Do you own any James Bond memorabilia? Toys, perhaps? A poster, or a prop from a Bond film? Well, Christie's in South Kensington, London, will be holding the first auction devoted to Ian Fleming's fictional secret agent, James Bond, on September 17th.
Ms Carey Wallace, consultant to the entertainment department at Christie's, says the auction contains a wide variety of posters, costumes, props, autographs, toys and souvenirs, all related to the Bond films, from the first Dr No in 1962 to last year's Tomorrow Never Dies.
Included in the auction is the prop used as a stand-in for the tarantula which slowly crawls up Sean Connery's body in Dr No. The prop, which was used for setting up the camera angles, is expected to fetch £1,500 (£1,724) to £2,000.
Do you remember the metalrimmed bowler hat worn by Oddjob, the baddie in Goldfinger? Oddjob decapitates a statue with it, but Bond later uses it to electrocute the villain, followed by the throw-away one-liner: "He's blown a fuse." Christie's has high hopes for the hat: "We wouldn't be surprised if it fetched in excess of £20,000," says Ms Wallace.
Christie's also has James Bond's specially-adapted Rolex watch, which was the chief gadget from Roger Moore's first appearance as Bond in Live And Let Die. Its supposedly extra-strong magnet was versatile enough to undo a Bond girl's zip. "Sheer magnetism darling," says 007. It has an estimate of £4,000 to £6,000.
Four cars from Bond movies will also be auctioned, including the Triumph Stag Roadster from Diamonds Are Forever (1971), one of the few cars driven by Sean Connery in the role.
"For car collectors it's interesting because it's a pre-production car, a very early model," says Ms Wallace. It has an estimate of £15,000 to £20,000.
"We also have the Lotus shell, the submarine shell from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)," she says. It is a prop, with periscope and rudder, but without an engine. During a riveting car chase, Roger Moore, presses one of the gadgets in the Lotus Esprit S1 and the car "transforms" into a submarine. "We have high hopes for that," says Ms Wallace. They expect about £20,000.
Costumes are also included, such as Roger Moore's dinner suit from A View To A Kill (1985), estimated at £4,500 to £6,500 sterling, and three suits worn by Sean Connery in Diamonds Are Forever, each of which is estimated at £2,000 to £3,000 sterling. An overcoat worn by Sean Connery in Dr No could fetch £2,000 to £4,000.
Bond toys do well too. A Corgi James Bond Aston Martin toy car with its original packaging signed by Desmond Llewelyn a.k.a. "Q" is inscribed: "I never joke about my work, 007." Guide price: £175 to £275.
Gilbert James Bond 007 action figures vinyl portrait dolls in various characters fetch higher values if it's Sean Connery as James Bond, says Ms Wallace. One such doll, in the original box, with Bond wearing a T-shirt, swimming trunks, flippers, snorkel, mask and pistol has an estimate of £250 to £450.
A similar doll, with the only known complete set of Bond's accessories (scuba diving kit, dinner jacket, disguise outfit, harpoon guns) is estimated at £1,200 to £1,800.
The James Bond Thunderball (1965) and Moonraker (1979) toy guns can be valuable, with the rarest ones made by Lone Star. For example, a James Bond Thunderball Secret Agent 007 Ricochet Gun in its box with its rockets has an estimate of £400 to £600. Bond posters issued at the time of a film release (not re-issues) can fetch high values. For example, a British quad poster (landscape 30 by 40 inches) for Dr No in good condition is expected to fetch £600 to £900.
