For movie memorabilia collectors, the dream of owning an often one-of-a-kind prop or costume featured on-screen in their favorite film can be as intoxicating as a James Bond martini, shaken not stirred.
Sure, with an eBay account and a few hundred bucks you may be able to pick up a mock pistol handled by Steven Segal in one of his random 1980s' insults to the art of cinema. But when it comes to silver screen classics and wealthy collectors, major auction houses like Bonhams and Christie's have gotten in on the act — trafficking in everything from "Back to the Future" DeLorean time machines to $3.1 million cowardly lion costumes.
While singing "Hooray for Hollywood," we've rounded up some seriously expensive movie props and costumes. However, be aware this isn't a rundown of the priciest artifacts ever sold. To spare you a list largely comprised of multi-million-dollar dresses worn by Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, we've mixed things up with other, unique screen-used gems.
Before the curtain is raised, if you've ever wondered where the word "prop" originated, it springs from the term "theatrical property" — an object used in a stage play or film that comes from the production's property department. Roll film.