Our guest collector is Alan Stephenson. Alan was born in the San Francisco Area, and graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Industrial Design in 1983. He promptly entered telecommunications, where he stayed for some fifteen years. As a result of both the dotcom bust and a serious heart condition, he relocated to the CA Central Coast in 2004 where he's been engaged primarily in charity work.
Alan shares his experiences with Spy Vibe as a serious collector of James Bond toys with some rare and exclusive images. By age seven, Alan began acquiring "spy stuff." Though Bond represented the bulk of it, over time he also amassed a large collection of other entertainment memorabilia: The Phantom of the Opera, King Kong, The Rocketeer, and much more. In recent years he's pared-down those other interests to focus more exclusively on 007. He has been fortunate to visit a great many places where the Bond films were not only shot -- including Pinewood Studios -- but written (Goldeneye) as well as attend several premieres both domestic ('A View to a Kill,' 'GoldenEye') and overseas ('Die Another Day,' 'Quantum of Solace'). He has also coordinated a number of personal exhibitions and lectures in addition to co-hosting a series of small-scale conventions. His hope is that all of this will one day culminate in a book on Bond memorabilia.
Q: When were you first
introduced to the James Bond character?
A: One reason I think I
collect Bond is that I was first introduced to the products rather than the
character himself; my late brother built the Airfix/Craftmaster Aston Martin
and, naturally, as the younger sibling, I wasn't supposed to even look at it let
alone play with it so, of course, it became this coveted thing.
The first embodiment of
Bond I encountered was when the '67 'Casino Royale' played on TV; that actually
permanently warped my view of 007 … Hell, it pretty much permanently warped my
entire world view.
Q: Do you remember what
it was about that Bond experience that captured your imagination?
A: What with 5-6,000
items, my collection certainly takes fandom to another level; still, I don't
think what draws me to the films and so on is any different from what draws the
average fan: the lavish look, the production design (Adam's in particular), the
story lines (despite an occasional misfire), the humor, the stunts, the
travelogue, etc.
Although the Bonds of the
past couple of decades have become more realistic (something I find
lamentable), I'd say up until the '80s that the series had a certain kitsch
factor which is also reflected in the products: the paint-by-numbers kits, the
magic trick set, the logo (however subtlety … or not) applied to everything and
anything … the market was filled with this stuff yet, at its core, it's
simultaneously the antithesis of the glossy, sophisticated 007 who supposedly
inspired it … that contradiction (and all the objects it generated) --
including what remains in my mind the biggest question of all: how did Bond --
who was pretty "adult" in nature from the start -- become such an
major influence on the children's market? -- I find endlessly fascinating.
Q: What was the first 007
film you saw in a theater?
A: I remember seeing
double-bills of the earlier titles when UA re-issued them in the '70s plus
going to Saturday marathons of three or maybe even four at once, but I can't
tell you which I actually saw first. I do know that 'Diamonds Are Forever' was
the first I saw in its initial release.
Q: Do you remember the
first Bond toy you bought?
A: Absolutely: The
Corgi-made Toyota 2000 from 'You Only Live Twice.' Oddly, I hadn't seen the
film and was actually too small to even get a clear look at the sales sample on
the Corgi counter display; I was hooked by the spring-loaded trunk and the idea
that something shot out of it! I used to get 25¢ a week allowance for pulling weeds
in the yard or whatever and I remember having to get an advance of $3.25 for
the Toyota; still have it, in the original box!
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Q: When did you start
collecting Bond toys more seriously?
A: I started to realize
in high school that this wasn't just random spy stuff anymore; I really
identified it as "collecting" and got much more focused in college.
Q: Did you score any rare
holy grail items early on?
A: Yes and, sadly,
probably a bit *too* early: I got the "Shooting Attache Case" mint in
box at a flea market for -- get this -- $3! (The owner had stepped away so we
dealt with his mother; we came back to pick it up later because we didn't want
to carry it around all morning and he was angry because he had wanted
$11!) At any rate, I took it home and played with it and cut-up
the box. I don't want to tell you what it cost me to replace the whole thing a
couple of decades later.
Q: What were the things
that first attracted you to vintage collectibles? Was it graphics, like package
designs and typeface, or a nostalgia for toys?
A: Keep in mind that alot
of what you call "vintage" was "new" when I started! As a
kid, I was especially interested in the duality of many of the toys (though
that was really a more pronounced quality in the Bond wannabes): the camera
that became a gun [Mattel's Agent Zero M], that sort of thing; some of the designs were -- and still
are -- amazingly complex. As an adult, an appreciation of the graphics --
illustration in particular -- came into play. Today, new pieces mostly satisfy
the compleatist in me while nostalgia definitely figures in securing older
items.
Interesting that you
mention "typeface" because wording itself is a factor for me: I love
that A.C. Gilbert described Largo as a "cruel one-eyed villain" or
that -- and this is my all-time favorite -- Coibel made a sort of unintended
editorial remark with a typo on one of their products, describing it as
"exploiting" instead of "exploding."
Q: Did you ever
specialize, or was anything 007-related fair game?
A: Earlier on, if it had
the 007 logo, I'd buy it. Looking back now I really wish I'd specialized with,
say, just die-cast cars or just action figures. But then again, when I started,
there wasn't that much stuff available … or at least in my little corner of the
pre-Internet globe, it didn't seem like there was that much. And certainly
nothing on the level we have today where so much of it is made expressly as a
collectible. Could be worse, though: at least Bond still seems finite some how;
if I was hooked on Star Wars or Star Trek I'd be doomed. Regardless, I'm much
more selective about Bond now, I wish I didn't have to be, but I am.
Q: Are you a completest?
Do you try to get full-runs of things like action figures and movie tie-in
products?
A: Yes, unfortunately for
me, if it's a series, then I've got to have it all. That would be the intent,
anyway; I'll admit I have several lines which are incomplete, either because to
own the entire line represents a fair amount of repetition, or I sold a piece
(for the same reason), or I just haven't gotten around to it. For instance, I
only recently took notice that I was missing one set out of the A.C. Gilbert
3.75" figure line and made a point of picking it up earlier this year. In
that same vein, though I have the S.D. Studios Golden Gun, I'm watching for an
affordable Factory Entertainment edition.
Q: Where do you hunt for
collectibles? Do you make the rounds of the Internet and various auctions?
A: I used to attend maybe
10-12 toy shows a year and while they seem to be making something of a
comeback, they've been effectively displaced by online sales.
There are several auction
houses where I bid virtually or in-person but, anymore, I mostly look on eBay
just like everybody else (though I've learned a few tricks over time that help
me find listings others miss). Also, while I don't necessarily find rare
pieces, I have found some great deals on Craig's List. The Net can't be beat
for access but it's also almost certainly translated to a decline in value of
some items acquired in the brick and mortar days.
Q: I once owned a large
collection of Gilbert figures and accessories still on their cards. Looking
back, I wonder if they were genuine. Have you run across counterfeit
collectibles?
A: I've got to assume
there are fakes out there, certainly in the segments where -- regrettably --
it's something of a given, like autographs. I'd say I'm lucky in that about the
time collecting 007 kind of exploded, I had matured enough to be wary of
anything that seemed too good of a deal to be true though I'll confess my
biggest failing is buying without reading the entire description first.
Maybe I'm naive but 007
is such a niche market that I have a hard time believing anyone is devoting a
great deal of time and expense to recasting toys or whatever; again, this isn't
a brand like Star Wars where there are fortunes to be made. It's rare that I
happen on what I perceive to be an active attempt at deception; most often it's
just a seller who hasn't done their homework. Sadly, that experience isn't
limited to expected venues like eBay; I can think of at least one major auction
house which doesn't do the research it so easily could.
Q: We were emailing about
amusing ad campaigns and I think of that famous cologne ad with the gorgeous
vixen saying, "If you don't give him 007... I will." What are some of
your favorite examples?
A: My favorite example of
'Mad Men' era excess is from that same P&G product line: "'007' gives
you the license to kill … women!" Seriously?! Even in '65 who would
approve that?! That's my favorite specific tagline.
But if you look at the
campaigns for "bachelor accouterments" (what we now term
"lifestyle") -- the clothes, the liquor, etc. -- there was a
pervasive message of "buy this and you WILL BE James Bond." It
speaks, I suppose, to a certain consumer innocence. It's interesting, though,
that you move forward, say, a decade to, again, something like Star Wars and
you don't have "buy this lightsaber and you WILL BE Luke Skywalker!"
I think audiences have become both more sophisticated as well as more jaded; you
just can't use that kind of pitch anymore.
Q: You have your
collection displayed in absolutely beautiful cases. The racing set looks
especially cool. Did you have most of those displays built? And is everything
together in a 'Bond Room'?
A: The road race table I
designed and built myself; with the wood and exposed metal, I was shooting for
something that Adam would have done. The phone booth is -- or was --
commercially available. The rest is, for the most part, IKEA, although a good
deal modified for my purposes; for example, the main cabinets are actually
re-worked stand-alone closets.
Q: Collectors often have
to sell things to either trade up or to pay bills. Have you parted with any
treasures that you now regret losing?
A: I sold a Corgi set that
I wish I hadn't but it goes back to that "repetition" factor: I had
all the vehicles individually and in other sets. On the other hand, the buyer
turned-out to be George Steinbrenner so at least it left me with a cool story.
Also, during a period of unemployment, someone made an offer on my S.D. Studios
attache case that I couldn't -- at the time -- refuse; that's the one I regret
the most but, I needed the money.
Q: What is the most
you've ever invested in a collectible?
A: I will say only that
there is nothing in the collection for which I paid more than $3,500 (exclusive
of shipping, duty, etc.).
Q: Having said that, do
you have an item in your collection that you prize above all others?
A: That's such a tough call;
there are pieces which appeal to me for aesthetic reasons like the Mayfair
chess set or because they're intriguing in ways that have little to do with
Bond like the IDA sphere from 'The World is Not Enough.' That said, I
definitely value the SDS Golden Gun, the Liparus/Broccoli Soundstage model, the
SPECTRE volcano playset, the Connery handpuppet mold, the Moonraker jumpsuit …
like I said, it's a tough call.
Q: What are you looking
for now?
A: The same things everyone else can't find: the
Sears exclusive and Cecil Coleman 12" figures and accessories, the French
Moonraker child's playsuit, pretty much any vintage Japanese stuff. I did just
find a Sensitizer Mitt like the one used in 'Thunderball;' that eluded me for
decades.
One item that's proven oddly tough is the 'Die
Another Day' issue of British Airways in-flight magazine: the cover is
identical to the one seen in the film. There are a few pieces of '60s branded
clothing -- such as dress pants -- I haven't been able to locate. There's a
Belgian 'Spy Who Loved Me' jigsaw puzzle I should have bought the first time I
saw it. The thing I most want, though, is only quasi-Bond related: Irwin
Plastics made a HUGE "secret agent" Aston Martin around '65 that's
quite rare.
Q: Having seen all of the
cool James Bond products over the years, what would you like to see designers
create that hasn't been available before?
A: It would be
impractical in terms of size and sales, but I know I'm not alone in wishing
someone would make a 1/6 scale Aston Martin DB5. I'm also a little surprised
that certain things strongly associated with the series were never officially
offered as toys, like the Golden Gun or Scaramanga's flying car [commissioned piece below]. Along those
same lines, it's funny that several companies have made "spy gear"
over the years but none really made an attempt to brand it 007 or particularly
replicate gadgets from the films.
Q: What were your impressions of Goldeneye? What was it like being in Ian Fleming's creative space?
A: Goldeneye was … okay. I should provide some
background: Ocho Rios, Jamaica, was a port on a Royal Caribbean cruise that I
booked as part of a Bond group. There was alot to see so, of course, it was the
one time we docked like four hours late. Immediately we're cutting stops and
rushing the ones we do make, though in part to guarantee time at Goldeneye.
Once you get away from the secure beachfront properties, the disparity between
the "haves" and the "have nots" in Jamaica is shocking. And
Goldeneye having become an ultra-exclusive hotel underscores that all the more.
We weren't allowed to take pictures as we might capture an unauthorized image
of some celebrity guest (one of whom I recall being Michelle Pfeiffer). The
house itself is now a sort of communal living room while the grounds are
covered in bungalows, of which they were constructing still more at the time.
Fleming's bedroom -- which still contained his writing desk and wheelback chair
-- was about the only thing left undeveloped. Fleming designed the residence
himself and while it's a prime location, he set all the windows so high that,
from inside, you really can't see anything. No wonder neighbor Noel Coward
dubbed it "Goldeneye … ear, nose, and throat." [image below from the Ian Fleming website]
I appreciate that Goldeneye can't be a museum: it's too remote; still, I hate to see it so commercialized. In fact, it was Coward's home, Firefly* -- just down the hill -- of which I have stronger and more positive memories. It was pretty much untouched and gave you a much greater sense of what it must have been like to live and work in what then would have been paradise.
*Coward had a large home, Blue Harbour, closer to
town but found himself overrun by so many frequent and sometimes long-term
house guests so he built himself the secluded Firefly, which is really not much
more than a bedroom with a kitchen.
Q: Tell us about the golden typewriter in your collection.
A: In 1952, having completed the manuscript for the first James Bond novel -- 'Casino Royale' -- Ian Fleming bought himself a "simple" wedding present: A Quiet de Luxe portable typewriter ... plated in real gold.* Ordering the unit directly from Royal Typewriter of New York for $174, Fleming was forced to rely on friend Ivar Bryce to transport it to the UK aboard the steamship Queen Elizabeth.
Q: Tell us about the golden typewriter in your collection.
A: In 1952, having completed the manuscript for the first James Bond novel -- 'Casino Royale' -- Ian Fleming bought himself a "simple" wedding present: A Quiet de Luxe portable typewriter ... plated in real gold.* Ordering the unit directly from Royal Typewriter of New York for $174, Fleming was forced to rely on friend Ivar Bryce to transport it to the UK aboard the steamship Queen Elizabeth.
Owing to his later being popularly called the
"Man With the Golden Pen," Fleming's friends regarded the typewriter
as the ultimate in verisimilitude.
Though Fleming thought the whole thing a marvelous
joke—even vowing to have paper specially made to suit—and posed on occasion
with the typewriter, it's not known to what extent he actually used the Royal.
Auctioned by Christie's of London on 5 May 1995 for over $89,000, the well-worn
device is rumored to have been purchased by the then freshly-cast Pierce
Brosnan. [Brosnan has denied in interviews that he purchased the typewriter]
Fleming eventually composed twelve full-length
Bond adventures plus an assortment of other novels, short stories, travelogues,
and more. His work has been translated into at least a dozen languages and
appears in libraries throughout the world.
*It sounds more auspicious than it really was;
beginning in 1948—the fiftieth anniversary of the company—Royal offered each
succeeding version of the Quiet de Luxe in gold as an award to top salesmen, a
departing gift to retiring employees, or as a special memento for customers
like Fleming.
Just to demonstrate how deeply Alan's love of collecting Bond toys is, check out this image below. A serious fan by High School, Alan actually built this scale model of Ken Adam's volcano set as a teenager!
