Posted in: Collectibles | Tagged: auction, Batman, underpants

How Much Would You Pay to Wear Batman's 50-Year-Old Underpants?

Published Fri, 22 Nov 2019 15:50:52 -0600

On December 17th, auction house Profiles in History will begin auctioning off The Azarian Collection, a collection of 1960s television and movie memorabilia collected by John Azarian. The highlights of the collection: the complete costumes of both Adam West and Burt Ward from the 1960s Batman television show.

So yes, as the headline reads, if you bid on and win these items, you, yes you, could try on Batman's underwear. Or Robin's underwear. Or do whatever you like with them, for that matter. Sniff them? Whatever. You own it, so the choice is yours.

Of course, you'll be paying a lot for the privilege, as the costumes are expected to sell for $150,000 to $200,000. But can you really put a price on happiness?

Other notable items in the auction include Linda Carter's Wonder Woman costume, The Fonz's jacket (heeeyyy!), Barbara Eden's Jeannie outfit, Leonard Nimoy's Evil Spock tunic (goatee not included), and even an actual space pod from Lost in Space.

Check out the press release below for more details on the auction.

LOS ANGELES – November 22nd, 2019- Profiles in History is proud to announce The Azarian Collection is going up for auction. It's the most important collection of classic TV and superhero artifacts in existence. The auction will be December 17th in Los Angeles.

John Azarian is the founder and curator of the Azarian Collection, which you can see at theazariancollection.com. As a child of the 60s and a fan of nostalgia, John began collecting iconic items from the shows and movies he loved in his youth. Some of his favorite childhood memories include the superb television shows of the 1960s, like his favorite TV show, Batman, starring Adam West and Burt Ward.

Azarian recalls his mother plopping him in front of the TV to watch the superhero sitcom while she would make dinner for the family. His favorite part of the show was the Pop Art-inflected fight scenes. Because he couldn't yet read, his mother would recite the onomatopoeic words in the eye-catching comic book bubbles: "POW", "ZAP", "ZOK", etc. Somehow, he always knew when she was making up her own sound effects and would demand the correct word!

In the approximate thirty years since his collection was born, he has been fortunate to acquire many one-of-a-kind, iconic treasures. Sources included actors, studios, fellow collectors and auction houses. It's now one of the largest collections of its type in the world and much of it is going up for auction.

The highlight of the collection just so happens to be the first items he ever purchased, coincidentally, from Profiles in History.

It's the only known pair of complete costumes from The Dynamic Duo, Adam West's "Batman" and Burt Ward's "Robin" from the original 1960s TV series, Batman. This offering represents a likely once-in-a-lifetime chance to own a complete set of signature costumes from the most influential superheroes to ever swing across the small screen. They are pictured above and estimated to sell for $150,000 – $200,000.

Other highlights in The John Azarian Collection include:

Adam West's "Bruce Wayne" Shakespeare bust with hidden switch that opens the entrance to the Batcave from Batman. (TCF TV, 1966-68) Like the urbane and erudite Bruce Wayne, this innocuous bust of William Shakespeare also has a covert function. The head tilts back to reveal a knob, that when turned, opens the Batpole entrance to the Batcave. It is the only one made for production, and is used in virtually every episode of the series. It's pictured left and estimated to sell for $40,000 – $60,000.

Adam West's "Batman" hero working Batmobile Batphone from Batman. (TCF TV, 1966-68) While on patrol or in pursuit, this is the Batmobile Batphone that gives the Dynamic Duo instant access to the highest levels of law enforcement. Arguably the most famous fictional phone of all time. Estimated to sell for $30,000 – $50,000.

William Shatner's "Captain James T. Kirk" wraparound tunic from Star Trek: The Original Series. (Paramount TV, 1966-1969) This version is constructed of olive green double-knit wool with black spring weave trimmed V-neckline with left side overlapping the right side. It's extraordinarily rare, this is only the second Kirk wraparound tunic that Profiles in History has handled. It's pictured right and estimated to sell for $40,000 – $60,000.

William Shatner's "Alternate Universe Cpt. James T. Kirk" tunic from Star Trek: The Original Series, episode "Mirror, Mirror". (Paramount TV, 1966-1969) This tunic is worn by Kirk on the Enterprise in the Mirror World, in which a cosmic event sends Kirk and crew into a parallel universe where Starfleet has been replaced with an evil empire. Estimated to sell for $40,000 – $60,000.

Leonard Nimoy's "Evil Spock" tunic from Star Trek: The Original Series, episode: "Mirror, Mirror". Estimated to sell for $40,000 – $60,000.

The I Dream of Jeannie signature Genie bottle. (NBC, 1965-1970) The glass bottle (actually a Jim Beam Christmas decanter!) is expertly studio hand painted and finished with plum, gold, white red and pastel enamel and acrylic paint to serve as Jeannie's (Barbara Eden's) home away from home in the I Dream of Jeannie series. Estimated to sell for $30,000 – $50,000.

A "Jupiter 2" spaceship filming miniature from Lost in Space. (CBS TV, 1965-1968) Legendary special effects modelers L.B.Abbott and Howard Lydecker brought to life one of the greatest marvels of the science fiction world, the Jupiter 2. This is the hero filming miniature of the fabled spacecraft. Along with the "USS Enterprise" from Star Trek and the "Millennium Falcon" from Star Wars, there are no better-known film or television spaceships. It's pictured left and estimated to sell for $75,000 – $95,000.

A "Space Pod" filming miniature Lost in Space. (CBS-TV, 1965-68) This fantastic craft, modeled after the Apollo Lunar Module, was used in the third and final season of the popular 1960s Irwin Allen science fiction series. Estimated to sell for $75,000 – $95,000.

Henry Winkler's "Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli" signature leather jacket from Happy Days. When the show was cancelled, one of "Fonzie's" signature brown leather jackets was gifted to The Smithsonian Institution where it remains on of the institutions most popular exhibits. It's pictured right and estimated to sell for $25,000 – $35,000.

Jeff Conaway's "Kenicki" signature "T-Birds" jacket from the "Greased Lightnin'" musical number in Grease (Paramount, 1978). This iconic piece from the ultimate 1950s nostalgia film is estimated to sell for $5,000 – $7,000

Lynda Carter's "Wonder Woman" signature superhero ensemble from Wonder Woman. (WB TV, 1975-79) This is the signature costume from the groundbreaking series that featured television's first female superhero lead. Estimated to sell for $35,000 – $55,000.

Barbara Eden's "Jeannie" signature pink harem costume from I Dream of Jeannie. (NBC-TV, 1965-70) The costume embodies the 1960s sexy innocence that was a hallmark of entertainment of the era. It's pictured left and estimated to sell for $45,000 – $55,000.