After watching eight seasons of the series Game of Thronesfans can now take part in what could be a competition comparable to the Battle for the Iron Throne: an auction of valuable memorabilia from the HBO series.
Fans of the series (The Iron Thronein French) can now bid on a multitude of costumes, accessories, sets and memorabilia from the hit series which ended in 2019. More than 2,000 items, including a version of the coveted Iron Throne, spread across 900 lots, will be auctioned in October by Heritage Auctions.
Starting prices range from $500 to $20,000 for items as iconic as Jaime Lannister’s full suit of armor and sword to accessories as minor as the dentures used on the White Walkers.
Other notable items include Daenerys Targaryen’s memorable capes, coats and leather ensembles (some with dragon collars and accents) worn by Emilia Clarke, Jon Snow’s famous Longclaw sword wielded by Kit Harington and the Hand of the Queen pin worn by Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister.
Even items that didn’t get much screen time, like the bell held up during Cersei Lannister’s walk of shame or the blood-stained outfit from the infamous Red Wedding, are expected to attract attention from auction-goers during the auction.
Jay Roewe, HBO’s senior vice president of global initiatives and production planning, said the auction was an opportunity for fans to “seize a piece of history.” He said it’s a testament to the show’s staying power five years after it ended.
” Game of Thrones “It was a defining moment for our culture, it was a defining moment for premium television. It was a defining moment for HBO,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press.
“It’s something that we all grew up with. It’s impacted all of our lives. It’s impacted the culture, and Game of Thrones meant something to every person.”
Maintained objects
Although the series began in 2011 and several items up for auction date from that time, they have not “gathered dust,” Roewe assured.
HBO had carefully preserved thousands of props, costumes and sets since the series began for use in possible spin-offs or sequels. While the second season of House of The Dragon has just ended and other projects are in development, while others have been abandoned, Roewe said the studio now knows what it will need and what it can let go of.
“These objects have been selected and maintained since the end of filming. They are of the same quality as when filming ended, and people have worked on them for years to keep them in good condition,” he explained. “We don’t need them anymore. It’s time to finally open them up to the world.”
Beyond the preservation and quality of the items, the magnitude of the auction required months of collaboration with HBO and countless hours of research and planning to put together, said Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions.
Maddalena wanted to make sure fans and collectors didn’t feel like there were any “glaring holes” in the collection by including a wide variety of character costumes and accessories, presented in a 750-page catalog. There are even multiple crucial items like Arya Stark’s needle, which has had multiple versions throughout the series.
An “unexplored” territory
The intricate nature and craftsmanship of the costumes and props are part of what makes the series so memorable, said Maddalena, himself a fan. Emmy-winning costume designer Michele Clapton has been praised since the show’s inception for the detailed, deliberate designs that fueled the storylines.
The catalog includes interviews with Clapton, writer-producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and several cast members commenting on the use and significance of hundreds of objects. Maddalena called this type of access and information “uncharted territory” in the auction world.
“You don’t usually get studio-approved auctions like this,” he said. “Everything is from the archives. Everything is hand-picked, based on the scene. You know where your item was used. You know it was actually used on screen.”
For enthusiasts who want to get their hands on a piece of Game of Thronesthe vast collection is now open for preliminary bidding, with the auction taking place October 10-12 at Heritage Auctions in Dallas. The collection will be available for preview at the auction house’s New York and London locations from September 17 to October 4.