Auctions are a great place to find some of the most interesting and valuable movie props and collectibles available today. However, many of the more obscure items end up extremely valuable, out of the reach of the budgets of most collectors seeking the prized possessions. This is especially true when it comes to major franchises. Star Wars auctions offer fans a great chance to find some incredibly rare memorabilia, but in the case of the rarest Darth Vader action figures, the prize can go well into the six-figure realm. This is also true for other major franchises like Star Trek, Marvel, and DC Comics, and even the long-running spy thriller movie series, James Bond.
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This is proven thanks to an auction at Bonhams, which offers a rare movie prop from the James Bond movie Spectre. The item up for auction is the Scubacraft from the set of Q’s workshop in that 2015 film. This new auction takes place from May 18-28 in London, Knightsbridge, and the estimated bidding price is $68,000-$95,000.
Why Is the Scubacraft from the James Bond Movie Valuable?
The James Bond Scubacraft is part of a larger overall auction called Espionage: Fact and Fiction. “We are thrilled to present this new concept sale exploring all things espionage, from the fact to the fiction. Featuring props and gadgets from the James Bond movie series to a real Second World War enigma machine,” head of sales Rebecca Anthony said.
The James Bond Scubacraft SC3 is a three-person amphibious diving craft that was used as the original prototype of the Scubacraft concept and is the only surviving example of the prototype still in existence. This model attracted attention from the U.K. Special Boat Service and the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This is also why Eon and the James Bond franchise noticed it and chose to include it in Spectre.
The Scubacraft was on set for the scenes filmed in Q’s workshop at Pinewood Studios. Viewers saw it in a dedicated space within the laboratory environment. Eon Productions even invited Robin Harris, engineering director on the Scubacraft development program, to play a supporting role in Spectre as a technician in Q’s workshop.
This auction also has a lot of other James Bond memorabilia up for sale. A production-made Gyrojet rifle prop from You Only Live Twice is expected to sell for $2,000-$3,325. The British quad poster for Diamonds Are Forever by Robert E. McGinnis is expected to bring in $1,065-$1,595. Finally, Italian artwork for Thunderball is expected to sell for $1,595-$2,395.
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