Original 11th Doctor items on eBay - September 2015

This unusual item turned up on eBay this month, being auction for charity.

Matt Smith TARDIS sign

This is a very rare item, a genuine TARDIS door sign, used during the filming of Series 5 of Doctor Who, the first to feature Matt Smith as the Doctor. The sign, having been used for filming was damaged en route to a filming location and was then replaced. The damage is apparent. One corner has broken off altogether (although is present and has been reattached by plastic film applied to the rear of the sign). Some of the letters have also come adrift and are missing.

The photographs show the worst of the damage.
The discarded sign was rescued by Tristan Peatfield, who worked as Stand-by Art Director and then Production Designer on that series (between the departure of Ed Thomas and the arrival of Michael Pickwoad).

I am selling it on Tristan's behalf, in aid of the charity that he and his partner Kim established in the name of their daughter Isabella, who was the youngest British victim of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster.


The Isabella Peatfield fund raises money to support children's projects in Sri Lanka, where Isabella died. http://www.isabellapeatfield.com/

Questions and answers about this item
Q: I would like to know if there will be a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) or some other documentation illustrating the authenticity and history of the "DOCTOR WHO GENUINE ON-SCREEN USED TARDIS SIGN SERIES 5 (MATT SMITH) included with the item? Thank you. 
A: I can arrange for this if needed.

Q: Hello, I was curious, do you know what episodes, specifically, this sign was seen in or could have been seen in? I understand it was Series 5, Matt Smith's first season, and with the range of assistants you listed it could have been anything before the Christmas special, but I was wondering if you could help me narrow that down. If not, that is perfectly fine. It's a wonderful item either way, but I was considering bidding on it as a gift for someone and it would be better if I could at least give an episode, a range of episodes, or say "this is the sign from most of Series 5" if that is indeed the case. Thank you. 
A: Hi, I have asked Tristan this very question, but I'm afraid he just doesn't remember. It will have been earlier rather than later in Series 5, I believe.

Prop Store London auction - 23rd September 2015

So, after a number of lack-lustre auctions, it finally looks like Bonhams has a genuine challenger to their Entertainment Memorabilia sales.

PropStore.com have been selling high-end props and costumes for sometime now, including the occasional Doctor Who piece.

But this month they are holding a live auction at the BFI IMAX cinema in Waterloo - for all intents and purposes a Bonhams style auction.

there‘s some amazing stuff on offer, from Mr Spock’s costume from classic Star Trek, to costumes from Back To The Future, the Alien and Star Wars films.

And unlike the last couple of years of Bonhams auctions, there are is a good spread of quality items on offer to attract the interest of the dedicated Doctor Who fans out there.

Prop Store London
(23rd September 2015)
Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction

As usual I have separated the items by Doctor era, and you can see the rest of the items here:

Lots 112 - 113
1st Doctor (1963-1966)

Lots 94-97
4th Doctor (1974-1980)

Lot 91
5th Doctor (1981-1984)

Lots 92-93
6th Doctor (1984-1986)

Lots 99-100
9th Doctor (2005)

Lots 98, 101, 104, 107-109, 114-115
10th Doctor (2005-2010)

Here are just the lots relating to
the Eleventh Doctor

Lot 102
The Doctor's (Matt Smith) "The Wedding of River Song" Soothsayer Costume
A soothsayer costume worn by The Doctor (Matt Smith) in the sci-fi television series Doctor Who. This style of costume is seen in the final episode of the sixth season titled “The Wedding of River Song” as The Doctor discusses the condition of time with Emperor Winston Churchill (Ian McNiece).
The costume consists of an olive green tunic and cream shawl. The tunic is made from coarse fabric with two dark blue strips of material running down the front and back. The shawl is made from heavy cream fabric with an olive green strip of material running along the hem. The costume displays light signs of wear. It remains overall in very good condition. Dimensions: Tunic measures 82 cm (32”) across chest

Estimate £600-800
Sold for £800

Lot 106
Rory Williams' (Arthur Darvill) "The Pandorica Opens" and "The Big Bang" Centurion Costume
Rory Williams' (Arthur Darvill) centurion costume from the BBC sci-fi television series Doctor Who. This costume was used by the Auton version of Rory in the fifth season episodes “The Pandorica Opens” and “The Big Bang.”

The costume components include a brass-coloured breastplate, a leather tunic, a red wool cape and undershirt, a leather skirt and belt, grey wool socks and leather boots. The sandal-like boots feature leather laces and lace up just past the ankle. The breastplate has an Angels The Costumier label and is marked “Rory” internally in black marker. Displaying wear from use, it remains in very good condition.

Dimensions: boots marked size 9

Estimate £400-600
Sold for £1,600

Lot 110
Rory Williams' (Arthur Darvill) “The Big Bang” Wedding Top Hat
A top hat worn by Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) from the BBC sci-fi television series Doctor Who. This hat was seen in promotional stills for the season five episode “The Big Bang” in which Williams marries fellow companion of The Doctor (Matt Smith), Amy Pond (Karen Gillan). Made from grey felt material, the hat features a grey ribbed silk band around the centre and brim.

The interior is padded and has been lined with cream satin with a brown leather sweatband. A Lock & Co. Hatters emblem is printed in the lining along with an Angels the Costumiers label. The hat displays minimal wear and remains in very good overall condition. Dimensions: 31.5 cm x 26 cm x 15 cm (11 ½” x 10 ¼” x 6”)

Estimate £100-200
Sold for £200

Lot 111
The Doctor's (Matt Smith) “The Big Bang” Wedding Top Hat
A top hat worn by The Doctor (Matt Smith) from the BBC sci-fi television series Doctor Who. This was seen in the season five episode “The Big Bang” as The Doctor attended the wedding of companions Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill).

The hat is made from black synthetic horsehair with a ribbed black band around the exterior. The interior displays a white satin lining with a black leather sweatband. The lining of the hat displays a number of light marks and is coming away slightly from the inside. The piece remains overall in good condition. Dimensions: 35 cm x 26.5 cm x 15 cm (13 ½” x 10 ½” x 6”)

Estimate £400-600
Sold for £900

You can see my photos from when I
visited the auction preview here

Prop Store London auction
BFI IMAX preview