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For a generation of moviegoers, Christopher Reeve will always be Superman. While other actors have embodied the role, including David Corenswet at the latest iteration, when it comes to movie memorabilia it is still Reeve’s movies that draw the biggest sales at auction. That should mean a screen-worn costume from Superman III soars to incredible heights, yet someone could grab a bargain as it is only just scraping its top-end estimate.
The item is part of a two-day Planet Hollywood auction hosted by Prop Store and the Superman ensemble is the runaway leader as the highest priced item of the catalog. The costume on offer pairs a screen-used tunic and tights with a replica cape, belt and boots, recreated to match the pieces Reeve wore. This is the reason that the costume is not selling for a lot more and is sticking around its $30,000-40,000 estimate.
The screen-worn tunic and tights are the highlight of the lot. However, if even just one of the supporting items had also been from the original movie, then this lot would have easily been selling for closer to a six-figure sum. Reeve’s “Evil Superman” costume from Superman III, the darker suit worn after the character is corrupted, started another auction with a $100,000 and an estimate of $200,000 to $400,000. Go back to 2022, and a complete, fully screen-used Reeve Superman costume sold at Prop Store for £312,500, roughly $413,000, while another complete ensemble fetched over $350,000.
Superman’s Cape Can Be Worth a Lot of Money
At first glance, the discrepancy between $40K and $100K seems vast, especially when considering we are talking about just a few accessories. To really get into why the accessories are essentially worth more than the costume, you need to remember exactly what these accessories are. While the boots and belt are not exactly the first thing anyone thinks about when looking at Superman, the cape is a completely different matter. There is no image of Superman – any iteration – that does not come without the flowing red cape framing the DC hero. Then, of course, there is the completeness factor to consider. Finding a highly sought after item is one thing, but finding a complete ensemble can easily add a zero to any auction.
This latest auction is certainly no less appealing to collectors for including several replicas. Anyone looking to add a piece of genuine, screen-worn Superman memorabilia from the Reeve era without breaking into six figures, then this auction is probably one the best chances to do so. The closing auction price of $53,550, including buyers premium, after 11 bids was clearly worth it for someone and is now winging its way to a new home after spending many years as part of one Planet Hollywood’s massive movie collections.
That is another difference between this auction and the separate “Evil Superman” auction currently ongoing with Heritage Auctions. This auction has ended with a sale, which verifies exactly how much collectors are willing to pay for their piece of Superman history, while the other auction has yet to have its first bid. The Heritage Auction has a huge valuation but unless someone is willing to pay the asking price, then is it really worth that amount at all? In the next two weeks, we will find out the result of the “Evil Superman” auction and answer the question of just how much that iconic cape is really worth.
Is a complete Superman Costume really worth $100K? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the Forum!
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