So, I originally wrote this a month ago. I didn’t publish it, however, because the auction hadn’t happened yet, and I didn’t want any of y’all bidding on the stuff I wanted. Then, I got preoccupied and completely missed the auction. Womp womp. So, I’ve updated the post to add the prices at which the items sold.
I don’t tend to really take notice of any auction outside of eBay, as I don’t know much about that world, and there are a whole bunch of hoops to jump through in order to bid. Plus, I’m poor! So, I’m usually priced out of the places where the high rollers play. Still, when TV journalist Josef Adalian, AKA TVMojo, posted the link for the upcoming Channel Surfing: A Broadcast to Binge offerings from Julien’s Auctions, I had to take notice. Little did I realize just how many incredible pieces would be up for bid! So, that’s what we’re doing here today. Strap in, ’cause it’s gonna be a long one!
Oddly enough, this was the first lot to catch my eye. These are “mic cubes”, used by on-air talent. There’s a foam core, through which you stick the microphone. They’re not very common these days, but I love the 80s era NBC Peacock. FINAL PRICE: $260
This is pretty incredible, as they’ve got Ben Matlock’s law degree. I really want this to hang behind me on my wall, so folks can see it on Zoom. FINAL PRICE: $2,600
This one is something of a “wild card”, as it’s John Ritter’s character’s drivers license from the CBS series Hearts Afire. I love Ritter, mainly for Three’s Company, but there’s nothing in the auction from that franchise, so I’d take this as a consolation prize. Especially since I expect it to sell kinda low. FINAL PRICE: $125
Up for bid in this lot are Hazzard County license plates from, you guessed it, The Dukes of Hazzard! I loved the Hell out of that show, but something’s missing here. They’re missing a certain “je ne sais quoi”. As messed up as this is gonna sound, I think they need the Rebel Flag on them. FINAL PRICE: $1,950
Here’s another consolation prize, as we’ve got one of Colt Seavers’s shirts from The Fall Guy. Another favorite show of mine, this doesn’t scream “Colt Seavers” to me. Maybe if it were under a leather jacket, it came with a cowboy hat. Otherwise, it’s just a plaid shirt. Still, it’d be nice to say this was one of the shirts he was wearing when he jumped from a tall building, or “Tarzaned” from a vine. He was The Unknown Stuntman, and this shirt didn’t do anything to change that. FINAL PRICE: $160
Maybe another consolation prize? I love David Hasselhoff, as he was involved in 2 of my favorite franchises. That said, I would want more than the cushions from his Baywatch production chair. At the very least, sell one of the lifeguard “can” buoys. Or literally anything from Knight Rider. These aren’t even signed. But it’s The Hoff… FINAL PRICE: $325
I wouldn’t necessarily want to own this, but I love how there are some costumes that are immediately recognizable. I see this, and I can just see the memes of Ice-T, going, “The kids are taking this new kind of drug in the streets. They call it ‘Purple Nurple’!” FINAL PRICE: $455
While we’re on the topic of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, I would actually LOVE to have Detective Munch’s badge. After all, he’s The Great Unifier of primetime dramas. Even without The Tommy Westphall Theory, Richard Belzer appeared as John Munch on TEN different shows, across FIVE networks. There’s no other character like him. This is a true piece of Television History! FINAL PRICE: $780
I never really watched CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and I can’t name Gary Dourdan’s character. However, I see this, and I KNOW this was worn by Dourdan – someone I know more from their offscreen antics than their acting. The CSI wardrobe department treated that show like a cartoon, though, in that the characters seemed to always wear the same thing every episode. Dourdan always seemed to be in this, just like Marg Helgenberger was always rocking MILF cleavage under a leather jacket or blazer. The Adult Swim series NTSF:SD:SUV even spoofed this when June Diane Raphael parodied Helgenberger, with her Piper Ferguson character. FINAL PRICE: $455
Now, THIS blew my mind: A complete LCARS panel from the Star Trek: The Next Generation transporter room! You can just spend all day pretending to beam things up from, and down to, the planet surface. You can pretend your wife’s pattern got lost, or your kid was combined with the dog, for your very own Tuvix conundrum. The possibilities are endless! FINAL PRICE: $9,100
This won’t be familiar to most, but it’s from the early Fox science fiction series, Alien Nation, based on the James Caan film. In it, a bunch of alien refugees land on Earth, and they go through the immigrant experience, dubbed “Newcomers” by humans. I never watched the show, but was always fascinated by everything I heard about it. The most interesting thing is that Newcomers get drunk on sour milk, so this sign is more akin to a liquor store sign than a grocery sign. FINAL PRICE: $260
Another show I never watched, yet somehow have a lot of respect for, this is the uniform of Captain Nathan Bridger (Roy Scheider) from SeaQuest DSV. It was always an interesting concept, since it’s basically “Star Trek: Underwater“. I mean, given the Earth is mostly unexplored water, it made for a good plot, but I didn’t really start watching until the 3rd and final season, when there was a time jump and the SeaQuest became a war vessel. It’s a concept that probably would have worked best in syndication, with a lower budget (see: Viper), but those suits are instantly recognizable. FINAL PRICE: $2,925
I would argue that this is one of the most iconic pop culture props from the turn of the century. “Save the cheerleader, save the world.” I know the writing took a turn, and the fans blame that for the show’s tarnished legacy, but to truly understand how far Heroes fell, you’ve first got to understand how high it soared. On the heels of Lost, this was the golden age of “Appointment Television”. Not everyone had Tivo or DVR yet, and this was the watercooler show you talked about the next morning at work. This was a “comic book show” that managed to trick non comic folks into caring about it. So, this is like a pauper winning the lottery, and proceeding to lose every cent, ending up right back in the same alley. We speak about Heroes with derision now, but when it was hot, it was HOT. FINAL PRICE: $3,900
Ralph Hinkley’s costume from The Greatest American Hero. I bet you never thought about how he never had a hero name throughout the entire run of that show! Anyway, this series is near and dear to my heart. If I bought this, I would display it in a glass case in the middle of my basement, similar to how Batman displayed Jason Todd’s Robin costume after he was murdered by The Joker. It’s THAT important to me. FINAL PRICE: $16,250
Growing up, I always looked forward to The Joker as the villain on Batman, but I would go on to notice the makeup caked on the mustache Cesar Romero refused to shave. Plus, he just laughed a lot and did a lot of dumb stuff, but I discovered the comic – and the ’89 Tim Burton film – where he was a homicidal maniac. You can’t really go back to watching Batman and Joker in a surfing contest after you’ve witnessed that! Also, when you read all the salacious behind-the-scenes accounts, it was Frank Gorshin, who played The Riddler, who was joining Adam West and Burt Ward in all the orgies. YES, ORGIES. So, just like how we eventually move from Ginger to Mary Ann, an important part of growing up was realizing that Riddler > The Joker. At least as far as the 1966 series went. So, that’s why I’d love to own this. FINAL PRICE: $32,500
Speaking of Batman, these two offerings are kinda on the same tier for me. We’ve got Robin’s Batarang, signed by Burt Ward, and we’ve got Batgirl’s gloves, signed by Yvonne Craig. I feel like someone would have to buy both, rather than just one of these. That said, the gloves come with a signed 8×10, while the Batarang does not. FINAL PRICE- BATARANG: UNSOLD (!), BATGIRL GLOVES: $3,575
OK, this is “dirty pool”, as Lynda Carter’s iconic Wonder Woman costume has been broken into 4 separate lots. So, a true collector would need to buy all four, and each one is on track to command about $5,000. FINAL PRICE – COSTUME: $130,000, TIARA: $26,000, LASSO: $32,500, BOOTS: $52,000
From The Brady Bunch, you can either get Mike Brady’s architecture degree (signed by Florence Henderson) or Alice’s familiar maid’s uniform. FINAL PRICE – DEGREE: $2,600, UNIFORM: $3,900
This might be something of a deep cut, but I love the opening credits to Laverne & Shirley more than I love the actual show. Still, this is just an empty cardboard box, that’s expected to fetch about $5K, and they’re not even throwing in any prop bottles?! FINAL PRICE: UNSOLD (!)
This sweater is quintessential Good Times to me, as I don’t really remember Michael Evans wearing any color other than brown. Everything about that show was brown and drab. FINAL PRICE: $910
This is Natalie’s Eastland Academy uniform sweater from The Facts of Life. When it comes to the uniform, I tend to think of Blair first, then Natalie, then Tootie, then Jo. Oddly enough, the only ones in this auction are Natalie’s and Jo’s, and I almost never think of Jo as actually wearing the uniform. FINAL PRICE: $3,575
From The Carol Burnett Show, we’ve got Eunice’s costume, wig, and Mama’s costume. FINAL PRICE – WIG: $7,800, EUNICE DRESS: $9,100, MAMA DRESS: $5,850
From Roseanne, we have the Conner family sofa. I guess that means they weren’t using the original in the revival? FINAL PRICE: UNSOLD (!)
Private Benjamin is a franchise ripe for a reboot, and I’m always amazed that no one ever talks about it. There was a 1980 Goldie Hawn film, where she plays Judy Benjamin, whose husband dies mid-coitus, on their wedding night. Completely shellshocked, she ends up joining the Army? I’ve only seen the movie once, but I used to love the spinoff TV show back in the day. Eileen Brennan played the overbearing commanding officer, Captain Doreen Lewis, in both the film AND the series, and this is her uniform. Seeing as how two different women played the titular character, that left Brennan as the de facto constant in the franchise, so she kinda means more to me. FINAL PRICE: $125
Just seeing this triggers that marching band theme in my head, as this is the uniform of Hayden Fox, head coach of the Minnesota State University Screaming Eagles from the ABC sitcom Coach. This was a show I was really into, yet don’t know why. I don’t love sports, and it wasn’t that compelling of a show. The thing about my generation, though, is that we watched a lot of shows, not because we liked them, but simply because that’s what was on. Also, I will always remember there was this story arc of them trying to become parents, yet Shelley Fabares was, like, 55 years old. I never knew if her character was supposed to be younger, or if they were just partaking in “modern science”. FINAL PRICE: $910
This is a great chance to grab a piece of the place where everybody knows your name. There’s much more stuff available, but these are what I considered the Must Have items, including some stuff from Frasier. FINAL PRICE – DOOR: $162,500, NORM’S STOOL: $6,500, SAM MALONE’S RED SOX JACKET: $10,400, CLIFF CLAVIN UNIFORM: $10,400, WOODY BOYD COSTUME $3,575, MARTIN CRANE COSTUME: $2,925, CAFE NERVOSA TABLE & CHAIRS SET: $5,200, FRASIER BUS BENCH AD: $5,200
Now, it may not seem obvious, but THIS is a conversation piece. You’re looking at Kramer’s shirt, worn during the infamous Soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld. Pop this baby on, burst through your neighbor’s door, and tell him all about the new soup place you just heard about! FINAL PRICE: $11,700
Must I even explain whose costume you’re looking at here? Did you leave your common sense back at the beet farm?! FINAL PRICE: $2,925
I kinda want to own this, even though I could probably print one up, using this very file. This would just be a nice thing to keep on your desk, to glance at during conference calls. With Sabre on there, I know this is from end-stage The Office, so I found it interesting that Stanley would still be considered a “Junior Employee” at this point. My memory of some of the plots is spotty, but is there a story reason for this? Jim and Pam’s business cards are also available, but I feel like I’d appreciate Stanley’s more. FINAL PRICE: $125
It’s one of Fez’s shirts, from That ’70s Show! Ya know, this looks like just the sort of thing someone would wear when they’re into underaged girls. I guess that’s why it’s no surprise that… Ya know what? I’m gonna stop right there. Y’all have Google! FINAL PRICE: $325
Suit up! Not since Rock Hudson has a gay man portrayed a randy heterosexual man so convincingly. I know we go back and forth on whether Barney Stinson was a problematic character, but he’s probably the only reason to even revisit How I Met Your Mother at this point. When it was on the air, we knew he was the horrible horndog character with the heart of gold, and that was enough. Over time, though, we’ve come to realize Ted wasn’t so great, Marshall had his issues. Lily is almost a non-character, in that she seems to exist to balance out Marshall, and Robin’s…Robin. No, Neil Patrick Harris stole the show, and he looked damn good while doing it. FINAL PRICE: $2,600
I’ve never watched an entire episode of Veep, but I see this and I know it ain’t Lt. Uhura! No, this is Selena Meyer, through and through. If there were more room in the bust, you could maybe say it was one of Joan’s costumes from Mad Men, but that’s only because Selena had that vintage, Jackie-O vibe. FINAL PRICE: $1,170
Here’s something else for the wall, as we have the health permits and the Open sign for The Peach Pit from Beverly Hills, 90210. This might sound weird, but Nat – and by extension The Peach Pit – was one of my favorite characters from that franchise. He was Old Reliable to me. While I didn’t love some of the expansion ideas, like The Peach Pit After Dark, I would still love to own a piece of the original place. FINAL PRICE: $325
Finally, we’ve got June’s handmaid uniform from The Handmaid’s Tale. Given the path this country is on, you might as well stock up with the genuine article, instead of waiting for whatever American made crap you’ll be forced to buy. “Both sides are the same”, my ass… FINAL PRICE: $10,400
I would almost swear that they added a bunch of new stuff just before the auction, as I just hopped over there and saw some stuff I didn’t remember from my first tour. In any case, it’s well worth your time to check it out, as I’m sure there’s something there that will impress ya!
