Most of us here at UMA are collectors as well. Our collections may vary (magazines, toys, masks, posters, movies, etc.) but I'd venture to guess that we all have a collection of some sort that we've worked on through the years. Among each collection, there is usually one single item that stands out from the rest as being your "crown jewel". Standouts can be standouts for many reasons: mint condition, rarity, one-of-a-kind, expensive, autographed, effort to get it, or just plain cool-as-can-be!
So, what is the crown jewel of your collection? Brag it up and tell us why it's your most prized monster possession. Share your story (and pictures) and become the envy of all the monsterkids on the block!
For me, I collect classic monster films (first on VHS, now DVD). Among my collection, my most prized possession is a set of DVDs I grouped together containing every one of the films from the old Shock Theater and Son of Shock theater film packages. I collected them all because when these were being shown on my local TV station in the 60's, my parents rarely let me stay up late enough to watch them. It was torture seeing that a film like "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman" was listed in the TV Guide and Dad would say something like, "It STARTS at midnight? No way!"
In order to get all of them, a few bootleg copies were necessary, but eventually I was able to get my hands on every last one. Now, on Friday nights, I recreate my childhood by staying up late and watching something from that set in a darkened room.
I give honorable mention to another similar collection. I found a list of the films shown on the original Vampira show and have been putting that set together as well. (Only two more and that set will be complete!)
Mine is an unusual one....in that it doesn't carry a lot of monetary value...but more than a bunch of sentimental worth.
When I was very young, around 6 or 7 and visiting my grandfather, he would set up his 8mm projector to show movies. I was introduced to the monsters this way first (not TV) as well as the classic comedies of Laurel and Hardy and Abbott and Costello. One of the films was "Great Moments from the Phantom of the Opera" from Blackhawk Films. This was the big 400" reel and I loved it from the first frame. Whenever I would visit, I would ask to see it. My grandfather was a big classic horror buff himself, so he always showed it, without hesitation.
On my 16th birthday, he handed it over to me. It is a generic box with just a label on the side. Nothing special.....but if the house was burning...it is the first thing I would grab.
My most prized monster items our my autographed photos of most of the origional Universal Monster actors.Chaney,Lugosi,Price,etc.Some I got while the person was still alive others through respected autograph dealers.
Fibbermac, sounds as if we were kindred souls in that department.
I have assembled a pretty large collection of various Horror Hosted movies that I also play on a late Friday night (after the wife has gone to sleep, she can't stand what she calls "nonsense TV" lol) that recreates a nostalgic feeling when I used to watch Count Gore growing up. Its a great way to unwind from the work week and as an adult, I can appreciate the adult humor that was laced through out their shows on late night TV.
As for a prized piece, I would say most of my collection is low in monetary value, but priceless to me.
Examples: Ormsby's "Movie Monsters" book, Power Records "A Story of Dracula, Frankenstein and the Wolf Man" Horror Hosts, and my DVD library. The above examples were things that made me into the monster kid I am today.
Some favorite DVDs:
- My Universal Classics
- Hammer Draculas (only missing Prince of Darkness, have it on VHS though),
- Anchor Bay's "The Vampire Happening" (Pia Degermark looking fine on the cover, OOP)
- Creature Feature Classics vol. 2 "Night of the Living Dead" signed by Count Gore
- My Halloween set (1,2,3 H2O, Zombie's, 25 years of Terror doc)
- Terror in the Aisles ( a favorite of mine back then)
- Twins of Evil/Vampire Circus (rare 70's Hammer films)
Forgot to add movie posters (repros) from 2 of my favorite modern horror films:
Halloween signed by P.J. Soles
Night of the Living Dead signed by George Romero
My most prized monster collectables, are my Warren magazines. These were an extremely large part of my childhood ( and mean more to me than my Don Post masks, Aurora models, toys, ect. ), with the Creepys being especially precious to me. The Warren magazines carried me through some of the darkest times during my life. No matter what was happening, they always made me feel better. The stories were well written with some of the best artwork I've seen, that even in my adult life I still enjoy reading them. This is the foundation of my monster collection.
Without a DOUBT my 3 3/4 Remco Dracula...I have had that thing since I was a little kid and by collector's standards it is in bad shape. He had the glow face and I used to leave him on the lamp shade to soak up the light before I went to bed. Because of that, one time I left him there a bit too long I guess and his legs kind of melted a bit and they are stuck together..so he doesnt stand on his own any longer. His cape was also a victim to the heat and light and has some holes in it's plastic.
The reason he is my favirote? That toy Dracula has done it's job in making a kid happy 1,000 times over. I was very close to my grandparents and credit my grandfathers love of Abbot and Costello meet Frankenstein as one of the main reasons I love everything monster. When he passed and I was a kid...that glow face Drac was a great companion during late uncertain nights.
My father passed away in my early teens and I was still a secret "monster/comic geek" then...and I can remember seeing him lay on my dresser across the room, all burnt up...and I remember kind of just sitting at the end of my bed rolling it around in my hands then...
In my 20's when I was almost married and it didnt work out, I can remember taking my boxes out of the house where I lived, thinking "I cant believe this is happening"...when I unpacked everything...there he was in the 1st box I opened up.
So through thick and thin, that Dracula has been with me. Now I have a pretty impressive action figure collection I think, Monsters, Super Heroes/Villans, Mego's, Star Wars, Star Trek...etc etc...he without a DOUBT stands as the KING of this collection..I look at him and dont think he's bad luck...but one bada$$...he has been through some pretty tough times and alot of lifes tribulations, and though he is marked up and scarred he is just a "bettet charecter" for it. He was/is a great toy and for every single bad and good thing that I went through...somehow he was always around.
A few years ago I had a side business that was doing well, so I decided to register it with the state and go legit with it...which it still is. The day I had to go to the courthouse and fill out the paper work and pay the fee..I was very excited, this was kinda my dream to get this thing going so I made sure I put him in my pocket and took it with me. LOL call me superstitious or crazy, but I just thought it would be crazy after all he was through if he missed out on a milestone like that!
I enjoy my accumulation of 1st issue mags: FM, Spacemen, Monster World, JoF, CoF, Starlog, Vampirella, For Monsters Only, Monsters of the Movies, Scary Monsters, Monster Bash, Monster Mad, Movie Monsters, Monster Madness, Monsterscene Journal, FJA's Monsterama, FJA's Monsters & Imagi-Movies, FJA's Monster Land.
I couldn't help myself, I even purchased some FM #1 50th Anniversary Editions from RF.
Also letters & autographs from 4E, Lara Parker, Kathryn Leigh Scott, the Acri Creature Feature gang, Bobbie Breesee & Zacherley (thank you JS).
Quote from: toysoldierman2001 on May 29, 2009, 12:53:28 PM
My most prized monster items our my autographed photos of most of the origional Universal Monster actors.Chaney,Lugosi,Price,etc.Some I got while the person was still alive others through respected autograph dealers.
NICE! I can see why you would cherish something like that. A little piece of history is always cool especially it was signed in person.
Some very cool stories attached to childhood memories. All my monster stuff from those days are long gone except for my Creature Features logo card. I actually have 2 things I cherish and are my fave pieces altho it was a tough decision because there are many that tie for third. So ONCE again you get to see my adopted son.
(http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp47/WickedLester666/WickedLester1-1.jpg)
(http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp47/WickedLester666/WickedLester2-1.jpg)
Wicked Lester. Adopted from Propmasters about 3 years ago. A one of a kind custom paint job.
I have always love evil ventriloquist dummies and killer doll type stuff.
(http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp47/WickedLester666/peggy2.jpg)
(http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp47/WickedLester666/peggy1.jpg)
Possessed Peggy is an OOP Pat Magee prop in his Killer Kids line. There are two more I would like but being OOP I really don't have nor want to pay the $600+ the rare times they show up. They are Maril a total Hellspawn and Possessed Wendy. I really like this piece because it was a limited release and as I have mentioned before I like the evil/possessed kid props. When she arrived at my work some people got a little freaked out as I was showing her off. Not to mention the drive home where she was buckled into the front seat and I would talk to her and smooth her hair out at traffic lights all the time cranking death metal. Had alot of fun with that and laughing at the looks I got.
I am not a collector of Horror movie items, simply out of my money range.
I am a huge fan of Horror, and enjoy looking at all the wonderful items ya'll have.
I do have one small item, that a fellow Hot Wheels collector(hot wheels thats my collection, its cheap) gave me.
It's a 4" hard rubber Wolfman kneeling down(he wears a long sleeve green shirt, and I believe his pants are brown or gray).
I do have some VHS classic horror movies, and a few burnt dvds of classics too.
My Aurora Phantom he was my first ever monster back in 1967 followed by my autographs of the greats, for that matter my entire autograph collection as each one hasits own little story. There is the Anton Diffring one that came to me via Germany from first the States where I first wrote to him then on to England where his agent posted it to Anton's home in Europe, that one means a lot to me.
After the visit I just had from Richard and Angie Olson, I'd say my most valuable monster possession is the friends I've made here at the UMA. There sure are a lot of you.
Quote from: Jim Bertges on May 31, 2009, 02:27:08 PM
After the visit I just had from Richard and Angie Olson, I'd say my most valuable monster possession is the friends I've made here at the UMA. There sure are a lot of you.
Jim, I would completely echo this sentiment.
My prized possessions are the friends I've made-- and by extension, my memories.
I don't collect much. I have a few pieces that I've selected very carefully-- a few autographed pieces that are special. I have a nice collection of movies on DVD, and a modest but respectable collection of reference books.
But what I would most hate to lose are my memories. The wonderful times I've had hanging out with monster friends. Crazy things we've done. The joy of conventions and get-togethers. The late night phone calls, the movie festivals, the conversations over a glass of wine or a bottle of beer. Even the times of sadness, connected to loss, are special and dear to me.
On my desk here is a photo from Wonderfest 2007-- me, looking happier than ever, because Zacherley is holding my hand and smiling next to me. (This Chicago girl never thought she would have the opportunity to meet Zacherley in person.) That photo never fails to make me smile, and every day reminds me to be more like the man in that picture. It's one of my dearest possessions, and has occupied a central spot on my desk since it was snapped several years ago.
That wonderful, dear, delightful smiling man sums up all that we cherish.
I don't have a monster item possession that would rank as "most prized". My memories and my friends are the things I prize most. If the house were on fire, and all people and pets were safe, I'd grab my computer and hard drives.
I have an autographed 8x10 photo of Julie Adams and The Creature which Julie personalized for me.
I have no idea what it's worth, but i absolutely love it.
i have all the pez monsters............frankenstein head speaker...
Quote from: Jim Bertges on May 31, 2009, 02:27:08 PM
After the visit I just had from Richard and Angie Olson, I'd say my most valuable monster possession is the friends I've made here at the UMA. There sure are a lot of you.
Couldn't be better said.
Quote from: Scatter on June 11, 2009, 02:39:39 PM
Couldn't be better said.
For once, Scatter knows what he's talking about. ;D Jim Bertges is so right, the UMA family is precious indeed.
Quote from: CreepysFan on June 12, 2009, 12:29:24 AM
For once, Scatter knows what he's talking about.
OK, you're outta the will. And I was going to give you the life-size Uncle Creepy Artistguy made me too.