Goodbye (and good buy) for ‘Battlestar Galactica’
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Some say the best things in life are free, but fans of “Battlestar Galactica” would beg to differ when a final live auction for the retired space opera gets underway this weekend at the Pasadena Convention Center.
There’s a sad symmetry to the event’s scheduling: On Friday (May 8), the shiny, happy space-future of the USS Enterprise will be warping into movie theaters even as the dark, depressing space-past of ‘Battlestar Galactica’ disappears a little more from the DRADIS screen of pop culture. Talk about rolling a hard six...
The three-day ‘Battlestar’ auction will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Monday. NBC-Universal will put over 900 items on the auction block for fans willing to drop serious dough. Highlights include the giant Blackbird stealth ship (estimated bid range is $20,000 to $30,000); Lee Adama’s bomber jacket from the series-closing ‘Daybreak’ episodes ($2,000); and one of the famous, slinky red dresses worn by Number Six or a flight suit belonging to Starbuck (each looking like $8,000 to $10,000, but don’t be surprised if the bidding goes higher). You can also bid on Col. Tigh’s blue boxers (we’re not joking) but if you do, well, keep it to yourself, OK?
You can download the 380-page catalog at Battlestarprops.com. A public preview is scheduled for Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the convention center. The auction will stream live at www.auctionnetwork.com.
The first “Battlestar” auction, back in January, drew more than 2,000 on-line bidders from around the world and the original Number Six red dress went for $13,000.
“We intend to make the second and final auction even bigger and better, with more of the show’s stars, more fun activities at the auction preview day, and an even more impressive display of the items up for auction,” said Alec Peters, CEO of Propworx, a prop, set and costume auction house.
If dropping a couple of thousand dollars amid the current economic calamity isn’t really an option, well, there are production designs and sketches that start at $200. These include artwork of the Mark Viper II ship, Cylon interior and Baltar’s Lab from the first season.
Costumes are more expensive, such as William Adama’s blue uniform with insignia ($6,000) and Starbuck’s gray uniform ($3,000). That’s nothing compared with the life-sized ships: A Viper Mark II Hero cockpit, including fuselage and canopy, is likely to fetch $10,000 to $20,000.
Want a souvenir without the risk of getting caught up in a bid-fever? The catalog is $35. It’s filled with color photos and descriptions of each item, in addition to background explanations for some of the more expensive pieces. It’s a great way to learn about the characters and the show, and also brush up on “Battlestar” lore. If you can’t buy, might as well browse.
--Alicia Lozano
Photo: NBC-Universal
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