Reel Clothes & Props Frequently Asked Questions

How can I order an item I see on your website?

You may place your order directly from our site. When you complete your online order, the item(s) your ordered are reserved for you. When we receive your order, we must verify that the items you want are still available. You may call us at (818) 730-9581. Payment via PayPal is preferred. Money Orders and Personal Checks are also accepted. Sorry no C.O.D.s!

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Does it Come With a Certificate of Authenticity?

Yes, EVERYTHING we sell is accompanied by a COA. A copy of the picture used to illustrate the item on our website is included as part of the COA. No other Certificate of Authenticity is more respected than a COA from Reel Clothes & Props--- including certificates from studio auctions. Reel Clothes has sold hundreds of props and wardrobe pieces to Planet Hollywood. Planet Hollywood has resold and continues to offer for sale many of those pieces via eBay. Every major memorabilia dealer buys from Reel Clothes, and resells what they buy accompanied by their own COAs. Experienced dealers and collectors know who to trust for authenticity. The same dealers/collectors buy from us time and time again.

How are orders shipped?

All orders shipped to destinations WITHIN the Continental United States are sent fully insured via United Parcel Service ground service. All orders shipped to destinations OUTSIDE the Continental United States are sent fully insured via United States Postal Service. Overnight, 2 Day, and 3 Day services are available at an additional charge. The Buyer is responsible for all shipping charges incurred including insurance, packing and duty. We also use Federal Express, USPS and other independent shipping companies for larger items that require special handling.

How many are there? Is this the only one?

With very few exceptions "more than one" identical prop, or wardrobe piece is used in nearly every instance in every movie. Very rarely is there ONE of anything.

For explanatory purposes I'll use examples from the movie "Wild Things," which is a perfect example of the need for multiples of the same outfit. On the analog track of the DVD the director mentions the hot, humid weather during shooting in Florida. With 100 degree heat and 80% humidity, the actors certainly changed clothes during long days of shooting.

Neve Campbell wears the same blue tank top, black jeans cutoffs and sneakers outfit virtually throughout the entire film. The character may have worn the same clothes every day, but the actor is not expected to wear the same clothes day after day. There were at least four different sets of Neve Campbell's outfit. That way the costumer could give her a clean set to wear, each time she reported to the set, or if she wanted to change into clean clothes for her own comfort.

A costumer would not be doing his or her job properly by showing up on set with only one dress, shirt, coat etc... What if between takes Denise Richards spills Diet Coke on her dress? They can't resume filming with a stain on the dress.

The scene on the boat at the end of the film with Kevin Bacon and Matt Dillon required six days of shooting. Kevin Bacon wore at least 6 different version of the same shirt with the marlin pattern. Over the six days, he certainly changed shirts several times.

Remember that scenes that appear back-to-back in the final cut of the film may have been shot weeks apart. Often, exteriors are shot on location, the wardrobe is packed and shipped back to the studio where interiors are shot on a sound stage weeks later. If you have two identical dresses/shirts/jackets, the same one is not necessarily used for both the exterior and the interior.

Be very suspicious of anyone who tells you that the prop or wardrobe piece they have for sale is "the only one." It may be the only one THEY have. Everything we sell comes directly from the the studios. We acquire wardrobe by the truck load, so we see the multiples. We may get two of a particular dress, the actress may keep one, and the studio's archives department may get another. Someone on the crew may have pestered the costumer into giving them one.

Wardrobe and props appear on the market from a variety of sources. Every day I see items originally sold by us in other dealers' inventories. We sell to Planet Hollywood and to many other dealers. Quite frequently you will see several of an identical item concurrently offered for sale by more than one source.

How Do You Know It's Authentic/Real/Screen-Seen/etc.?

Unfortunately, short of having a signed affidavit from someone who actually witnessed the particular star wearing the item, or having DNA test results verifying the presence of her/his genetic material on the item there can be no absolute proof.

Fortunately when dealing with Reel Clothes you are doing business with a dealer who is that candid with you. Here's why:

Reel Clothes offers THE BEST evidence of authenticity of any wardrobe and prop dealer. Reel Clothes sells ONLY props and wardrobe pieces acquired directly from the studios and production companies. For example, In the case of the wardrobe from "Can't Hardly Wait" (also the case for the majority of what we sell) I personally acquired the wardrobe from Sony's wardrobe department. The boxes of CHW wardrobe went directly from the studio's wardrobe storage (where they had been stored since the end of principal photography) into Reel Clothes' van. By acquiring wardrobe and props exclusively in this manner, I can personally authenticate each piece we sell. We also take the extra step of borrowing the costumer's Polaroids and notes so we can match the piece visually.

Using the "Can't Hardly Wait" example... Jennifer Love Hewitt's outfits were in the same garment bags in which the costumer's placed them after they were worn in the film. All three of the pale blue tops from the party scene were in the bag with the complete outfit. This follows standard procedure. Unused wardrobe is stored separately in boxes marked "stock." Multiples are specifically marked only if they are distinct and prepared for use in particular scenes.

I don't know how other dealers verify the authenticity of most their inventory. But I do know that OTHER DEALERS love to buy from Reel Clothes, because they know that what they are getting is authentic. OTHER DEALERS are so confident of the authenticity of what they buy from Reel Clothes that they offer their own lifetime guarantees on what they buy from us for resale.

Planet Hollywood also has absolute confidence in the authenticity of wardrobe and props obtained from Reel Clothes. That's why hundreds of items purchased from Reel Clothes hang in Planet Hollywood's restaurants, and are resold by Planet Hollywood on eBay.

We know the truth behind every piece we sell, and share that information with our customers. The proliferation of individual to individual online auction services such as eBay has resulted in the exchanges vast amounts of wardrobe and props, often by persons who misrepresent the authenticity of what they have for sale. As pieces are resold, their backgrounds or the matter in which they were used on screen are often reshaped by the imaginations of unscrupulous seller's to fit whatever profile will enhance the piece's perceived value.

Here's a perfect example of something offered for bids on eBay (August 1999) with a seller-embellished erroneous description:

Item #149543169 Ryan Phillippe Jacket from I Know What you Did Last Summer

Below is the seller's exact description:

from the motion picture I Know What You Did Last Summer, we have Ryan Phillippe, Southport Marlins letterman jacket, leather sleeves and collar, with embroidered marlin and southport marlins letters and has character name Barry embroidered in the front left, screen featured in the beginning and the middle, ryan is wearing it at the beach party, the the rest of the beach scene where the accident took place Sarah Michelle Gellar, was wearing it from then on, on the road looking for the body, also is scene when ryan in entering the gym when ryan is in the shower and goes back to his locker it is pictured hanging in the locker, then stolen by the murderer also is featured when Johnny Galecki is wearing the jacket when he was dead in the truck of the card covered in crabs, comes with coa from universal studios, also in the package is the delaware today magazine (full copy) in which ryan is wearing on the cover, also are 3 - 10 x 8 color photos printed from the trailer, one of ryan in the jacket and two with sarah michelle gellar in the item also will send a few computer print outs of ryan in the jacket as well, this is a great opportunity to own a great piece from a horror classic worn by three characters, buy is to pay shipping and insurance, which will be the exact shipping price no handeling charges, this is a 3 day auction and buyer is to make payment in the form of a money order or cashiers check only, and must be received within 10 days of auction end, thanx and happy bidding, i will be adding the pics later this evening feel free to email with any questions.

ENJOY!

Here is the truth:

Reel Clothes acquired the jacket from Sony, and consigned it to the Universal Studios auction from which it was purchased.

Yes, it was worn by Ryan Phillippe in IKWYDLS. It was worn in the scene in which Barry was run down by the truck . It is the only jacket from the film that has been available for sale. However, it is certainly NOT the only one used in the production of the film.

Phillippe wore at least one clean version (probably several). Contrary to the eBay seller's claims, Gellar and Galecki wore OTHER jackets. It is ridiculous for anyone to assert that the same jacket was used in all scenes and worn by various actors. That is simply NOT DONE on a studio picture. Resellers who are either ignorant to facts such as these or who choose to ignore them confuse collectors with misinformation.

Count on Reel Clothes and other established dealers to provide the facts and guarantees of authenticity that are backed up by years of experience. Proceed with caution when dealing with an anonymous person on eBay.

I just watched the movie real closely on my TV, and that (prop, garment, etc...) isn't the same color as the one in your picture(s) on eBay?

Besides the obvious--- perhaps your TV is not calibrated to accurately produce color, there is another probable explanation:

This is a movie (or TV show). The director of photography is paid handsomely to create a mood or tone, with lighting and filters that may alter the way in which colors appear.

Color varies from Film, to VHS tape, to DVD, to a digital still picture, to what is perceived by the naked eye. Each of the aforementioned methods of image reproduction has resolution and color representation limitations. No photographic equipment can come close to the visual acuity of the human eye. We have had costumes that appear green to the naked eye, but appear blue on video or film.

Remember that filmakers create illusions. They are interested in how objects appear on film, regardless of their appearance in reality or in a digital still.