On a certain auction site I noticed someone selling a Topps Ian McKellen unreleased/prototype autograph card from Two Towers. It's signed in black ink. I believe it's authentic as the seller supposedly worked at Topps as an Editor and Art Director. I would post the link but I don't know if it's allowed so I won't. I just thought LOTR collectors would like to know it's floating around out there. Pretty cool card!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Logan,

I can't seem to find it on that site?

quote:

Originally posted by treksearcher:
I can't seem to find it on that site?

The seller spelled his last name "Mc Kellen" in the title.

Shame it's got the accursed Ebay customs charge con attached to it

quote:

Originally posted by Logan:
I believe it's authentic as the seller supposedly worked at Topps as an Editor and Art Director.

This kind of bothers me. Lately he seems to have been selling off lots of high-end items. I guess if the company gives it to you as a bonus or whatever, then you're free to do with it as you wish. But when you see unreleased cards like this and multiples of the Planet of the Apes Estella Warren that have sold for $1,347 and $1,000....

Makes you wonder what else employees are holding on to.

So there was no "regular" McKellen auto in the Two Towers set ?

quote:

Originally posted by David R:
So there was no "regular" McKellen auto in the Two Towers set ?

No. Ian was listed as a signer for the set right up until it's release (along with a few others like John Rhys Davies) and a few pictures of him signing the cards were circulated at the time, but when the set actually hit, he and a few other names were no longer included. There was a lot of speculation at the time as to why his card was left out of the set since the photos proved that he had signed them but for whatever reason, the Gandalf the White card has never seen the light of day.

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Originally posted by Ted Dastick Jr.:

quote:

Originally posted by Logan:
I believe it's authentic as the seller supposedly worked at Topps as an Editor and Art Director.

This kind of bothers me. Lately he seems to have been selling off lots of high-end items. I guess if the company gives it to you as a bonus or whatever, then you're free to do with it as you wish. But when you see unreleased cards like this and multiples of the Planet of the Apes Estella Warren that have sold for $1,347 and $1,000....

Makes you wonder what else employees are holding on to.

I totally agree with you. If I was interested in bidding on one of his high end/unreleased cards I would have to do some serious thinking about how much I'd be willing to bid. You may think it's a one-of-a kind opportunity when in reality he may list 10 more of the same card in the following weeks. And every one listed may diminish the card's value (or at the very least it's rarity). That said I would love to see the 2005 Topps Batman Begins Christian Bale autograph card that was shown (unsigned) on the original sell sheet come up for bid one day. Maybe this seller has one, or twenty.

Can't seem to find the listing.

The story I head was he refused to sign the card after Topps were specifically told not to refer to him as SIR Ian McKellen. Don't know how true that is but I do have a sell sheet with the image on it!

quote:

Originally posted by gk1964:
Can't seem to find the listing.

The story I head was he refused to sign the card after Topps were specifically told not to refer to him as SIR Ian McKellen. Don't know how true that is but I do have a sell sheet with the image on it!

That's the story I remember hearing too. And the card was pulled from eBay a couple days ago as being no longer available for sale. Since the auction is now over I hope the mods won't mind be posting the link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sir-Ia...rksid=p2047675.l2557

Here is the answer from McKellen on his official website

AUTO CARD

From: Raymond van Driel

Q: On your website is a picture of signing the Gandalf the White two towers autograph card. This card is very nice but was never released by topps. Do you know the reason? There is speculation of a flaw in the card, but what is the flaw? What happened to the card? Do you have any left? I'm a big collector of LOTR cards and would love to have one.

His quote:

A: I did not sign the Topps cards for The Two Towers because I didn't like the use of my title which was printed on them. My professional name is simply "Ian McKellen". It was too late to re-print the cards. I'm sorry this disappointed Topps as well as many collectors. And I feel a little silly as the cards for the first film, which I did sign, had also carried "Sir".

A picture from his website signing the cards:



And the autograph signed in Blue taken from his website again. But on the previous image we see him sign them in Black like the one sold on eBay.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: archifou,

Judging by the first pic you posted archifou it appears he did sign more than one in black. I wonder where the others are. This is what I mean about not knowing what to pay for something like this. Is it one-of-a kind or will dozens of them turn up one day, having been stashed away or forgotten about by Topps or it's employees. It makes a big difference as far as price goes.

Looks like he must've signed some before looking at the back of the card. Then when he changed his mind he probably just returned them all to Topps.

My guess is there is a box full of these somewhere all signed in blue and black ink before he threw a hissy fit ( which he probably now regrets. )

The seller only have one in hand.



I am sure Topps office should have a few in the vault.

From the picture above, McKellen was starting to sign the cards so they should be a handful of cards signed.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: archifou,

Picked up an Estella Warren from him. Feedback shows 8 sold in the last year. Still happy to have it. Mike