James Bond gun auction may benefit from box-office success

05-Dec-2006 • Collecting

James Bond's Walther PP gun, wielded by Sean Connery in the 1962 movie, ``Dr. No,'' goes on sale tomorrow at Christie's International in London for as much as 25,000 pounds ($49,411) - reports Bloomberg.

Connery's gun is the most expensive of 60 weapons featured in Bond films in the past 40 years that Christie's will auction with other movie memorabilia. The sale may benefit from the success of ``Casino Royale,'' the latest Bond film, which was the No. 2 U.S. box-office hit over the weekend, behind ``Happy Feet.''

Christie's, the world's largest auction house, has a knack of capitalizing on popular trends, from big-screen heroes to art looted by the Nazis. Last month, it sold a Gustav Klimt portrait restored to Nazi victims' heirs for $87.9 million, almost as much as the highest priced Pablo Picasso portrait ever auctioned.

The auction house expects to take in more than 500,000 pounds from the memorabilia sale. Highlights on view today at Christie's include a black dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in the film ``Breakfast at Tiffany's,'' with a high estimate of 70,000 pounds. The 1961 dress designed by Hubert de Givenchy is being sold by Mr. and Mrs. Dominique Lapierre, who received it from Givenchy, to benefit poor people in India.

The Bond guns are being sold by the Prop Store of London on behalf of the armorers who supply weapons for 007 movies. Roger Moore's Walther PPK from the 1981 film, ``For Your Eyes Only,'' has a top estimate of 12,000 pounds. Tanaka's Gyro Jet gun, used in ``You Only Live Twice,'' from 1967, has a high value of 5,000 pounds.

Martinis and Guns

``Dr. No'' was the first of 21 Bond movies. ``Casino Royale,'' starring Daniel Craig, is based on Ian Fleming's 1953 novel, which created the martini-drinking and gun-wielding gourmet and ladies' man.

A bar stool from a ``Casino Royale'' set is valued at as much as 700 pounds. The vendor bought it at a charity fundraising in September, Christie's said.

The Sony/Columbia movie cost $150 million to make and has taken in $244.6 million worldwide since it was released on Nov. 17, according to http://www.boxofficemojo.com . Sony Electronics is selling 007 spy gear online.

Memorabilia collectors spend as much as $40 million a year at auctions, private sales and online, estimated Darren Julien of Julien's Auctions. Buyers include museums such as the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, he said. Julien said he sold an Elvis Presley belt for $66,000 to Neville Tuli, founder of the Mumbai auction house Osian's, for his museum. Christie's said it sells about $19 million of memorabilia each year, excluding jewelry and textiles.

Thanks to `Brokenclaw` for the alert.