Posted on 12/20/2017 4:35:47 PM PST by Eddie01
You’ll need a lot of “Silver and Gold” to buy this ultimate Christmas gift.
Fans of the 1964 holiday-cartoon classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” have a chance to snag one of the most expensive pieces of memorabilia out there.
Peter Lutrario, the owner of the Rudolph and Santa puppets is selling the pair that appeared on the Rankin/Bass TV special and asking for a whopping $10 million in an eBay auction.
Rankin/Bass expert Rick Goldschmidt, who used to bring these exact puppets to events, said you can’t put a price on them. The pair are two of several puppets used in the creation of the special, which used an iconic stop-motion technique called Animagic.
The pair of puppets from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” are being sold for $10 million on eBay. (eBay)
“No one’s going to pay $10 million,” Goldschmidt said. “Not even a museum or the Smithsonian.”
The auction does feature a “make an offer” option, so the pair could conceivably sell for a lot less.
A friend of Goldschmidt’s had the pricey puppets restored years ago, Goldschmidt said. His friend sold Rudolph and Santa to Lutrario around 2010. Lutratio said the pieces brought back childhood memories in a 2015 interview with CNN.
“I was just curious to see what the market would bear,” Lutrario told PIX11 about the auction.
Goldschmidt said he was disappointed to hear of the online auction.
“It’s just sad to see the puppets being put on eBay,” he said.
While Goldschmidt does think the price is ridiculous, he hopes a sale goes through to a museum so fans of the classic Christmas special can enjoy Rudolph and Santa.
“People love to see them. It’s something that’s a treasured part of Americana,” he said. “I’d like to see it in a museum — not in someone’s briefcase.”
Rankin/Bass produced many seasonal shows over the years, but their “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” remains the longest-running holiday special in television history.
“It has heart and it has warmth that no other entertainment really has today,” Goldschmidt said.
Wowza.
How “curious”, when they were appraised on Antiques Roadshow they were valued at $6,000 which seemed low for such a prop.
He might see $80-100,000 via Heritage, Sotheby, or some other auction house (especially one that highlights pop collectibles).
He’ll make more money touring them through museums, etc. than selling the golden goose. Team up with Rankin-Bass to exhibit design drawings and other artifacts.
I remember the Pinocchio show produced by I believe the same company during that era (early 1960s) that was on when I was a kid watching Saturday or weekday cartoon shows.
I’d call $20,000 fair.
I love that he’s charging $10.55 S&H. I wonder if that includes insurance.
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