Several puppets that appeared in Jim Henson’s iconic TV series “Fraggle Rock” sold for over $50,000 at auction on Tuesday.
The relics from the legendary puppeteer’s show — which ran from 1983 through 1987 — included full-body versions of Uncle “Traveling” Matt (which sold for $64,000), Gillis Fraggle ($64,000) and Aunt Granny ($51,200) puppets as well as a smaller Doozer puppet ($57,600).
Over 400 pieces, including more than 80 handmade puppets, were pulled from The Jim Henson Company’s archives ahead of the auction, according to Julien’s Auctions website.
Other one-of-a-kind items that sold to collectors and fans included a prop map from the 1996 film “Muppet Treasure Island” (sold for $38,400), “Glig” puppets from one of Henson’s early “Saturday Night Live” work ($25,600) and a pair of Miss Piggy’s shoes from the 1981 film “The Great Muppet Caper” ($22,400).
Roy Parker-Saladino, a pop culture specialist with Julien’s Auctions, told CBS News that the auction was “very historic” as The Jim Henson Company — which the puppeteer founded with his wife, Jane Henson, back in 1958 — had never sold anything in its 70-year history. (Jim Henson died in 1990.)
“What makes these pieces so special is that Jim Henson had to imagine them and then they had to give them to people who had to make them by hand,” Parker-Saladino said.
CBS News’ Carter Evans noted that the items are “just a fraction” of the tens of thousands of items in the Henson archives.
Lisa Henson, who serves as president and CEO of her late father’s company, told The New York Times last week that the auction left some fans concerned and questioning whether the items should be in a museum.
“Our 70th anniversary was really the kicking-off point of the auction. We’ve been trying to find touch points where fans could connect with the company,” said Henson, who pointed to the company’s museum partnerships.