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The US Sun
My mom kept signed postcards from Hollywood stars in a shoebox – Pawn Stars said the dates alone make them worth $12k
By Josephine Fuller,
2 hours ago
AN old box of postcards turned out to be an important part of Hollywood history worth $12,000.
The Pawn Stars guest brought in a collection of over 250 autographs from the biggest stars of the 1940s and 1950s.
This guest on Pawn Stars brought in his mom's collection of Hollywood autographs Credit: HistoryThe collection had autographs from Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, and Elvis Credit: History
He explained that his uncle worked on film sets in Hollywood and would often have celebrities sign a postcard for his sister.
Massive stars like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, and Frank Sinatra happily autographed the cards for the friendly crewmember.
He continued to do this for ten years, and then the cards sat in a cardboard box for decades.
The Pawn Stars staff was unsure about the value of the autographed postcards, so they called in an expert on old Hollywood to help price them.
Steve Grad said the guest's uncle must have been really well-liked on set to get all of these signatures.
"To be able to approach someone like Marilyn Monroe or Babe Ruth, this guy must have been really popular," he said.
Steve was especially shocked to see Paul Newman's autograph because the star was notorious for not signing items.
He was equally surprised to see Marlon Brando's autograph.
"If you were lucky enough to approach this guy on the street and ask for his autograph, he used to give you a set of trivia questions you have to answer, and if you answer one wrong, you wouldn't get his autograph," Steve said.
However, the most important thing on the cards wasn't the autographs but the dates.
Steve explained that the most crucial thing for collectors is to have dated signatures, and thanks to the postmarks, all the cards were dated.
"This is probably the best collection I've ever seen," Steve said.
The guest only wanted $2,500, but Steve said the collection was actually worth between $8,000 and $12,000.
But the pawn shop still had to make a profit, so they offered the seller $6,000, and he happily agreed.
"I think my mom is going to be shocked that we got six grand for this," he joked.
To be able to approach someone like Marilyn Monroe or Babe Ruth, this guy must have been really popular
MOVIE MAGIC
Another Pawn Stars guest brought in a Casablanca movie poster that she had been given in place of payment for a design job.
Hayley did her research and found that the posters can sell for up to $120,000 because only 50 or 60 were ever made.
Pawn Stars employee Corey Harrison doubted the poster's authenticity because it was in such good condition for being over 70 years old.
"It's so good it almost looks like a replica to me," he said.
Harrison called on an expert to assess the poster, and was shocked to find out it was real.
Proving its authenticity was a stamp with a message from the National Screen Service, a company that controlled the distribution of theatrical advertising material for around 40 years starting in the 1940s.
"It's the crown jewel of any movie poster collector's collection," the movie pro said.
He said Hayley was correct in her estimate and said it could sell for as much as $200,000.
Unfortunately, the pawn shop could only offer her $60,000, so she kept it and said she would try to find another buyer.
One woman was gifted a guitar that turned out to belong to one of the most famous rockers and was worth $20,000.
A man wanted to see if he had overpaid for a $350 floor lamp, but he found out it was actually worth $15,000.
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