Over the course of more than 40 years, 21 films and six actors playing James Bond the number of James Bond collectibles is substantial, with each new film seeing an abundance of items designed to meet the needs of collectors of James Bond memorabilia.
My own first contact with the world of James Bond came when a school friend brought his new Aston Martin DB5 to school. Although I knew nothing about 007 at the age of eight, I did know that I wanted this fantastic car with its ejector seat; within a few days I took my hard saved pennies and bought one of my own – if only I’d not limited myself to one.
That Aston Martin – I still have it, complete with box – led to me borrowing my dad’s copy of Casino Royale and an obsession with James Bond that is now in its forth decade.
Although I’m personally not much of a collector there are many people with substantial collections and the cash back their hobby – the limited edition Casino Royale watch from Omega for example ran into several thousand pounds, while the poker set at around £60 isn’t exactly cheap. And the big market for Corgi’s 007 range seems to be the collector market rather than the toy market these days.
A quick look on eBay will reveal hundreds of Bond-related items on sale, including Casino Royale poker chips for a few pounds (or dollars), premier programmes, clothing, watches, model cars, packs of cards – just about all the James Bond memorabilia that has ever been released.
If you do decide to become a collector of 007 memorabilia then it is easy to start with a small budget. Buy simple things that you will enjoy owning and never buy anything for the investment value – it may well rise in price, but you could also have your fingers burned too. While first edition Ian Fleming books fetch thousands at auction you can currently buy Casino Royale poker chips for less than £5 for 4 and if you are more interested in buying posters or photos then there are many sources online.
Always stick to your budget, if the item is rare then try and check its authenticity before parting with your money. Other than take pleasure in all the items you buy, enjoy the hunt for special items and gradually build up your collection over the years.
July 27th, 2007 at 14:13
Hi, for the last few years i have been trying to get hold of the cassette version of “THE JAMES BOND COLLECTION 10TH ANNIVERSARY CASSETTE”….you can still get the double vinly lp no problem…i hope that you can help…Ian