Hollywood for the living room

Rinaldo Somaini proudly opens the curtain on his film realm. A ninja turtle is already standing in the entrance, right next to it is an original costume by Russel Crowe from the film Noah. One room further then the showpiece: a cinema with six seats, projector and screen. Rinaldo Somaini, it is easy to see, is a film freak.

First paddle from Waterworld

The Basel lawyer has been collecting film props for around 20 years. First a couple of action figures, then his first original prop: “That was a paddle from Waterworld for a few hundred francs,” recalls Somaini. Since then, step by step, he has made contacts with influential dealers and exponents from the film scene.

Harry Potter wand as Lehrstück

They need it to protect themselves from fraudsters, says Somaini. Only those who know their sources and their contacts can be sure that they are really holding an original in their hands. Somaini had to learn that first: “My first Harry Potter wand was, in retrospect, a laughing stock. Somehow I spent 150 francs on it. Of course it wasn’t worth a franc ». Today Somaini can laugh about it.

Not all film requisites are the same

Anyone who collects props has to get to grips with making films at least once deal with yourself. What props are there anyway? A distinction is made between so-called “hero props” and “stunt props”.

The former can be seen in close-up shots in the film and are therefore elaborately produced originals. The latter are usually made of painted plastic and are used in stunt scenes so that the actors do not get injured.

A further distinction is made as to whether a prop was simply used during the shoot (screen-used ), whether it was actually visible in the final film (screen-seen) or whether it can even be clearly assigned to a certain scene due to scratches and other traces (screen-matched).

Prices skyrocket

All of these properties have an impact on the price. Millions are often paid for a real original today. James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 from the “Goldfinger” movie, for example, sold for $ 4.4 million. Marilyn Monroe’s airy dress from “The darn seventh year” even for 5.6 million dollars.

For Rinaldo Somaini, such prices are far from his possibilities: “My family would do the handstand if I would spend so much money on an object, “he says with a laugh:” In the end, even Darth Vader’s original helmet is nothing more than a piece of plastic. “

After all, an expensive piece of plastic: This prop also went into the possession of a collector for over a million.

You can find more background information on the scene of film props collectors in the Telebasel Report of September 29, 2021 at 7:45 p.m. on TV and already online.