Top picks from Prop Store's live auction of film and TV memorabilia...

By now you should know I'm a huge fan of seeing original movie and television costumes, props and paraphenalia on display. I'm always asked if I own all the costumes and props I feature on this blog, but sadly no I'm not a collector, although looking through Prop Store's latest catalogue from their upcoming live auction on September 23, 2015, there are many items I would snap up in a heartbeat if funds allowed. The auction will feature memorabilia from the worlds of Star Wars, Star Trek, James Bond, Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica, Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones, Batman, Pirates of the Caribbean and more besides, but here's some of the fantastic pieces that really caught my eye whilst browsing the extensive auction catalogue.

Commodus arena costume worn by Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator

First up is the unique arena costume worn by Joaquin Phoenix as 'Commodus' in Ridley Scott's 2000 Roman Empire epic Gladiator.

Janty Yates was the Oscar-winning Costume Designer on the film and if you're a fan of the movie, be sure to also check out another Commodus costume, his throne and more Gladiator costumes photographed on display at Universal Studios Hollywood here at Hollywood Movie Costumes and Props.

This show-stopping ceremonial Roman Emperor costume is expected to sell for between £15,000-£20,000.

Original Fizzgig puppet from The Dark Crystal

Next up is the actual 'Fizzgig' puppet used in Frank Oz and Jim Henson's 1982 fantasy movie The Dark Crystal, one of my favourite guilty pleasures.

Fizzgig is the loyal companion of the film's Gelfling heroine 'Kira' and joins her and fellow Gelfling, 'Jen', on their quest to find the missing shard of the magical crystal.

This wonderful ball of fur was designed by Brian Froud, who also worked on Jim Henson's equally spellbinding Labyrinth film, and this screen-used puppet can be yours for £8,000-£10,000.

Guenevere gown worn by Cherie Lunghi in Excalibur

Back in May 2011, I was able to check out some of Terry English's armour from 1981 Arthurian Medieval fantasy Excalibur at the London Film Museum, so this original gown worn by Cherie Lunghi as 'Guenevere' in the movie certainly caught my eye browsing the catalogue.

The legendary Bob Ringwood (Batman, Dune, Troy) was Costume Designer on the movie and this dress could be yours for £2,000-£3,000.

Uhura and Spock Starfleet costumes

from TV's Star Trek: The Original Series

Meanwhile fans of Star Trek will no doubt go crazy for these next two costumes, worn by Nichelle Nichols as 'Uhura' and Leonard Nimoy as 'Spock' in the iconic original 1960s star-spanning series.

Up for grabs are Uhura's red female communications officer miniskirt dress and Spock's blue science officer Starfleet uniform, designed by William Ware Theiss, plus more Star Trek memorabilia from the various TV shows and movies.

Uhura's classic costume is expected to sell for £20,000-£30,000, whilst Spock's uniform for £50,000-£70,000, especially following Leonard Nimoy's passing in February earlier this year.

Costume worn by Louise Jameson as Leela in Doctor Who

Next up is a real gem for all Whovians out there, the savage alien warrior costume worn by Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) Companion, 'Leela', from the classic 1978 'The Invasion of Time' episodes.

Louise Jameson's leather outfit was considered skimpy at the time, but kept the dads watching, and I believe was designed by John Bloomfield.

One thing I wish they'd do in the new era of Doctor Who is to introduce an alien Companion or two for the time-traveler.

This original leather mini-dress costume, complete with replica knife and scabbard, could join your Doctor Who collection for £12,500-£15,000.

The auction also features other pieces from the 50-year-old British science fiction show, and if you're a fellow Whovian, be sure to also enjoy all these costumes, props, monsters and aliens on display at the Doctor Who Experience exhibition.

Superman film costume worn by Christopher Reeve

Next up is an instantly recognizable costume which needs little introduction. This superheroic tunic was apparently worn by Christopher Reeve in Richard Donner's 1978 classic Superman for underwater scenes when 'Lex Luther' drops the hero into a pool wearing a Kryptonite necklace.

The film's Costume Designer was Yvonne Blake, obviously inspired by the DC Comics character created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster in 1933.

To own this piece of cinematic history will cost you £25,000-£30,000.

Thing prosthetic head appliance

worn by Michael Chiklis from Fantastic Four

And finally from my favourites, lots of people moan and groan about the 2005's big screen adaptation of the Fantastic Four, but I still enjoyed seeing Marvel's first family being brought to life in their debut cinematic outing (that was released, that is).

This head appliance worn by Michael Chiklis as the ever lovin' blue-eyed 'Thing' looks eerily life-like and personally I much preferred this movie look to the new CGI version in Josh Trank's horrible Fantastic 4 reboot.

This prosthetic makeup head is a steal for FF fans at £600-£800.

If you like this collection of costumes, props and prosthetics, be sure to check out even more amazing items up for sale in Prop Store's live auction online catalogue and for all the details of when, where and how you can buy these TV and movie treasures.

Favourite picks from Prop Store's Live Auction of film and TV artefacts...

On October 16, 2014 our friends at Prop Store will offer a dazzling array of original costumes, props and production materials from the world of film and television in their inaugural live auction event. having had a chance to browse the extensive auction catalogue, here are just a few of my favourite pieces that will be up for sale (and not surprisingly for me, many come from the science fiction genre).

Scarran Captain Jenek costume and prosthetics 

worn by Jason Clarke in Farscape

I'm currently rewatching the entires series of Farscape on Blu-ray, so seeing the incredible detail of this elaborate alien Scarran 'Captain Jenek' costume and prosthetic mask is amazing.

Many people didn't like the mix of Jim Henson puppets and strange new worlds in this sci-fi show which ran for four seasons from 1999 to 2003 and culminated in The Peacekeeper Wars mini-series in 2004, but I loved the fact that the series about the ragtag fugitive crew of the sentient spaceship 'Moya' took huge risks, they didn't always work, but it made for some pretty unique and compelling TV viewing (plus I can't deny had a little crush on Ben Browder's 'John Crichton').

Jason Clarke wore this spectacular alien costume in season four (it really is amazing this is a TV costume), which I believe was designed by Farscape Series Costume Designer Terry Ryan, and it's expected to sell for £10,000-£12,000 or more. Time to raid my piggy bank I think.

Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan costume worn by Virginia Hey in Farscape

One of my favourite characters from the sci-fi series was 'Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan', or 'Zhaan' for short, played by Virginia Hey. Her exotic blue-skin make-up, spiritual wardrobe and the fact she was plant life really showed how Farscape dared to be different.

The bald-headed Delvian priestess wore this full-length blue dress with gold neckpiece and bracelets during the show's second season and I was sad to see her go early in the third season, when the actress apparently left because of problems with the extensive body makeup used to create her alien look.

This look plus other Zhaan costumes will be available to buy during the auction and this outfit will sell for £1,500-£2,000.

Captain Kirk costume worn by William Shatner 

in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Next up is a costume Star Trek fans will go crazy for, 'Captain James T. Kirk's' movie costume worn by William Shatner in 1984's Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

This vision of futuristic fashion in burgundy was designed by Robert Fletcher for the third Star Trek cinematic installment in which the crew of the Enterprise boldly go in search of their fallen Vulcan, 'Spock'.

This multi-layered ensemble will set you back upwards of £10,000-£12,000, so you true fans had better get your cheque books ready.

Colonial Viper Pilot helmet and jacket from Battlestar Galactica

If you're a fan of spacebound sci-fi, then you'll probably also love this Colonial Viper Pilot helmet and jacket from Glen A. Larson's late 70's classic, Battlestar Galactica.

I absolutely loved the show when I was a kid, the Cylons were the best villains, and was gutted when the show was cancelled. I would have loved to have had one of these custom-made brown suede jackets with their gold clasps, not to mention the Egyptian-inspired Viper pilot helmets.

Oscar-winning Costume Designer Jean-Pierre Dorléac was responsible for creating the look of these iconic Battlestar Galactica uniforms and this helmet and jacket combo will set you back £13,000-£15,000.

Minotaur costume from Gladiator

Next up is a truly monstrous creation from Ridley Scott's Roman epic from 2000, Gladiator.

Janty Yates was Costume Designer on the movie starring Russell Crowe and if you're a fan of the movie, be sure to check out these other original movie costumes from Gladiator on display previously at Universal Studios Hollywood.

This Minotaur warrior with its over-sized faux rotting flesh skull and fur cloak and tail faced off against Russell Crowe's 'Maximus' in the arena and is certainly something you wouldn't want to come across on a dark night.

Selene Death Dealer costume worn by Kate Beckinsale 

in Underworld: Evolution

From one mythical creature to another and this black PVC bodysuit worn by Kate Beckinsale as the Death Dealer 'Selene' in the 2006 sequel Underworld: Evolution, the second in the film franchise about warring vampires and Lycans (werewolves).

I have no idea how the actress squeezed into this sexy skin-tight outfit, or in fact breathed or moved, but she did and looked fabulous, and I know all you cosplayers will go crazy for the corset detail on this gothic horror costume designed by Wendy Partridge.

This killer outfit can be yours for £8,000-£10,000 and worth every penny.

Wedding dress worn by Andie MacDowell 

in Four Weddings and a Funeral

Next up for a very different change of pace is a wedding dress from 1994's romantic comedy, Four Weddings and a Funeral, to show you the range of memorabilia on offer in this auction.

This wedding gown designed by Lindy Hemming was worn by Andie MacDowell as 'Carrie' when she marries Hamish (Corin Redgrave) at a Scottish castle. This cream silk dress with its beautifully ornate sequin and beaded bolero jacket with short sleeves would make the perfect wedding gown, especially as you can feel like a Hollywood star on you special day for as little as £800-£1,200.

Ujio Samurai Warrior costume worn by Hiroyuki Sanada 

in The Last Samurai

Here's another spectacular costume that would be the prize of any collection, 'Ujio's' Samurai Warrior costume worn by Hiroyuki Sanada in 2003's period war epic, The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise.

Ngila Dickson was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for these fantastic recreations of authentic period samurai armour and this one features seventeen separate applied layers to create the finished look. You can marvel at this screen-used costume in your own home for around £15,000-£20,000.

Ripley's flamethrower used by Sigourney Weaver in Alien

And finally, here's one original iconic prop that caught my nerdy eye leafing through the extensive auction catalogue, 'Ellen Ripley's' flamethrower from Ridley Scott's genre-defining classic Alien from 1979.

This incinerator unit was used by the plucky heroine to try and kill the alien life-form aboard the Nostromo. This supercool weapon prop is expected to sell for £25,000-£35,000, those aliens don't stand a chance.

These amazing costumes and props are why I love movies and TV, and writing this blog so much. These are just some of my favourite pieces from the U.K. auction, there are far too many to feature here, but be sure to check out the PropStore interactive auction catalogue for the full story.

There are items available from the Star Wars, Batman, Indiana Jones and James Bond film franchises, plus many more exciting screen-used pieces from many film genres.

If you live in London you can also visit a special museum-grade exhibition to preview this sale and get up close with hundreds of authentic costumes and props from movie and TV history to be held at Vue Cinema at Westfield Shopping Centre, White City from October 1 to October 16.

The live auction itself will take place on Thursday, October 16, 2014 at 4pm in the U.K., so check out PropStore's website for more details.

Hmm, do I really need to pay my mortgage this month?

All photos courtesy of Sarah Sorkin at Prop Store.

Connie Nielsen's Oscar-winning Lucilla costume from Gladiator...

Connie Nielsen stars as Roman royalty in Ridley Scott's 2000 epic Gladiator and here's one of the outfits she wore in the film, plus a fantastically ornate Emperor's Throne prop on display at Universal Studios Hollywood on February 7, 2013.

Original Lucilla costume and throne prop from Gladiator 

In the movie the actress plays 'Lucilla', daughter of 'Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius' and sister to 'Prince Commodus'.

Gladiator movie poster

Janity Yates received an Academy Award for Best Costume Design on this movie, so be sure to also check out another outfit worn by Connie Nielsen alongside Russell Crowe's Gladiator Maximus chest plate and tunic, plus the Emperor Commodus costume worn by Joaquin Phoenix.

Original Roman gown worn by Connie Nielsen as Lucilla in Gladiator

Of twelve Oscar nominations this Summer blockbuster won another four awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Russell Crowe.

Commodus costume and throne from Gladiator on display...

In Ridley Scott's 2000 Roman epic, Russell Crowe plays the titular Gladiator whilst Joaquin Phoenix plays his ambitious adversary 'Commodus'.

Original Commodus costume and throne prop from Gladiator

This actual costume and prop featured in the movie were photographed on display at Universal Studios Hollywood on April 26, 2012.

Gladiator movie poster 

Janty Yates was Costume Designer on Gladiator.

You can also check out Commodus's sister Lucilla's costume worn by Connie Nielsen and Russell Crowe's Maximus costume from Gladiator on display here at Hollywood Movie Costumes and Props.

Commodus palace costume worn by Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator

The son of 'Marcus Aurelius', the despicable Commodus murders his own father to become Emperor of Rome.

Emperor Commodus throne prop from Gladiator 

This is a pretty impressive throne and it was cool to see the detail up close as part of Universal Studios Hollywood's ever-changing movie memorabilia exhibit.

If you're a fan of the historical Roman era in film, be sure to also check out these original movie costumes and props from The Eagle too.