Original props from the Harry Potter films – including a Philosopher’s Stone and a Golden Snitch – have sold for over $89,000 at auction.
The Philosopher’s Stone, from the 2001 film that was the first in the series, sold for more than double its estimate at $19,116.
A Golden Snitch, also used in the first film, sold for $10,427, whilst wands belonging to Dumbledore and Voldemort sold for nearly $7,352.
The props were part of a collection sold by someone who used to work in the industry, which fetched a total of $318,157.
The collection, spanning 50 years, included a treasure trove of props from the Harry Potter films, which fetched a collective total of $90,741.
A 7cm-long original production-made Philosopher’s Stone used in the first film sold for a premium-inclusive $19,116, having been estimated to sell for between $6,684 and $9,358.
An original, production-made Golden Snitch also used in the first film sold close to its top estimate of $10,427.
A hand-painted Elder Wand from 2010’s The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 took $7,299 against a guide price of between $2,005 and $4,010.
The wand was in the possession of Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore until his death, which led to it being used by Lucius Malfroy, Lord Voldemort, and Harry Potter himself in the last two films in the series.
A wand of the type used by Ralph Fiennes’ character Lord Voldemort in 2005’s Goblet of Fire, featuring the hook handle to the base of the wand, went for $5,908 against a maximum estimate of $4,010, whilst a wand of the type waved by Harry Potter during 2004’s The Prisoner of Azkaban sold for the same.
Another wand used by Potter in The Prisoner of Azkaban – a hand-painted piece with a knotted wood-effect handle – went for $5,558 after being pitched at between $2,005 and $4,010.
A black wand with a scrollwork handle used by Severus Snape in the same film had been expected to take between $1,337 and $2,674, but sold for $4,866.
And a wand identical to that used by Ron Weasley in The Goblet of Fire, which was estimated to go for the same amount as Snape’s, also sold for the same amount ($4,866).
A version of the wand used by Sirius Black – played by Gary Oldman – in 2007’s Order of the Phoenix, complete with carved symbols, also had hopes of between $1,337 and $2,674 but made $3,476.
Also from The Deathly Hallows – Part 1, a wand made for Jason Isaacs in his role as Lucius Malfoy also smashed expectations and sold for $2,954.
A Death Eater skull wand made for The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 & 2 (2010/2011) with a skull and serpent design, sold for $2,259, whilst more wands followed for three and four-figure sums.
A Quidditch World Cup program from 2005’s Goblet of Fire took $2,259, and a two-way mirror shard prop from 2011’s The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 sold for $3,476 against an estimate of between $1,336 and $2,674.
Beyond the Harry Potter films, other highlights of the Ewbank’s Auctioneers sale included a Captain America helmet and shield, which sold for $11,122 and $9,558 respectively, and an Atlantean sword prop from 1984’s Conan The Destroyer, wielded by Arnold Schwarzenegger, which sold for $15,640.
“This was one of our most successful sales ever, and the latest in a long series of single-owner collections, many of which have been built up over the years by film industry professionals,” Andrew Ewbank, partner at Ewbanks’ Auctioneers, said.
“What really attracted Harry Potter fans here was that the wands and other props were not later copies, but original pieces made for use on set during filming.”
Read the full article here
