When any film is produced, multiple Movie Props are used in the process. Certain props, like the Indiana Jones Whip and Hat, The Wizard of Oz’s Ruby Slippers, The Maltese Falcon, Iron Man’s Suit, Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket etc., – they gain mass attention and collectability.
What happens to these props varies greatly. Sometimes they are donated and sold for charitable causes or at auctions. They can be given to museums, or put in to storage. Many other times, however, they just go missing, are misplaced, or even trashed (possibly to picked out of the trash by those passing at the opportune time). It isn’t until after filming, sometimes years later, some of the movie props are realized to be quite valuable and are sought after by collectors.
In the immensely popular 1985 film, The Goonies, one of the movie props that is most widely replicated is the One-Eyed Willy’s Map. It is this map in The Goonies film, that leads to the treasure. In the Movie, the Map is found in the attic and the ‘Goonies’ follow it and clues scattered across the map to find the hidden ship and treasure to save the day.
(The replica: Available on Amazon!)
So where is the Original Goonies’ Map used in the film?
In a 2015 interview, Sean Astin, who played Mikey in Goonies, stated he had saved the Original Goonies’ Map after the film and kept it in his room. However, while away filming another movie, his mother sold their house, and it went missing at that time. It wasn’t seen in his stuff that was ‘moved’ to the new house. He says his mother might have thrown it away, or it could still be ‘out there’ somewhere. He also said, if found, it could be worth a 100 grand. Maybe more? Maybe less? Either way, it would be a very collectible item.
Before thinking it’s ‘just gone’. Think again. Lots of ‘missing objects’ pop up out of nowhere. It’s been thought the missing Russian Faberge Eggs had been destroyed in the 1917 Russian Revolution, but in 2012, the 1887 Faberge Egg (thought destroyed) was found, out of all places, a flea market in the USA. It was about to be melted down for its gold ($15,000 value), when the buyer of the egg at the flea market did some research and discovered it was one of the famous missing Faberge Eggs. Instead of $15,000, it was worth 33 million. Quite the change of value.
An item that was found, that was believed to have NOT even existed, was the 1827 Tamerlane by Poe. This piece of literature was an earlier edition of work by Poe. Poe, who was unhappy with the piece was thought to have destroyed them all. However, since 11 have been found, that isn’t the case! Evidently some were published and circulated. In 2009, one of these copies sold for $662,500. It is believed more are still out there…somewhere…. Might you find one?
A story of a movie prop being found is of one of the Maltese Falcons. In 1991, at a flea market in New Jersey, a Maltese Falcon was found. It was authenticated to be that of one of the actual props for the movie and later sold for 305,000.
Things that go missing, even movie props, have a way of ‘popping up’ at unexpecting times and locations.
Be on the lookout for them…..and if you find the Original Goonies Map…or any other treasured movie prop…. let us know!