Show off your B5 collectibles

[Jan]

Ooo that's a good one too. I've been thinking about what to put the pendant on if not just a stand.

If it were me, I'd use the black velvet and maybe find a lucite box cover for it. OR - if you check out a craft store, you might find a 'shadow box' (if you'll forgive the term) that would work as a nice display. Depends on whether you've got more flat space or wall space available.
Shadow Box example

 

[Looney]

Okay party people I'm gonna go back to the Wookie. NIGHTWATCH ARM BAND. Yes I REALLY want it, but that is $700 to $800 more than I would pay. I don't know that just seems extra high. There have to be at least twenty to twenty five of those. I mean more power to them, but dang. (Jan please chime in here on my complaining.)

 

[Jan]

Okay party people I'm gonna go back to the Wookie. NIGHTWATCH ARM BAND. Yes I REALLY want it, but that is $700 to $800 more than I would pay. I don't know that just seems extra high. There have to be at least twenty to twenty five of those. I mean more power to them, but dang. (Jan please chime in here on my complaining.)

I asked. It's the only one that was included in that box and, as the description says, may have been the prop one and not a costume element. So there may be many others in a box that Wookie hasn't got but...will it be found? That's the question.

 

[Jan]

I'm pretty sure I've posted the large Londo/Peter bust before but now, in proper Cartagia fashion, I've added to my collection!

As I mentioned in a previous post, my wife and I were taking a tour of Optic Nerve in season four, and at one point, John pulled out a drawer full of Londo heads. What they haddone for the Londo action figure, he explained, was cannibalize another doll somebody bought, but sculpted and painted a custom Londo head. Problem was, these heads at all been rejected for one reason or another. I asked John if we could have them, and Sheelagh and I filled our pockets. For years, we used to donate them to convention charity auctions, so people could actually get something from the show at an affordable price. This is the last one I know of, which was found in a bedroom drawer back in our UK flat several months ago. I think it's time to give Londo Head a new home.

 

[Looney]

I was torn on whether I should react with a or a . I think both are appropriate.

Hope you had a good birthday yesterday Jan.

Like the new Avatar.

 

[LateArrival]

I'm pretty sure I've posted the large Londo/Peter bust before but now, in proper Cartagia fashion, I've added to my collection!

Is that a tiny head or a face-sized mask? If a mask, does it fit on the bust?

Poor Londo - first the dolls (action figures?) are not "anatomically correct", then it's a drawer full of heads. At least Refa would approve.

 

[Jan]

Is that a tiny head or a face-sized mask? If a mask, does it fit on the bust?

Tiny head. Definitely doesn't fit the bust except as a topknot!

 

[LateArrival]

Tiny head. Definitely doesn't fit the bust except as a topknot!

Could that picture be... Art? "Londo's Conscience"

 

[Looney]

Well I was going to mention this in THE LOST TALES thread, but it feels more apropos mentioning it here as this is the last place I discussed the BABYLON 5 THE LOST TALES DVD. Purchased some movies from an eBay seller who happened to be selling a used LOST TALES DVD. Unfortunately it was a bad one. Discs seemed fairly okay upon inspection, but wouldn't even load in a conventional DVD player. Played fine in my 4KUHD player, until the last chapter and then it wouldn't play. That was really a bummer when you watch them together as one continuous play movie. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I had to get my good disc out and finish it. Uggggh I love it more every time. And I just get MORE frustrated every time that we have never gotten some expanded Universe stories on what happened with Vintari, David, Delenn, and John - and what effect that had with the future Centauri story.

BTW, thankfully the seller just refunded me without any hassle of having to send it back. Always best to get these bad ones out of the wild.

 

[Looney]

Ugggh here is an Auction Tale I'm sure we've all dealt with. You see a listing you are after right when it begins and there is already 1 bidder. You REALLY want this so you know the game is going to be long and your goal is to not get impatient a bid too early. So you wait, and you wait, and you bide your time and you wait. You plan and you strategize that you won't place your bid until the last second and you know exactly what you plan to bid.

The day finally arrives and you wait. ..... And you check the time, eight hours left. ..... And you wait. ..... And you check the time, five hours left. ..... And you wait. ..... And you check the time, two hours left. .....

The time grows near and you prepare, one hour left. You start checking every few minutes. The anticipation and tension build. BAM! SECOND BID goes in, but you're cool. No big deal. Price didn't change so the original bidder upped their bid to try to defend. Been there a hundred times and you are smmmmoooooth as silk. Nothing can phase you. You are focused. So you wait and now you are checking every few minutes to see if anyone else has bid. You start to fight that urge because you know your bid is likely higher than the current bid, so you are definitely winning this auction. Sooo close after six plus days of waiting.... BAM YOU GET BUSY AT WORK AND MISS THE WHOLE THING....

 

[LateArrival]

I try to look at the Bidder's History to see if the First Bidder is one who posts dozens-and-dozens of low bids each month (dealer?), but can recall there being interesting auctions that came due when I was either in a meeting/busy/etc. B5Books had an auction of some of their loose trivia stuff about two years ago, but was incommunicado when the countdown reached zero.

?? Wonder how the WookiePerson and her Box of B5 Accessories is doing as it's been four months-ish. What is the current inventory and pricing for the remaining items, and are there still DoTD comets, Centauri Badges, $taffs, etc?

 

[Looney]

?? Wonder how the WookiePerson and her Box of B5 Accessories is doing as it's been four months-ish. What is the current inventory and pricing for the remaining items, and are there still DoTD comets, Centauri Badges, $taffs, etc?

I have been checking from time to time. Inventory has gone down. Still has a couple pieces I'd love to have, but there are too many things in this world I would love to have.

 

[LateArrival]

Prices seem to be the same as in February, and appears Londo's Eyeballs (cuff links) have recently been sold. Comets and Badges are still available, along with many more unique/expensive items.

 

[LateArrival]

Most of my B5-related books are in pretty good condition, but there is one from Ebay which stands an example of how NOT to treat a book, since it has lots of "ink stains".


I think this was a book that originally was published in the UK, then might have had a US printing later?

 

[Springer]

Most of my B5-related books are in pretty good condition, but there is one from Ebay which stands an example of how NOT to treat a book, since it has lots of "ink stains".
View attachment 406

I think this was a book that originally was published in the UK, then might have had a US printing later?

Wow, and an absolute bargain price as well! I take it you won this auction? Well done!

Yes, this is the UK edition, there was a US edition as well with I think the Army of Light fleet on the cover.

 

[LateArrival]

Wow, and an absolute bargain price as well! I take it you won this auction? Well done!

Yes, this is the UK edition, there was a US edition as well with I think the Army of Light fleet on the cover.

Also picked up the US edition a few years ago -- and it's obviously better since the US one has clean pages -- but have noticed many of the B5 releases from the UK have "A Channel Four Book" on the cover. The Coming of Shadows booklet which was never published in the US says "A Channel Four Book", and noticed some of the paperback novels have "A Channel Four Book" as well. Did the books originally come out in the UK and get a US printing if they did well, or was Channel Four doing a lot of extra promotion for the series?

Have taken it to three conventions since purchasing it, and asked JMS and WK re-sign it for me, in addition to "adding" CC and Sarah Douglas. WK charged $60 in 2023, and the book's price was... $75. More proof that getting something autographed decreases the value.

 

[Springer]

Also picked up the US edition a few years ago -- and it's obviously better since the US one has clean pages -- but have noticed many of the B5 releases from the UK have "A Channel Four Book" on the cover. The Coming of Shadows booklet which was never published in the US says "A Channel Four Book", and noticed some of the paperback novels have "A Channel Four Book" as well. Did the books originally come out in the UK and get a US printing if they did well, or was Channel Four doing a lot of extra promotion for the series?

The B5 books in the UK were published by Boxtree, but I think they had a publishing deal with Channel 4 Books (I'm assuming C4 had the UK publishing license for Babylon 5). David Bassom, Jim Mortimore and Jane Killick were all UK-based writers (they were regulars in magazines such as Starburst), I think Boxtree/Channel 4 books would have commissioned them originally and then Dell in the US republished them. At some point though Channel 4 stopped appearing on Boxtree's books.

 

[Looney]

LateArrival if you want me to dispose of the ink stained book I can send you a clean copy.

 

[Looney]

Okay Collector's here is a question for you. I'm pretty familiar with removing adhesive from physical media I collect with this one exception...




Any thoughts?

So I celebrated my Independence from the tyranny of England on this 4TH Day of July in the Year of Our Lord 2024 , by doing some cleaning and sorting. I came across several items I purchased that I hadn't even opened yet. . . . .





Unfortunately this item is in such unused condition I can't really open it and take photos of the postcards inside without cracking a spine I don't wish to crack. Other than being differently sized there are not really any images you have not seen before.

Also decided to look into a frame for a Fan Club poster. COME ON!!!!!! 13"x20" REALLY?!!!! Where am I going to find a 13"x20" frame that won't cost more than the poster is worth.

 

[Jan]

Also decided to look into a frame for a Fan Club poster. COME ON!!!!!! 13"x20" REALLY?!!!! Where am I going to find a 13"x20" frame that won't cost more than the poster is worth.

Tip I learned from an artist re: framing unusual sizes: Buy a standard size frame and get a mat cut to fit. The right mat can really enhance a piece, too.