I could see the larger-than-life faces of the man and woman from a distance. As I got closer to the framed poster, I saw that their expressions appeared benign, although her pale white face was…
Category: Movies
As I watched the movie, I looked keenly for the snow-white leather sofa. It was the prop that stood out the most last summer at an auction that sold furniture and accessories from the movie “Dead Man Down,” scenes…
Questions I can’t answer – Lillian Yarbo, ram’s head
Posted in African American women, Animals, jewelry, Movies, and Reader questions
Friday at Auction Finds is readers’ questions day. I try to guide readers to resources for them to determine the value of the items that they own. I’m not able to appraise their treasures, but…
Set decorations from movie ‘Paranoia’
Posted in Movies, and Uncategorized
I was browsing an auction-house website when I came across this headline: “Remnants of a Movie Set.” I was instantly intrigued because I love movies and I certainly wanted to see what props had been left…
The error of asking “Django” to save black people
Posted in Black history, Movies, and slavery
I wasn’t too keen on engaging in all the intellectual back-and-forths swirling around Quentin Tarantino’s movie “Django Unchained,” but I broke down and went with my friend Kristin over the weekend to a discussion about…
I have a friend who loves those late-night TV movies, the ones with actors who never really made it big but whose faces show up over and over again. She’ll spend an entire night glued…
Collectibles that may not be worth your money
Posted in collectibles, Dolls, Figurines, Movies, and Toys
An auction house recently retweeted a story about items that people bought as collectibles but are not worth the price they paid for them. I found the list interesting because practically every one of the…
The auctioneer held two shell casings in his hand – blanks, he said, noting that they were inscribed on the bottom as such. Before us, on the inside right arm of a clean white leather…
Coolin’ it with the Blues Brothers
Posted in Movies
It’s been 30 years since John Belushi was found dead from a drug overdose at a hotel on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. Belushi was one of those crazily natural comedians – whether playing…
‘Birth of a Nation’ souvenir book
Posted in Black history, Civil War, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and Movies
I had missed the book lying quietly and innocently there on a shelf in a glass case at the auction house. It was overshadowed by two noisy shelves above it with Shirley Temple photos, Shirley…