Auctioneer Joe Maddalena on the 'Hollywood Treasure' trail
Joe Maddalena
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Collecting movie memorabilia is not for everybody. Unless you've got a million dollars to spare for an authentic "Frankenstein" movie poster or even a relatively paltry $60,000 for a Rosebud sled from "Citizen Kane," you are probably better off sitting back and watching others pay big money for pop-culture relics. The new series "Hollywood Treasure," which airs Wednesdays on Syfy, allows viewers to do just that while still experiencing the thrill that comes from chasing down such elusive items -- vicariously, anyway.
"It's about hunting for the artifacts, where they come from, the stories behind them, the authentication process," says Joe Maddalena, the show's star, who owns the Profiles in History auction house. "It's pretty extensive."
But be prepared: The memorabilia business is not without its perils, which range from wild-goose chases to forgeries and even fires. Take, for instance, Rosebud, the iconic sled that was actually several simple store-bought sleds purchased for "Citizen Kane," which have become extremely valuable based on their use in one of the greatest films ever made.
" Steven Spielberg bought one at auction years ago for ($60,000)," Maddalena says. "It's amazing. If you watch the movie, the sled in the movie burned in a fire. Steven Spielberg's sled, when his house burned down, burned in a fire. So it's kind of ironic. But yeah, those are the type of things that could be out there that we're uncovering every day."
Of course, everyday things aren't exactly what Maddalena seeks. He keeps an eye out for a few special items that he has been trying to track down for years -- some of which might not even exist anymore.
"You know, there's a fabled pair of ruby slippers (from 'The Wizard of Oz') that are missing," he says. "The Tin Man costume might be somewhere in Colorado. There are lots of things that are missing. There could have been more Rosebud sleds. There could have been another Maltese Falcon. Nobody really knows and can quantify how much of this stuff there was."
"It's about hunting for the artifacts, where they come from, the stories behind them, the authentication process," says Joe Maddalena, the show's star, who owns the Profiles in History auction house. "It's pretty extensive."
But be prepared: The memorabilia business is not without its perils, which range from wild-goose chases to forgeries and even fires. Take, for instance, Rosebud, the iconic sled that was actually several simple store-bought sleds purchased for "Citizen Kane," which have become extremely valuable based on their use in one of the greatest films ever made.
" Steven Spielberg bought one at auction years ago for ($60,000)," Maddalena says. "It's amazing. If you watch the movie, the sled in the movie burned in a fire. Steven Spielberg's sled, when his house burned down, burned in a fire. So it's kind of ironic. But yeah, those are the type of things that could be out there that we're uncovering every day."
Of course, everyday things aren't exactly what Maddalena seeks. He keeps an eye out for a few special items that he has been trying to track down for years -- some of which might not even exist anymore.
"You know, there's a fabled pair of ruby slippers (from 'The Wizard of Oz') that are missing," he says. "The Tin Man costume might be somewhere in Colorado. There are lots of things that are missing. There could have been more Rosebud sleds. There could have been another Maltese Falcon. Nobody really knows and can quantify how much of this stuff there was."
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