What's the "Grail" of your collection?

PMKane

Which piece do you prize above all others??

Mine . . . check out:

http://www.pmkane.com/bond/grell_bond.jpg

This piece of art was used as promotion for the "Permission to Die" three-issue comic book, written and illustrated by Mike Grell.

Red Grant

A picture of myself and Pierce Brosnan from 1997. Senitmental value big time

superado

Wow, that's a really beautiful piece of artwork, PMKane. I have the comics which I really enjoy reading to this day (I do have a preference for the 1st one and rarely touch the other 2), but that artwork really stands out! I think that Mike Grell's depiction is more faithful to Fleming's Bond than Fleming's own commissioned artwork.

PMKane

Thanks, superado . . .

That's the Bond I picture each and every time I pick up a book, even the novelizations . . . I also own the very last two pages of Issue Three . . . Grell is my favorite artist/writer . . .

And I agree, the first book is the better of the set.

Iona Havelock RIP

The signed picture I have of Desmond Llewellyn after I met him at a special TLD screening at the National Museum of Photography Film & Television in Bradford, UK in 98/99 I think it was.

PoorMansJB

I always regard a "Holy Grail" as the thing you haven't attained yet.

For the longest time my Grails were the YOLT volcano playset (finally got one in '01) and an Aston pedal car (got the Vanquish version a few months back).

But there are still pieces I don't have, in fact, some I've never actually seen other than in Sears catalogs, etc., such as the Gilbert OddJob doll in morning suit, the Coleman Bond in uniform, and so on.

HENDOO7

My signed personal autograph from Pierce specifiacally to me when i got to do an interview with him and my boss.

Walther PPK

My Grail would be my Desmond Llewelyn autograph that my best friend got for me when he was in England in the early 1990's, I framed it with a picture of Desmond as Q shortly I heard that he died.

scaramanga1

Usually the grail is the thing you are desperately searching for, and the hardest thing for you to get. For me it has to be Scaramanga's golden gun. I know about the one that was produced some years back, and is now really hard to get hold of, and commands a high price. So that is way beyond my league at the moment. Someone was going to kindly make a replica for me, after showing off his Thunderball breather, and then I've never heard anything since. So really this item is still the one thing I can't get, yet and is really my Grail.
As fo the best item I have. Its hard to say. Although yesterday I was absolutely made up to receive a signed US first edition Paperback of TWINE, which as you can imagine is something brilliant to have, as anything from the franchise that is signed is special.
Also I have a signed first edition Hardback of Licence Renewed by Gardner.
A few months back I got Caroline Munro to sign a 2003 Bond Girl calender on the month of May, which happens to have her in the famous pose in the red very lowcut swimsuit. She wrote
Just for you Jason, I wish you a very Happy Birthday on the 15th May. Much Love, Caroline Munro.

So thats extra special as its a personal birthday wish from a real live Bond Girl. I also have Pierce's autograph on a small DAD promotional poster, which if its genuine is indeed excellent.
These signed items are probably my most prized items, but I do have a fair amount of other stuff, and each and every item I like, so expect my list of favourites to change over time as my collection gets bigger.

Jamesbondmm

Mine is going to be my signed collection of Bond's. I suppose it fits in the description of something you havent got yet, as while I do have signed autographs from all the Bonds, I haven't actually got them framed yet. My idea is to have a big frame, with 9, 10x8 spaces cut out of the card mounts for pictures. If you imagine 3 along the top and bottom, 3 on the left and right and 1 space in the middle. I already have signed autographs of the five current Bonds so these will start top left (Sean Connery) and work along the top and down the right side ending with Pierce Brosnan. The pre-cut holes will still have the card in them so it will just show a large space of card. The idea of the 4 remaining pre-cut spaces with card in them is for "future" Bond's and I think that will provide enough space for the Bond series and probably my life-time!

I am going to have a brass/gold plaque done with like a silouette (sp?) of Bond and the words "James Bond 007" created which is going to go in the middle at the bottom. Have all this put into a nice frame etc and it will be the prize of my collection! Of course this is when I have the money.....

Red Grant

One of the things I have been looking for desperately is the FRWL briefcase. I know that there is one big time collector who has a copy of one, and I think Desmond actually had the real thing. I saw a copy of it at a spy show a few years back, where I was also able to meet George Lazenby and have him sign the cover of my OHMSS VHS. I also have had the fortune of getting signatures of Shirley Eaton, Caroline Munro, Richard Kiel, and Johnathon Pryce.

superado

Just like Red Grant, one of my "grails" is the FRWL briefcase. Another would be a personally signed photo of Connery after shaking his hand! I am also looking for a replica blue shoulder holster as used in the early Connery Bonds. I found a Japanese site that had one that has been sold; it seemed to have been a one of a kind, or if several were made, they had a short run.

A couple of recent grails attained for me were the golden gun, which I got cheap (about half the original price!!!), and the Walther LP 53 air pistol that I also got at a price within my budget.

ErnstStavroBlofeld

Quoting scaramanga1:
For me it has to be Scaramanga's golden gun. I know about the one that was produced some years back, and is now really hard to get hold of, and commands a high price.

accually SD studios was, might still be, selling them. that's how i got mine. They were only $625. they were 23K gold, dis-assembled to the pen, lighter, cigarette case and cufflink. they also came in a comemerative glass case with a combination lock. it's not hard to guess the combination though(007)

Franz Sanchez

Mine would have to be a photo of me with all the James Bonds, or maybe the photos of when I visited Piz Gloria

superado

I would love to visit Piz Gloria too. That is my single most desired Bond destination. I would also take a lot of photos, and buy some Bond trinkets that they sell there. Mostly though, in addition to taking some things with me, I would love to leave something of mine there in the Piz (hint hint) Gloria facilities so I can have something to boast about. )

SiCo

Piz Gloria, closed the day I was there! In the early days of my Bond fascination so I didn't really care that much and didn't take any photos of the surrounding station etc, just have to do it again I suppose! Shame

General_Ourumov

The grail of my collection is a clip frame with all the personally signed autographs I have, inluding Roger Moore, Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Julian Glover, Robert Brown and others.

jamesbondagent007

I don't have any autographs or pictures or anything, my grail is just simply my full bond movie collection. All 20 movies plus NSNA.

General_Ourumov

Of course!!!

funkeyj65

mine has to be the moonraanker rwrist dart gun. it is just cool! i would love to get the golden gun, through.

ToshTogo

I have a "Dr No" poster (27 x 40 ) which has the exact image as the back of the Dr No soundtrack cd. I have read that this artwork was never printed as a poster , and that it was done in sketch type way on the UK and US versions, I sent the picture to Dave Worrall, and asked if he had seen this poster before and he said no. The poster is a duotone litho, printed in South Africa, I have no idea if the poster is original or not, but the paper is definitely showing signs of age (foxing). I also have different Goldfinger and Thunderball posters, where the artwork and captions differ from the US/UK versions. The "grail" for me would any rare Bond item at a bargain price

geooddjob

I have a roomfull of stuff. I really like my 007 slot machine and my P-99. I also have a unique vhs version of Goldfinger. The box has a drawer that slides out holding the movie.

Napoleon Plural

Well I'm not sure if this qualifies but it's the paperback collection of novels I acquired as a teen, with as many as 7 different covers for some titles. Best is the "Book of the film" collections, though as for stuff I haven't got yet, the Moonraker paperback with Bond and Gala Brand walking around a Drax's rocket looks very good.

I've got Connery and Lazenby's autographs, but autographs don't really do it for me.

MOONRAKER

Truman-Lodge

My Roger Moore autograph (To Joe, Good Luck, Roger Moore) and my collection of bond cars, although they are not that rare, I still have some of the lesser known cars from the films. (green Willard White cars, Renault 5 Taxi, Octopussy Alfa Romeo, Pola Ivanova's white Mustang, Goldfinger's Rolls Royce, LALD Bus, Octopussy mercedes with track, DAF Buggy, LTK Kenworth truck and AMC Hornet hatchback!!!)

Joe.

settingtherules

Like some of the others who have responded, I consider a "Grail" to be the thing you serach for. I have a list of five things I desperately want, but which unfortunately may never be available:
1. The novel Per Fine Ounce by Geoffrey Jenkins. (I once posted about this.)
2. The FULL Blast From the Past story in English. (It's only been released in Italian.)
3. Raymond Benson's unproduced screenplay of Casino Royale.
4. ALL of the James Bond comic strips. (I've posted on this as well.)
5. A copy of the 1957 Moonraker radio play starring Bob Holness and the 1990 You Only Live Twice radio play starring Michael Jayston. (I very recently posted on this.)

Unfortunately, I think my chances of obtaining any one of these things is very slim. The first four are up to Ian Fleming Publications Ltd., and I'm not sure the last one even still exist. But that's why they are my grails.

superado

Quoting Truman-Lodge:
My Roger Moore autograph (To Joe, Good Luck, Roger Moore) and my collection of bond cars, although they are not that rare, I still have some of the lesser known cars from the films. (green Willard White cars, Renault 5 Taxi, Octopussy Alfa Romeo, Pola Ivanova's white Mustang, Goldfinger's Rolls Royce, LALD Bus, Octopussy mercedes with track, DAF Buggy, LTK Kenworth truck and AMC Hornet hatchback!!!)

Joe.

Hello Joe,

Is the OP Alfa Romeo an official "Bond" miniature, or is it an Alfa Romeo GTV-6 diecast produced with no product tie-in? If the latter, what brand and color? Thanks in advance, Joe.

Truman-Lodge

It is not an official 007 one, but it is the exact same one, it is a dark mettalic grey GTV6 model and it is the sze of the Corgi aston martin, about twice the size of a matchbox sort of.

Joe.

i expect u2 die

Mine has to be my DAD bullet shaped cocktail shaker that i won off an official bond website. I am told it is worth a fortune and extremely rare by the website as it is an official product but the official site could only get hold of 2 in the world! I never use it make cocktails!!!!!!

superado

Quoting Truman-Lodge:
It is not an official 007 one, but it is the exact same one, it is a dark mettalic grey GTV6 model and it is the sze of the Corgi aston martin, about twice the size of a matchbox sort of.

Joe.

Those are attractive cars, and rare enough for me to give it a longing glance whenever one passes me on the road. I think that I'll look for a 1/43rd diecast version like yours.

Cappy Morgan

I have a wonderful collection of autographs including all of the gentlemen who have played Bond in the movies. It is a prize. However, my "grail" would be a nice movie prop from either one of the Connery or Brosnan films. Nothing too elaborate, just some casino chips, bullets, or playing cards that were used in the film. Of course, we would all want the brief case, or one of "Q"'s many gadgets, but the quest is a tough one. Another "grail" would be, like others, to meet one of the Bonds in person (I have met Lazenby, but Connery would be the ultimate.)