot for a piece of Hollywood. In a current New Line auction, the skates worn by Heather Graham as Roller Girl in ``Boogie Nights'' had been bid up to $4,580 by Tuesday. From a past New Line auction, a stool sample beaker beaker /beak·er/ (bek´er) a glass cup, usually with a lip for pouring, used by chemists and pharmacists. beaker a round laboratory vessel of various materials, usually with parallel sides and often with a pouring spout. from ``Austin Powers'' went for $1,026. Universal sold a ``Star Trek'' tunic tu·nic n. A coat or layer enveloping an organ or a part; tunica. tunic a covering or coat. See also tunica. abdominal tunic see tunica flava abdominis. designed for William Shatner <noinclude></noinclude> William Alan Shatner (born on March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor who gained fame for playing Captain James Tiberius Kirk, captain of the starship USS Enterprise for $3,225. Other items are within many fan's price range. A water bottle with a NASA logo The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) logo has three official designs, although one of them (the "worm") has been retired from official use since 1992. The three logos include the NASA insignia (also known as the meatball from ``Deep Impact'' sold for $35 on Universal's site, while a chunk of the space-travel pyramid from ``Stargate'' went for $120. An umbrella used in ``Pleasantville'' brought $256 on New Line's site. And that vial of ``Melrose Place'' pool water - along with a letter of authenticity - sold for $51. Some items, despite the lure of Hollywood, can't find a buyer. Universal had no bidders for a wanted poster of Madeline Stowe in ``Bad Girls'' and a pair of leather chaps worn by Tommy Davidson in ``Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.'' ON THE BLOCK Some film props sold recently on Internet auction sites run by New Line and Universal studios, along with their selling price: The star-spangled 1965 Corvette Stingray from ``Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,'' sold by New Line for $121,000. A ``Democracia'' newspaper prop depicting Madonna as Eva Peron from ``Evita,'' sold by Universal for $60. A green jacket worn by Brendan Fraser in ``Blast from the Past,'' sold by New Line for $661. A bundle of fake Bank of Gotham $20, $50 and $100 bills used as prop money in ``Batman,'' sold by Universal for $145. An Army jumpsuit and vest from ``Spawn,'' sold by New Line for $402. A collection of tribal jewelry used in ``Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls,'' sold by Universal for $95. Chris Tucker's Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. police ID card from ``Rush Hour,'' sold by New Line for $551. A black baseball bat used by Dennis Haysbert, who played ballplayer Pedro Cerrano in ``Major League,'' sold by Universal for $445. A negligee worn by Elizabeth Hurley in ``Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,'' sold by New Line for $2,551. A magazine prop featuring Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison on the cover from ``The Doors,'' sold by Universal for $195. - Associated Press CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: (color) The star-spangled Corvette driven by Heather Graham in ``Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' is on the online auction block. K. Wright/Associated Press Box: On the block (see text) |
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