A BUSINESS selling original, screen-used props has diversified.

When the Covid pandemic put paid to filming, the Movie Prop Warehouse, in Low Prudhoe, was forced to come up with new ways to continue trading.

The business, set up in 2009 by John Page, is now selling autographs, alongside its range of costumes and movie memorabilia. It has also made its website mobile-friendly.

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Over the years, John has brought a number of famous faces to the town, including Game of Thrones’ Ian Whyte, who has played roles including White Walkers and Wun Wun, and has also starred in Alien Vs Predator and Star Wars films.

Trevor Butterfield, of Star Wars, also came to Prudhoe for a celebrity event hosted by the business. Butterfield has gone on to be a senior effects technician for some of the biggest movies ever made, including the Harry Potter films.

“We have built up an incredible list of celebrities we sell for, from Bond Girls to Star Wars actors”, said John.

“I've built up a rapport with many of them and it's not uncommon to grab a coffee with them when our paths cross. The stories they've got about being on set are just unbelievable. It's fascinating.

“Last year was a record year for us, it’s been a total rollercoaster of fantastic-ness. It (the website and autographs) transformed the business to an unbelievable level, we are so busy.

“Movie props are niche, but autographs, for a very low amount of money, you can get something that's very recognisable and a real talking point.

“There have also been so many high-profile auctions that every year, it's getting more and more mainstream and prices are going up exponentially. Things I sold a few years ago for £20-30 quid are now hundreds.”

It comes as the original Mr Blobby suit made for the BBC in the mid-1990s sold at auction on eBay for more than £60,000.

The Movie Prop Warehouse, which played host to a film premiere for award-winning Prudhoe filmmaker Steven J.R Lawson when he released Diseased Freaks, has recently acquired stock from an old Danny Dyer film.