There are few television shows I really enjoy watching and even fewer that I'd ever want a piece of memorabilia of.
For that small handful of shows I can't think of a better way to be a part of its history than by owning a piece of it.
Owning a TV prop is more than just having an item that happened to be on a show, it's taking part in the existence of the show.
Think about it.
What can compare with owning Fonzie's leather jacket or Radar's teddy bear or wool cap?For all time there will be only one true Kit.
These are the kinds of things that may very wellincrease in value a great deal as the years pass.
Other than being a good investment the cool factor is rather high when taking into consideration the alternative.
Who wouldn't want to own Magnum's mustache?I've been to dinner parties and have been subjected to listening to the boring history of various African masks and trinkets from Victorian London that even the original owners didn't care much about..
Just once I'd like to go to an acquaintance's home, be seated in front of their massive LCD screen and shown an episode of All in the Family in HD only to realize once the credits roll that my posterior is posteriated in Archie's chair.
It seems that shows from the past had more props worth owning.
I have a hard time thinking of anything in Lost or 24 that would look good on my mantle.
The phone that Jack Bauer tosses for fear of being traced?John Locke's old wheel chair?There just can't be a comparison between Batman's can of anti-shark spray and the stethoscope used by that chick in Grey's Anatomy in the fourth episode of the second season.
Owning a prop from a movie is not a bad thing but there is something more personal when it comes to TV.
Movies are seen in public at theaters with little personality with people you don't know and are vaguely worried about having sneeze in your popped corn.
Television is made for the home.
What's shown on TV is made for when you're tired after a long day and want to cuddle up on the couch in your pj's.
It only makes sense that a piece of what's on the tube should one day end up in a fan's home.
It may seem unbelievable but my friend owes his life to a TV prop.
He was in his back yard relaxing on his hammock on a summer afternoon, simply minding his own business and enjoying a cool glass of pomegranate juice.
A prowler hopped the fence at the back of his yard and approached him quickly with a large knife.
Thinking quickly, my friend threw his frosted glass to the ground and grabbed at his utility belt for his trusty Star Trek phaser from circa 2342.
The prowler gave up immediately and remained face down on the grass until the police arrived.
Alright, so a piece of TV memorabilia is cool and a good conversation piece, it's more personal than owning anything from a movie set,it may pay off financially in the long run and might even save your life.
It's a lossless situation.
Get one.