Fantasy, Mythology & Magic Memorabilia | Collectibles & Collectors Items

Buying and collecting TV and film memorabilia is very popular today and there is a wide range of choice of collectables and items to buy.

Memorabilia
There are all kinds of memorabilia to collect for both TV and film. Items range from posters, advertisements and photographs to figurines, T-shirts, books and collector card sets. There are some companies like Tudor Mint and Myth & Magic which create models and ornaments of figures. Sometimes these are well known characters from film or TV and others are recognisable creatures of fantasy, myth and magic such as dragons and witches. Other memorabilia such as posters and T-shirts are usually specifically linked to a particular TV programme or film.

Famous Film Memorabilia
There is a lot of film memorabilia associated with particularly popular fantasy films. In particular 'Harry Potter' and 'Lord of the Rings' films both have a huge set of memorabilia associated with them. 'Harry Potter' has a particularly wide range which includes the usual type of memorabilia such as figurines, posters, magazines and collector cards but there is also a whole host of magic themed memorabilia available for purchase. For example, there are wands, spells, spell books, monster dolls, broomsticks and sweets and a whole host of other copies of particular items from the film such as the magic Mirror. 'Lord of the Rings' has also amassed a great deal of memorabilia associated with it, with a particular focus on the creatures from the films and also drawings and pictures of the maps of Middle Earth. There are also the books on which the films are based that contribute to this memorabilia.

TV Memorabilia
There is a lot of television memorabilia, primarily associated with the TV series of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and the spin off series 'Angel'. This includes figures and posters and also a lot of books. Much of this memorabilia is available from the official websites though it is available elsewhere. The books also include spin-off stories about the main characters and there is a huge range of posters of Sarah Michelle Gellar who is the star of the series. Both series are now at an end but both proved incredibly popular with American and British audiences and it is a result of this popularity that there is so much memorabilia available. There are also clothes and replicas of iconic items used in the series such as the weapons used to slay vampires and fake vampire teeth and masks. There are also models of the many monsters that appeared in both series as well as dolls made in the image of most of the cast from both series.

There is also TV memorabilia produced on the back of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, much of which has been produced on television, most recently Sky One showed the premiere of 'Hogfather'. There are many images and maps of the Discworld, there are models and cards to collect as well.

The cult series of 'Xena, Warrior Princess' has also produced memorabilia in volume. This is most frequently presented in the form of the costumes she wears, which are often sold for the purpose of wearing to a fancy dress party. There is also jewellery such as the amulet and bracelet she is famous for wearing.

Science Fiction Fantasy
Here, the collectibles market is concentrated in the UK and relates to the TV series Doctor Who. This includes magazines, figures and models of alien life forms amongst other more unusual collector's items. There are Dr Who conventions in Britain which display memorabilia from the series and there are also books, particularly a large number of annuals available for collection from the old series. However the new series has already amassed a large amount of memorabilia in its own right. Across the ocean there is far more memorabilia available based upon the various series and films of 'Star Trek' and there are conventions to attend which contain older and newer memorabilia from costume to life-size models. The costumes worn by the crew are frequently replicated and sold to be worn at these conventions or at themed parties. Among the most widely collected items are replicas of Dr Spock's famous pointy ears.

The other sci-fi fantasy film which produced a similarly high level of memorabilia is the 'Star Wars' films. These resulted in a great many costume copies, magazines, posters and most famously the various coloured light sabers. There are many children's toys that form a large part of this collection of memorabilia including the Darth Vader costume and the various spaceships and exotic land vehicles such as General Grievous' wheel.

Serious Collectors Items
Most of the memorabilia available is inexpensive, with dolls and ornaments fetching between �5 and �20, posters and books costing around the same and even clothes such as T-shirts rarely exceeding �30. Some of the adult fancy dress costumes may cost a bit more but not significantly so. Many of these items are available in quantity from toyshops, bookstores and internet sites.

However, there is some memorabilia which is significantly more costly and could even increase in value. Most of it is rare hence the high value. Autographed photographs and posters are high in price, particularly if signed by the main cast rather than an individual. These can cost more than �1000, however a cheaper alternative is to buy a copy of the original of a signed photograph as these cost just a few pounds but still look effective. Props from the sets also cost a lot of money. The stakes used on the original set of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' have sold for a few hundred pounds each whereas original props of which there is only one or two of sell for thousands for any of these fantasies. Even the exact replicas like the exact copies of Xena's jewellery sell for around �100. These types of item are for serious collectors as opposed to the mainstream memorabilia. Other more unusual types of items can also fetch a high price in this market such as rare editions of Tolkein's book, 'Lord of the Rings' or complete collections of the collector's cards. For Star Wars, Master Replica has manufactured a wide range of life-sized and miniature light sabers, some of which are limited edition.