Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1531433
Propstore: The Prop Culture Interview with Chuck Costas 14 PROP CULTURE I WINTER 2025 t here are few professions where a $20 item can be purchased, brought to work, used for the day, and then be resold at auction for more than $389,000! That same item can also be transformed from being a fairly common object into an iconic character in one of the most well-known theatrical films of all time, Cast Away, starring Tom Hanks and of course Wilson, the volleyball. While Tom Hanks is represented by Creative Artists Agency, Wilson found its path to stardom courtesy of the film's Property Master, Robin Miller. From Wilson to Michael J. Fox's Back to the Future 2 hoverboard, to Indiana Jones' whip from Temple of Doom, all of these iconic movie props were brought to set by a Property Master and then brought to auction by Propstore. Possessing movie props has long been a passion for collectors. The advent of online auctions has dramatically reshaped this niche hobby, making it more accessible and widespread than ever before. For more than 25 years, Propstore has been providing collectors with these coveted pieces and has been influential in transforming this niche hobby into a hybrid of fine art and memorabilia collecting. We sat down with Chuck Costas of Propstore, Los Angeles, and discussed how Propstore began in the early days of internet chat groups and how the hobby of collecting movie props has evolved into a competitive and lucrative industry. b y S c o t t A . B u c k w a l d b y S c o t t A . B u c k w a l d t