Since my purchase of a set of Star Trek: The Motion Picture lobby cards in March, I've been keeping an eye on the weekly Heritage Auctions Movie Posters Select Auction for similar opportunities. As I said in that posting, I find the idea of lobby cards to be more attractive than full sized movie posters, which require a more substantial investment in both money and wall space.
I've seen a few tempting options for cards from classic SF films from the 50s and 60s, but in every case they've quickly gotten out of my financial reach. However, you never know with auctions, which can often have as much to do with luck as money, so I haven't given up on the idea.
The most recent sale featured a pair of lobby cards from Return of the Jedi, the dramatic 1983 conclusion to the original Star Wars trilogy. In this case, the items were actually over-sized cards - the standard is 11x14, and these were 16x20. The scans on the listing revealed a few scuffs and scratches, but I somehow feel that things like that add a sense of history to items like this, and the mere fact that Heritage Auctions classified their condition as "VERY FINE" indicates that the system is somewhat forgiving.
When I received the notification late Sunday night that I'd won the auction, it actually took me a minute to remember that I'd even placed a bid. Generally Star Wars related items sell for a premium - it's a pretty dedicated fan base - so I was surprised that the auction hadn't even gotten up to my modest $52 maximum bid, rather than stopping at $34. (Plus, of course, the inevitable Buyer's Premium for the auction house, but even that only brought the grand total up to $53 - a bit cheaper than my Star Trek purchase.)
Given the probable timing on shipping, I expect to receive the cards nicely in time for my birthday at the end of September. I generally like to buy myself a little gift for my birthday, and given that this is a milestone at 60, I'm pleased to have found something a bit special that didn't cost a fortune.
- Sid
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