Collecting Christopher Lee

**Frederick Bergstrom** · 27th May 2002, 05:38 PM

I have been collecting lobby cards and magazines of Christopher Lee ever since i started working. Over the years i have collected some cool things but nothing is as cool as the stuff out now. In the last month i have picked up action figures, puzzles , tins , posters, temporary tats, t shirts,legos, comic books ,trading cards and even cereal!! Im sure there is more out there and when i see it i will buy it. This is a great time to be a fan and a collector. I wonder what the members would consider to be their best pieces in their collection. my top 3 are as follows
1. My original full size lobby poster from Dracula has Risen from the Grave. beautiful and rare

2.autographerd hard cover of tall dark and Gruesome

3.the HOD/COF comic book from the 60s. Both Hammer films in comic form in one comic very cool and i got it really cheap. If you have never seen it you need to get it its way cool

so thats mine. what do you guys and gals have??Maybe some of us dont even know about it and you will give us something to look for. Happy collecting

**Alfonso Casal** · 27th May 2002, 07:05 PM

In addtion to the DVDs and videos I have, my collection includes two autographed photos, an autographed copy of Tall, Dark and Gruesome, a personalized autographed picture-postcard, a personalized autographed copy of Christopher Lee: The Authorized Screen History, and, my most treasured piece, a private letter from Mr. Lee sent to myself and several other 'original' members of this website thanking us for helping get it off the ground.

**Colin Bushby** · 27th May 2002, 08:06 PM

Apart from my small collection of videos(20 last count) I have a personally signed CD of Wandering Star, A personally signed copy of Christopher Lee, An Authorised Screen history, a signed copy of The House That Hammer Built (Christopher Lee 40 page special) a personally signed photo of myself and Mr. Lee from the Barbican, and hopefully sometime in the future a unique signed photo of Saruman I managed to get from a competition on this website.

I also have various sized posters including giant 40 foot by 10 foot billboards and bus stand posters

Loads of other magazines, books, CD's and even a CL mug !!
And quit a few drawings.
That's about it I think:D

**Joakim Lundberg** · 28th May 2002, 01:50 PM

I have around 12-13 DVD's with Mr Lee and some VHS films as well. 1 autographed copy of "To the Devil a Daughter", a T-shirt printed in colour with a photo of Mr Lee on it (collectors item) it hangs on my wall framed. 1 copy of The Authorised Screen History signed by Mr Lee and it's author, a personal written card from Mr Lee sent on my graduation from high school, 2 personaly signed photographs one in colour and one smaller in black-and-white. A signed competion certificate of participation in the competion last year. A Saruman and Gandalf coffe mug, a LOTR calender, etc ect..that's about it that I can think of at the moment.

**Jacob Remery** · 28th May 2002, 02:33 PM

Besides the usual dvd's and vhs tapes i have:

A personally signed copy of Tall Dark and Gruesome (hard cover), personally signed letter + postcard, personally signed picture from the Babrican event, signed copy of Christopher Lee - An Authorised Screen History and a signed copy of The House that Hammer Built.

An audio book from The Exorcist read by Mr Lee.
2 t-shirts(Dracula and Saruman), Several cd's, posters and lot's of magazines.
1 Saruman figure and atm one Count Dooku figure.
:D

**Brandon Jones** · 29th May 2002, 12:07 AM

A signed 8x10 of Saruman! It's beautiful...and I have a signed copy of Tall, Dark and Gruesome.

I'd love to have an autographed Wicker Man one-sheet...but we'll see...

**Cara Randall** · 29th May 2002, 05:37 PM

I've wondered if a lot of that stuff from Ebay is legit. Does anyone know?

I just have some movies, a batik of him as Dracula that I made about 15 years ago that is really pretty cool, and some fond memories. I think I'd better get collecting!

Cara

Josslyn · 29th May 2002, 07:19 PM

Personal rule of thumb regarding ebay: if it looks too good to be true then it probably is. That said, there were at one time a few pictures posted on this site. Our Admin posted a false autograph and then someone else posted what they'd gotten on ebay (which was genuine).
If I remember it correctly someone was auctioning off a load of signed stuff on ebay (one of those limited pictures from this site, two signed books, signed LOTR CD) but their reserve price was around $300. I think someone actually won that auction but it was listed something like six times because no one was bidding high enough. I often wonder if someone from here bought that lot. . . .
As far as this collecting goes. . . I have the usual movies and books and any of the other miscellaneous stuff I could get at work (bookmark and such). I also have a Wicker Man press kit with stills (one of which I sent to get signed through this site), a 1957 lobby card from Curse of Frankenstein (in decent shape but by no means mint condition) and a signed card from LOTR.
Well, there's also that Count Dooku figure hanging from the closet by the magnets on his feet. . . .

**Alfonso Casal** · 29th May 2002, 07:35 PM

Quote:

I'd love to have an autographed Wicker Man one-sheet...but we'll see...

Wouldn't we all? En guard!

**Alfonso Casal** · 29th May 2002, 07:45 PM

Quote:

I've wondered if a lot of that stuff from Ebay is legit. Does anyone know?Cara

Some of it is, some of it isn't. Often you have well-known and reputable dealers offering stuff on E-bay. I've purchased items from a very well-known fantasy-SF-horror book dealer in New York. Occasionally, you'll see people that you know from 'fandom' offering articles for sale. I've also acquired some things from people it turns out I knew from Hammer events. In fact, my most beloved item, a necktie that belonged to Peter Cushing, was gotten in an E-bay auction from a past President of the Peter Cushing Association who had, in turn, gotten it from Joyce Broughton -- with a 'pedigree' like that there's no question of authenticity.

However, if the person offering the item is an 'unknown' (also check and see how many sales they've had in the past, and their 'Feedback.'), or appears fly-by-night, I'd say "pass."

One good thing, though, here at the CLW we have a wonderful resource at our fingertips: If you see a CL item you want, but are skeptical about, just ask Juan. You'll get a definite answer. I don't know, I could be wrong, but something tells me the person selling fraudulent CL memorabilia will get a 'definite answer' too!

**Cara Randall** · 29th May 2002, 10:03 PM

Yes, I guess you can't get much more "at the source" than on here, can you? HHEE!

Okay, I just ordered some safe stuff off Half.com, DVD's of Dracula, Prince of Darkness; The Whip and the Body; and Scars of Dracula. "Scars" is one I have ACTUALLY not seen! This is gonna be fun! I wonder how I missed it?

Thanks for the advice,

Cara

Greg Harris · 30th May 2002, 01:35 AM

I love collecting vidios and things, but the pride of my collection is the chair Mr.Lee used back stage while making the tv film poor devil.

it has Christopher Lee written on one side of the directors style chair, and has the poor devil logo, and sais poor devil on the other.

sadly i have never seen the film, and cant find it anywhere :(

my other fav piece, is a personaly signed postcard.

and i have a signed book, signed poster of house that dripped blood (also signed by ingrid pitt) and a signed magazine.

**Dave Hutchens** · 30th May 2002, 02:40 AM

Among my many rare and wonderful items, at least half were purchased on eBay and I've never been disappointed. My word of advice would also be to avoid autographs. We have this site to purchase those from, which is something I need very badly to do; I'm thoroughly ashamed to admit I haven't got a single autographed item! :( And yes, one should check every seller's feedback and history BEFORE bidding! Very, very crucial. Also avoid sellers who have changed their user names.

The two most prized items in my collection are a 10" hand-painted porcelain figurine of Mr. Lee as Dracula, issued by Wade Ceramics in 1997 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Hammer, and a MAGNIFICENT print of an airbrushed painting of Mr. Lee from "Taste the Blood of Dracula," only fifty of which were made. I'd give anything to have this print autographed, but my understanding is that Mr. Lee will no longer sign anything relating to Dracula.

I also have every Dooku-lectible currently in existence (that I know of), two Saruman figurines, a Christopher Lee Dracula flip-top lighter, the "Hammer Presents Dracula" album issued in 1974 on both LP and CD, literally dozens upon dozens upon dozens of soundtracks, tapes, VCDs, laserdiscs and DVDs, "The Cult Films of Christopher Lee" and "The Films of Christopher Lee" hardcover books, and soon coming are a resin bust of Mr. Lee as Dracula, and the issue of "The Monster Times" that first introduced me to Mr. Christopher Lee, CBE, way back in 1973. And that, by the way, is something I'd _REALLY_ like to get autographed! Monetary value not the issue--it would just mean a very great deal to me personally.

Not entirely on topic (but close), I also have a deck of Hammer playing cards, many of which feature Mr. Lee. Surely something on the unusual side! :)

Dave

Skorpionn · 3rd June 2002, 08:08 PM

I just mentioned collecting all of Mr. Lee's movies to my husband a few days ago, and that one could very easliy spend a life time collecting them. I'm not much into collecting things like miniatures or cards and such, but I would definitely see a purpose in starting a DVD collection of Mr. Lee's movies. I know it would take a life time simply due to the fact some of his movies aren't on DVD yet, and won't be for some time.

Anne Ikonen · 5th June 2002, 12:47 PM

I wish I got some of those things,but here in Finland,you hardly can't find anywhere anything about Christopher Lee or his work.
Luckily,I got a picture from "The Wicker Man" movie,signed by Mr. Lee personally for me,when he was here in April.And then I got some magazines,books,movies,etc.I hope that the action figures from "Star Wars:EP II:Attack of the Clones" will come also here in Finland and,hopefully,very soon!