Hollywood’s holy grail: Props from ‘Indiana Jones,”Pulp Fiction’ are now luxury collectibles
14.03.2024 - 22:53
/ nypost.com
“Mad Props” follows Tom Biolchini, a banker from Tulsa, Oklahoma, as he scours the world for the coolest authenticated props and advocates for them to be viewed as luxury collectibles.“Back in the day, the studio would say something like, ‘Oh that Darth Vader outfit, maybe we can use it another time’ [and keep it in a store room],” Biolchini told The Post. “They didn’t see these timeless props as something needing curating.” But the documentary, streaming on Prime starting March 25, features plenty of people who do see it that way — including “Alien” star Lance Henriksen, Robert Englund, who played Freddie Kreuger, and Mickey Rourke, who refers to props as “activities” to enhance his performance in movies like “The Wrestler” and “The Palace.”“Some people invest in art or sports car that appreciate over time.
This is no different,” said Biolchini, adding he’s spent around $250,000 building up his collection over the past two decades. Now, he estimates, it’s worth twice as much.He also said there is hot competition outside of Hollywood.“I lose 90% of auctions because I’m bidding against people all over the world,” said Biolchini, who displays his winnings at his offices at VAST Bank in Tulsa.
“But I love the [prop] I have and I consider them a true art form. Some of the most expensive and revered works of art hang in museums and not everyone would even recognize them [outside of the museum].
But if I were to travel the world with Indiana Jones’ whip, more than half the people would know it.”Here are five of the most coveted items from “Mad Props.”Biolchini chose as “wisely” as Indiana Jones himself when he picked up the Holy Grail from 1989’s “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” at auction for $80,000. In the movie, Jones,
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