Bonhams & Goodman sold an original Superman costume in its Melbourne salerooms yesterday.
The atmosphere was electric as eager bidders in the saleroom and on the telephone all vied for the rare piece of cinematic history. One bidder in the room dropped out early and three bidders from the United States, Dubai and Australia were left to battle it out on the phones. The costume was eventually knocked down for $27,000 including Buyer’s Premium to the very happy Australian buyer.
The costume comprises a leotard featuring the unmistakable red and yellow ‘S’ logo, a pair of red trunks and yellow belt. The leotard has slits in the side through which cables were fed to suspend Reeve while filming simulated flying scenes for Superman III.
Superman costumes rarely appear on the market and are much sought after by collectors. This part-costume carried an estimate of $15,000 – 20,000.
Giles Moon, National Head of Collectables, was thrilled with the result. “This is a fantastic result in a challenging market and shows that the demand for iconic pieces remains strong.” he said.
The large collection of vintage toys, including rare Meccano sets, and film and advertising posters also sold very well.
The sale made a total of $64,400 including Buyer’s Premium, selling 78% by volume and 87.5% by value.
Auction info www.bonhamsandgoodman.com.au
Illustrated
Tunic worn by Christopher Reeve
in Superman IIIm, Warner Bros., 1983