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Prop Master: How a "Star Wars" Superfan Scoured the Earth for Space Debris

Brandon Alinger has a movie-prop collection that would make any Gen-Xers' head explode: He owns an authentic "Ghostbuster" ghost trap with the slide-out cartridge, a "Star Wars" rebel pilot helmet, and the lightsaber that Luke Skywalker carried in "Return of the Jedi." Alinger’s ownership of all these holy grails of 1980s cinema makes sense when you realize that for the last 10 years, the 34-year-old has made a career of buying and selling movie props as the chief operations officer at Prop...

If 'Pan Am' Takes a Nosedive, It Won't Be For a Lack of Authentic, Vintage Props

When the 2011 fall television season made its noisy debut in September, two shows stood out for their potential to generate the same level of retro-cool buzz as "Mad Men." One was NBC's "The Playboy Club," which explored the lives of Playboy bunnies in 1960s Chicago—it was quickly cancelled. The other was ABC's "Pan Am," which followed four stewardesses based in New York City in 1963. After posting impressive numbers for its pilot episode and despite receiving generally good reviews, the...

From Ruby Slippers to Kermit the Frog: Pop Culture Artifacts at the Smithsonian

I’ve been at the Smithsonian for 28 years—I never thought I’d stay that long! The first job I had was as a producer and annotator of recordings. We used to have a very active program of archival recordings that we’d release. I came here to work on a set of American popular songs. I remained with the Division of Performing Arts until it was cast asunder and absorbed by the Museum of American History. Then I did public programs, and then I became curator of the Entertainment History...

Authentic Vintage Props, the Silent Stars of 'Titanic' and Martin Scorsese's 'The Aviator'

When I was a kid, my mom had an antiques shop in Kansas City and then in Texas, so I was always around antiques and I always collected things. At one point, I would buy things and then sell them through our shop. She let me put things on consignment. So it was always in my blood. In 1985, I just wasn’t having a good time as an illustrator, which was what all my training was in, so I said to myself, “What do I do when no one’s paying me?” and I realized I was running a rental facility. So I...

'Mad Men' Prop Master Scott Buckwald Explains How He Re-Creates the '60s

I always wanted to work in film, but I didn’t have anybody in my family who worked in the film business. I’ve been a major movie buff since I was a child, and I’ve always been very meticulous. I’ve always been a collector. The Beatles are definitely my main thing, but my wife and I collect old metal lunch boxes and I’ve always just been good at holding onto things. I have a fairly nice collection of movie memorabilia. For example, I like collecting police badges. I did the first props for...

Collecting James Bond, Doctor Who, and The Beatles

Ever since I was a child, I wanted to work in the auction business, specifically in the entertainment part. I liked the idea of handling, owning, and being a part of objects that were lynchpins in the history of music, film, or television. To accomplish my goal, I studied film, got an art-history degree, and earned an M.A. in fine-art valuation. I started out as a general auctioneer working with all kinds of antiques before moving into the entertainment field. I like film posters, but I...