The Yahoo It's a Wrap! Auction (I)

Greeting collectors!

Today I'd like to talk about the Xena It's a Wrap Auction, the second biggest official Xena auction to take place up to today.

The It's a Wrap! Auction was a pretty huge internet-based public sale focused on Xena props, costumes and memorabilia, held in 2001 via Yahoo Auctions - the biggest open-to-all-fans Xena auction since the Turners Auction.

Like many other Xena sales and auctions, the IAW! Auction was a charity - all of the proceeds from the auction went to the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline, chosen by Lucy Lawless.

Here is the official press release and image on the long-gone Studios USA Xena web site, courtesy of Xenaville.com.

Image courtesy of Xenaville.com

(West Hollywood, CA., May 30, 2001) Fans of the syndicated hit Xena: Warrior Princess can commemorate the finale of the six-season-old series by participating in an official charity auction of approximately 250 props and costumes beginning Friday, June 1.

Hosted by Yahoo!® Auctions (http://auctions.yahoo.com/xena), one of the largest globally branded online auction services, and coordinated by It's A Wrap! Production Wardrobe Sales, the action-fantasy series will offer costumes, breastplates, scrolls, spears, satchels, bows and arrows, as well as a wide array of other items, used by Lucy Lawless, co-star Renee O'Connor and the rest of the cast. The auction will conclude on June 14, the week part one of the much-anticipated two-part finale will air in national syndication (see local listings).

All of Studios USA proceeds will be donated to series star Lucy Lawless' charity of choice: the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD"), which offers crisis intervention, information, literature and referrals 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its state-of-the-art technology provides interpreters in 140 languages, as well as accessibility to the hearing impaired at 1-800-2-A-CHILD.

The hotline, established in 1982, receives calls from throughout the U.S., Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico. It is staffed with professional counselors who utilize a database of more than 55,000 emergency, social service and support resources.

Seen in more than 115 countries, Xena: Warrior Princess debuted in national syndication in September 1995. Xena chronicles the life-and-death-and-afterlife adventures of the fierce and fearless warrior princess, played by Lawless, and her warrior bard sidekick Gabrielle (O'Connor). In their travels through ancient imaginary lands, the two fight to protect the powerless even as they struggle with their own inner demons. The stories of their adventures blend drama with humor and feature spectacular action, cutting-edge special effects and a knowing modern-day sensibility.

A Renaissance Pictures production (Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, Timecop, Hard Target, Army of Darkness, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Back 2 Back Action and the upcoming feature film, The Gift), Xena: Warrior Princess is executive produced by Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi and R.J. Stewart and is distributed domestically by Studios USA Domestic Television. The series airs on more than 200 stations reaching 99% of the U.S.

Founded in 1959 by Sara O'Meara and Yvonne Fedderson, Childhelp USA is one of the largest and oldest national nonprofit organizations dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. For additional information, contact Childhelp USA's national headquarters at (480) 922-8212 or visit its Web site at www.childhelpusa.org.

>> NOTE: For extra info on some of the item's prices I recommend you to visit this site: http://www.movieprop.com/xenaprops1.htm - Here you'll be able to access the sale prices of many of the prop swords found in the auction.

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All this information is great, but the real reason behind this entry is one of my most recent discoveries: surfing the Internet on the search of Xena info I accidentally stumbled with a hidden treasure: the Italian Xena website http://www.prometheus110.altervista.org.htm.

What makes it SO great for me is their section called "Il Museo", the Museum. There the site's owners have preserved most of the original images that once adorned the It's a Wrap! Auction. Priceless!

I proceed to share them all here for you. Rejoice!

>> XENA'S COSTUMES and ACCESSORIES:

They are all amazing, but of course I personally LOVE the armors and chakrams the most!

Xena's Warlord dragon costume & armor.

Xena's Warlord dragon costume accessories.

Xena's trademark costume leathers S1-S4.

Xena's trademark costume breastplate and pauldrons.

Xena's trademark costume backplate and pauldrons.

Xena's trademark costume accessories.

Xena's broken chakram from S4 "Ides of March".

Foam split half of Xena's Yin Yang chakram.

Xena's/Lucy's costumes in "Dreamworker", "The Xena Scrolls" (as Melinda Pappas),
"Warrior...Priestess...Tramp" (as Leah), and "When in Rome..."

Xena's/Lucy's costumes in "If the Shoe Fits" and "Between the Lines"
(as herself, and as Arminestra Mother of Peace).

Xena's/Lucy's costume in "The Way" (as Kali).

Xena's/Lucy's costumes in "Ides of March" and "Fallen Angel"
(as a deceased soul, as an Archangel, and as a Demon).

Xena's Pregnancy costume & armor.

Xena's/Lucy's costumes in "Heart of Darkness", "Who's Gurkhan?",
"Legacy", and "Old Ares had a Farm".

Xena's/Lucy's jewelry in "Who's Gurkhan?"

Xena's/Lucy's costumes in "Return of the Valkyrie", "The God You Know"
(as the goddess Sabba), and "Many Happy Returns".

Xena's/Lucy's helmet in "The God You Know" (as the goddess Sabba).

Xena's/Lucy's wedding dress and accessories in "Soul Possession".

Xena's/Lucy's costumes in "A Friend in Nedd (I and II)".

>> GABRIELLE'S COSTUMES and ACCESSORIES:

In this case I love all the iconic ones - can't choose! The S4 yellow sari and the S5 leather costume are absolute masterpieces for me!

Gabrielle's trademark S2 BGSB and skirt.

Gabrielle's Amazon Queen costume in "The Quest".  

Gabrielle's/Renée's costumes in "Dreamworker", "A Solstice Carol" (as queen Analia),
"The Xena Scrolls" (as Janis Covington), and "Ulysses".

Gabrielle's/Renée's costume in "The Bitter Suite".

Gabrielle's/Renée's costumes in "Locked Up and Tied Down"
(as the Healer) and "If the Shoe Fits" (as Tyrella). 

Gabrielle's/Renée's hat in "Locked Up and Tied Down"
(as the Healer). 

Gabrielle's trademark S4 yellow sari.

Gabrielle's/Renée's costumes in "Devi", "Paradise Found", and "Ides of March".

Gabrielle's/Renée's costume in
"Fallen Angel" (as an Archangel).

Gabrielle's trademark S5 leather costume.

One of Gabrielle's sais (resin).

Gabrielle's S5 cowhide coat.

Gabrielle's/Renée's costumes in "Them Bones, Them Bones", "Little Problems"
(as Brunhilda the Siamese twin), "Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire", and "Punch Lines".

Gabrielle's/Renée's costumes in "Purity", "Married with Fishsticks"
(as Crustacea), and "Antony and Cleopatra".

Gabrielle's trademark S6 velvet costume.

Gabrielle's/Renée's costumes in "The Haunting of Amphipolis" (ripped version),
"Who's Gurkhan?", "Legacy", and "When Fates Collide".

Gabrielle's japanese gear in "A Friend in Need (I and II)".

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There is an insanely huge amount of images, so this is all for now. I'll continue posting images (and their respective brief descriptions) soon enough.

Stay tuned!

READ NEXT PART: The Yahoo It's a Wrap! Auction (II)