Nostalgic Items From ‘Cheers,’ ‘Bewitched,’ and ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ Up for Comisar Auction
James Comisar grew up watching television and felt like the characters on his TV screen were his friends. As he got older, he pursued a career in comedy writing and spent a lot of time on studio lots surrounded by memorabilia, that would often be sold or thrown away. It was then, in 1989, that he was appalled that the masses were losing such iconic pieces and decided to start collecting television memorabilia. These days, he’s accumulated so much that he’s now giving back and putting some items up for auction, citing that some pieces should go back to the fans.
Comisar has over 10,000 items that he’s preserved in his collection. He’s working with Dallas-based Heritage Auctions to sell some of these items including the bar from Cheers, complete with names of the show’s stars carved into it, authentic robes that the characters Samantha and Endora wore on Bewitched, and a pair of pink shoes and the iconic outfit that Barbara Eden wore in I Dream of Jeannie, to name a few.
Comisar shared, “After 30 years of saving and sacrificing to acquire and protect this collection, then meeting with studio heads, network presidents, theme parks and different cities across the country, I have come to accept that I won’t be able to establish the museum I always dreamed of. I am extremely proud to have done my part in assembling and safeguarding this collection. Now, it’s up to others to take over this cultural mission.”
Going through the auction website, you can also find items like William Shatner‘s “James T. Kirk” Signature First Season Original Starfleet Captain’s Tunic, Adam West “Batman” Batmobile Batphone, sets from All in the Family, Bob Denver “Gilligan” Iconic Bucket Hat from Gilligan’s Island, Johnny Carson‘s Iconic Home Base Interview Desk and set, and truly so much more. If you’re a fan of nostalgic television shows, you’ll geek out at the collection even if you can’t afford a thing in the auction.
Comisar added, “That’s why I became so passionate about these pieces: TV was my whole childhood. That was my escape. When I came home and watched TV, when I was just hanging out with ‘the Brady Bunch,’ I didn’t feel awkward. The TV characters we loved had the same grievances we had. They had the same parental problems that we had. In the real world, none of us had perfect childhoods. We all wished our dad could be Mike Brady.” It sounds like he truly loved and took care of every piece in this collection and now some lucky bidders will have a chance at bringing a piece of television history home with them.
The Auction ends June 3 and so far some of the top selling items have been of course the Cheers Bar going for a staggering $675,000, Archie Bunker living room set $250,000, Jeannie’s costume $62,500. There is still time to get in on some of these sought after items. We will post more updates once the auction is over.
Collecting the 1950s
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For fans of the Nifty Fifties enjoy this treasure trove of ’50s memorabilia.
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