Memorabilia brimming with star quality proved irresistible to bidders in the inaugural Pop Culture sale at auction house Hanson Ross.
Following January’s sale of a Friends TV script – found in a bin – for a premium inclusive total of £28,864 (hammer £22,000), the Hertfordshire saleroom has been attracting lots with celebrity appeal.
This influx of consignments inspired the new specialist sale. It brimmed with 170 items including Hollywood, TV, film, music and sport memorabilia – and more rare Friends scripts.
Star billing in the April Pop Culture Auction went to an iconic Friends TV script owned by British actor and Made in Chelsea television personality Ollie Locke. His script, The One Where Rachel Has A Baby, autographed by the cast, hammered at £12,000 from a £5,000-£8,000 guide.
In addition, lot 97, an Episode 2, season 2 Friends script issued to Friends actress Lisa Kudrow, hammered at £2,500 and lot 111, a 1994 ‘Friends Like us’ pilot script owned by Ira Ungerleide, a writer on the first three seasons of Friends, achieved £2,600.
Major interest was also sparked by a letter written by JRR Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, to an eight-year-old child fan in 1961. It matched its estimate to hammer at £8,000.
Another high achiever was lot 146, a Groot Mask used in the film production of Guardians of the Galaxy. Owned by prosthetics sculptor Jim Sparrow, it achieved £4,800.
The sale also included iconic sports items and lot 92, a boxing glove signed by Muhammad Ali plus related memorabilia, sold for £420. Hollywood came back into the mix with lot 53, photographs of stars, many signed, including Joanna Lumley, Christopher Lee, Bob Hoskins, Tom Selleck and Sade plus other assorted film and music-related memorabilia. It made £240.
Amanda Butler, head of operations at Hanson Ross, said: “We were thrilled to offer fascinating memorabilia relating to the world of entertainment. When that Friends script hammered at £22,000 from a £600-£800 guide in January, it plunged us into the limelight. It sparked huge media coverage and 219 advance bids from all over the world including the UK, USA, Germany, Spain, Australia, Ukraine, Dubai and Switzerland.
“That success led to us being inundated with enquiries from new clients keen to consign all kinds of TV and film memorabilia. It’s also led to us forging connections in Hollywood which is exciting. The entertainment industry inspires a vibrant collectors’ market. We’re proud to be a part of it and hope to play a starring role in this specialist area in the years to come.
“People like to own items connected to their favourite stars, films, TV shows and books. Leisure means pleasure and people enjoy being reminded of things that make them happy. Consequently, the auction achieved an overall sales total in excess of £50,000.
“We hope this will be the first of many Pop Culture Auctions at our Royston saleroom and we’re looking forwarding to uncovering more important finds.”
Auction: The Hanson Ross Pop Culture Auction was held on April 12, 2024 at the firm’s saleroom in Royston, Hertfordshire, UK.
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