With Profiles in History’s LOST Auction right around the corner, you would expect excitement to be at an all-time high. After all, it’s been frequently referred to as the premiere auction of the year. Unfortunately, excitement isn’t exactly the word most commonly used to sum up the emotion surrounding this potentially international event.
Disappointed. Confused. Angry.
Those words, on the other hand, more accurately depict the feelings of those previously on pins and needles over this auction.
For months a war of words has raged over the accuracy of both the coverage of said auction and the props, costumes and set decoration alleged to be available come late August. Both Joe Maddalena, CEO of Profiles in History, and Jason DeBord of the Original Prop Blog have claimed time and time again that my information (see: Sources Reconfirm Not All Lost Props Will Be Available) regarding the auction was fraudulent.
Here are some of the comments made in an effort to discredit my reports:
“Joe Maddalena stated on the record today that all of the LOST items (props, costumes, and other original assets from the studio) are accounted for, that ‘they are not lost’, and that Profiles is currently working to put together very compelling and interesting group set lots that will create ‘excitement and value’ for fans of the show. The auction in planned for Summer 2010,” Jason DeBord wrote.
“We know now what’s going to be in the auction…which is everything you can possibly think of,” Joe Maddalena said.
“There’s everything. For Lost fans, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Joe Maddalena added.
In recent weeks however, both Mr. Maddalena and Mr. DeBord have taken a step back from these claims. As the auction draws nearer, the truth is slowly beginning to come to light and it has become apparent that, as I had first reported, not all pieces from the six seasons of Lost will be available through Profiles’ auction.
Here are some of the comments made to confirm my original report(s):
“If you’re a fan of Lost and there’s a special episode or special hero, we probably have it,” Joe Maddalena said.
“The coolest thing though, that we have, is we have actually pieces of the plane; the LT11. So we have one giant piece of the plane. It’s probably six feet by 12 feet; it’s got the Oceanic colors on it and it’s got a window. It’s the only piece Disney is going to sell…the rest went to the archives,” Maddalena added in the same interview.
“All the key elements from the show are represented in the auction. Not every single piece, because there are thousands and thousands of pieces, but every key piece is in the auction,” Maddalena said at Comic-Con.
As if that wasn’t bad enough for Joe Maddalena & Co., it now appears like a lot of the items they actually do have available are being called into question.
The very intelligent and investigative minds over at the Movie Prop Forum have begun to notice some clear and unexplainable inconsistencies with the props and costumes listed in the Profiles in History Lost Auction catalog and their on-screen counterparts.
Claire's Baby Doll Comparison
As you can see in the above photo, items mark 1, 2, 3 and 4 are drastically different in each picture. On the left side is lot #1068 in the Profiles in History Lost catalog, “Claire’s Squirrel Baby” and on the right side is a screen grab from season six of Lost in which Claire’s squirrel baby is displayed.
In addition to items 1, 2, 3 and 4, you can clearly note the differences in hide/fabric color along the snout/nose and the differences at the end of the snout/nose. The piece used on screen appears to be real animal bone, while the piece available through Profiles appears to be fabric only.
*It should be noted that in the description of this item it reads “As seen in the episode, ‘The Lighthouse.”*
This is just one example uncovered by the folks and the MPF and just one of the examples I plan to examine in the coming days.
In addition to the research at the MPF, I will begin to compare pieces in the catalog to those in the show (I own the first first five seasons on DVD/BluRay). I will also attempt to reach Joe Maddalena for comment in an effort to answer some of the questions raised by these recent revelations.
With all eyes on this upcoming auction, it would be only fair to the casual and non-collectors who intend to bid on these pieces to be as informed as possible.
About Dan Benton
Dan thats very interesting , How many times now has Joe said things to take them back later?
This is really funnybut remember back
a few auctions ago Joe was talking about THE DRACULA poster saying
it was authentic one of two in the world on and on while Debord ran around after him
with his handycam saying oh wow?
Then it turns out to be a replica and the whole thing is a huge fraud scam .
Profiles would like they always do would have kept it quiet and handle it themselves
but Debord had already tapped the whole thing !
So they had to make as big of a deal as possible to try and give Joe some credibility back.
The guy has a BIGGER ego then anyone I have ever seen. He says in his interview that HE started
this whole thing . That really says it all about Joe .
I have A LOT more coming on all of this. I’m not going to say anything one way or another yet, but I plan to present everything I’ve discovered and everything the MPF discovered.
I am a HUGE fan of Lost, I own every available season, the books and I’ve watched every episode at least three times. Call it an addiction. I went to New York City to see the display and I’ve been in on this since the beginning. I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but since day one of The Prop Blog’s coverage of this auction I have had my BS flag raised.
Hopefully people look back on this and realize I wasn’t just blowing smoke.
Your good and that threatens certain
people . They will keep trying to discredit you , Don’t give in Dan .
Its easy to see that your a fan, Your trying to get the TRUTH
for the rest of your fellow Lost collectors .
You inspire me !
I noticed that the capo on Charlie’s Flashback Guitar (item 502, season 3) is not the one shown in the accompanying image. Looks like they just grabbed one and stuck it on later. Like a reproduction instead of the original. I know we’re scrutinizing accessories here, but if it’s authentic, it doesn’t need extras added on.
Item 34, “Sawyer’s Beach Camp Chair” (airplane seat) doesn’t match the corresponding photo either. There’s not a single mark on the seatback that matches up with the one shown in the catalog.