Game of Thrones Auction Break $21 Million

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Game of Thrones Auction Break  Million


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PRESS RELEASE SOURCE: HERITAGE AUCTIONS

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DALLAS, Texas (Oct. 13, 2024) — From start to finish, Heritage’s Game of Thrones™:The Auction proved almost as thrilling and historic as the HBO®Original series itself.

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By the time the completely sold-out Oct. 10-12 event ended late Saturday night, it realized $21,115,718 thanks to more than 4,500 bidders worldwide — most of whom were first-time bidders at Heritage and all of whom helped make this the most successful auction of costumes, props and more from a single film or TV show. Game of Thrones: The Auction is second on the all-time entertainment auction list only to the $22.8 million Debbie Reynolds event held in 2011 by Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President Joe Maddalena.

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“From the moment we launched the Game of Thrones auction in September, it was clear this was going to resonate with everyone,” Maddalena says. “These are extraordinary treasures made by Emmy®-winning costume designers and prop makers, who worked tirelessly to adapt George R.R. Martin’s wonderful novels. People wanted a piece of that Game of Thrones magic, and we are honored to have been part of what designer Michele Clapton calls these costumes and props’ afterlives. Everyone at Heritage thanks HBO for the opportunity to ride along.”

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“We are so pleased with the result of this auction for some of the most iconic Game of Thrones memorabilia,” says Janet Graham Borba, HBO’s Executive Vice President of Production. “These fans continue to be passionate collectors, and we are grateful to them and our partners at Heritage for making this a giant success.”

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The auction’s top lot should come as no surprise: the original touring Iron Throne molded from the original screen-used throne, which realized $1,490,000. During its brief stays at Heritage’s New York and Dallas galleries, the Iron Throne proved it’s still one of the all-time photo ops. It’s real enough, too, this painted plastic embellished with jewels to look like a dragon-forged chair made of “the swords of the vanquished, a thousand of them, melted together like so many candles.”

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Nearly every one of the more than 900 lots received dozens of bids throughout the live auction; there were bidding skirmishes, if not prolonged wars, for three days. But there was nothing like the nearly 6-minute-long back-and-forth between bidders that resulted in the seven-figure price. When it sold, the auction room erupted with applause.

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By the auction’s end late Saturday night, 32 lots had achieved six-figure results.

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The very top of the props was the weighty, ornate, “hero” version of the Valyrian steel bastard sword Longclaw, gifted to Jon Snow by Lord Commander Jeor Mormont (and used onscreen by Kit Harington throughout the series’ acclaimed run). To fans and collectors of meaningful moments from movies and TV shows, this wasn’t just another prop. Tommy Dunne, the show’s weapons master and a student of historical swords, collaborated with blacksmiths and artisans to make it look, feel and move like it might have existed outside this fantasy world. On Friday night, well into the auction’s second session, bidders dueled over Longclaw until it realized $400,000 to become the auction’s second most expensive lot.

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Jon Snow’s fur ensemble worn for his Season 7 trip “Beyond the Wall” in search of a Wight to bring back to Westeros realized $137,500 — partly because it also came with a lighter “action” version of Longclaw. And a third hard-rubber “action” iteration of the iconic sword realized $106,250.

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The most valuable costume was Jon Snow’s signature Night’s Watch ensemble, which sold Friday for $337,500 following one of the auction’s countless prolonged bidding wars. This costume was closer to couture and an integral part of the storytelling, its heavy cape meant to symbolize, in the words of designer Michele Clapton, “the weight of his responsibilities.”

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Here’s one indication of how popular the HBO Original Game of Thrones: The Auction was: It took only 58 lots after the live auction opened Thursday morning to cross the million-dollar mark when The Mountain’s towering, 13-piece set of armor realized $187,500.

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The Mountain’s armor was the auction’s first of the auction’s six-figure lots, which also included Jaime Lannister’s black-leather armor ensemble (which sold for $275,000); the four-panel Westeros Map Room floor (which realized $237,500); Jaime Lannister’s full Kingsguard armor that included an action Oathkeeper longsword (which sold for $212,500); The Hound’s signature armor ensemble (which realized $200,000 after a lengthy tussle among fans); Arya Stark’s boy ensemble complete with an action Needle that sold for $150,000Jaime Lannister’s gold hero hand and cuff (which sold for $112,500); Oberyn Martell’s “The Red Viper” armor (which realized $106,250 after opening the live auction at $8,000!); Tyrion Lannister’s “Purple Wedding” ensemble ($100,000); and the Shame Bell that Septa Unella rings while escorting Cersei during her walk of atonement (also $100,000).

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Appropriately, bidders went to war for the first lot in the first session on Thursday: a White Walker display figure from the Game of Thrones Touring Exhibition from 2013 to 2020. Live bidding opened at $8,250, but as would happen throughout the three-day event, it took a few minutes for the dust to settle. And when it did, the White Walker scared up a final price of $40,000.

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So it went for three remarkable days, with extraordinary Game of Thrones pieces from key moments and favorite memories soaring as fans and collectors vied for treasures from their favorite series.

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During the first session alone, a Stark soldier ensemble opened at $3,600, only to realize $19,375. Then Ned Stark’s hero longsword, scabbard and belt opened at $9,500, finally selling for $23,750 after several minutes of a back-and-forth between bidders. Then the Weirwood Tree tapestry, displayed in Winterfell’s Great Hall and featured in the series premiere “Winter is Coming,” realized $37,500 after another prolonged bidding war. One lot later, Jaime Lannister’s partial Kingsguard armor set opened live bidding at $8,000, finally selling for $45,000. Then, The Hound’s signature helmet roared to a $40,000 finish.

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On the first day, one first-version dragon egg presented to Daenerys upon her wedding to Khal Drogo in “Winter is Coming” realized $93,750, while another realized $100,000Jon Snow’s Night’s Watch ensemble sold for $87,500, and Tyrion Lannister’s signature ensemble, seen when Peter Dinklage rode into “Winter is Coming,” realized $84,375. Arya Stark’s action rapier Needle realized $42,500.

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The ornate handmade tapestry depicting the climactic battle of Robert’s Rebellion sold for $75,000. And an enormous dragon skull (hand-carved from blown foam) realized $68,750.

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The second day was no less extraordinary, with the Westeros map room floor, Jon Snow’s signature Night’s Watch ensemble and The Red Viper’s armor only some of the highlights.

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In fact, bidding remained so competitive throughout the 12-hour day that it resulted in some of the auction’s highest prices, including Jaime Lannister’s black-leather armor ensembleand The Mountain’s Queenguard armor, which realized $212,500.

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Tyrion Lannister’s trial ensemble opened live bidding Friday at $4,000 — only to see bidders drive the final verdict to $93,750. Brienne of Tarth’s signature armor and with an accompanying action Oathkeeper longsword realized $87,500.

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A surprise hit rolled into the second session from the Season 5 episode “High Sparrow”: the Lannister Family Litter, a stunning wooden piece featuring Baratheon stag and Lannister lion motifs that was part of the Game of Thrones Touring Exhibition. The carrier opened bidding at $4,100. But after several minutes, it became one of the auction’s six-figure smashes when it realized $118,750.

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The excitement carried over to Saturday’s third session thanks to one of its earliest offerings: Daenerys Targaryen’s white-and-gray arctic rabbit fur coat adorned with the triple-dragon head brooch/cape clasp, which she wore when she and her dragons saved Jon and his party from the Army of the Dead. After a protracted bidding session — the costume opened live bidding at $22,000! — it realized $156,250 to help set the pace for another extraordinary day.

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Daenerys’ gray suede King’s Landing ensemble, worn during the Season 8 episode “The Last of the Starks,” was no less coveted by collectors. It opened live bidding at $12,500, finally realizing $112,500.

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Fans also drew blood over Cersei Lannister’s red velvet dress from the same episode — the final dress Lena Headey wore in Game of Thrones. Live bidding opened at $15,000, but another protracted bidding war broke out over this stunning piece. After several minutes, it finally sold for $137,500.

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Early during the third session, a White Walker strode to the podium — the very general who, in the Season 7 episode “Beyond the Wall,” passed the giant ice lance to the Night King moments before he killed Viserion and transformed the dragon into a reanimated wight. This striking ensemble made of layered metal and leather realized $162,500. Several White Walker ensembles were also offered during the auction’s final session, including this one, which opened bidding at $3,000 and realized $62,500.

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Nine lots later, another Arya Stark costume — her battle ensemble from the Season 7 episode “The Dragon and the Wolf,” complete with an “action” Needle — realized $187,500. Then, only five lots later, Daenerys yet again breathed some fire into the auction when her white fur coat from the Season 8 premiere “Winterfell” found its new owner for $125,000Arya’s double-sided Dragonglass action spear also realized $60,000.

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But, of course, it wasn’t to be outdone by one of the most famous weapons used throughout the entire series: the Valyrian steel catspaw dagger Arya wielded during “The Long Night” to save the Seven Kingdoms by plunging it into the Night King’s chest. It opened live bidding at $46,000 Saturday afternoon before finally realizing $93,750.

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Tyrion Lannister proved his staying power, too, when his blue doublet, adorned with a Hand of the Queen pin, sold for $100,000.

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One of the third session’s most fought-over lots was the fabric map with hand-rendered drawings of Westeros and the surrounding region seen in the Season 8 episode “Last of the Starks.” This stunning piece opened live bidding at $12,000, at which point fans went to war, driving the final price to $125,000.

Then, a little after that, someone won the Iron Throne. Because there is no middle ground.

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Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

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