Realm Collections Blog

With the massive popularity of Harry Potter it is not surprising lines of costumes were created based off the series. Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. It is a worldwide phenomenon with over 400 million copies sold and translated into 67 languages. The Harry Potter movies are alway box-office hits and the sixth movie, “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince”, is scheduled to be released in July 2009. Being as popular as it is, it’s no surprise Harry Potter character costumes are always big hit during Halloween and costume parties.

Check Out These Harry Potter Collectibles:

Harry Potter Collectibles come in all shapes and sizes and for a variety of uses. There are Harry Potter Home Decorations, Harry Potter Displays, and even Harry Potter Costumes.

Seeing Job McCully’s new room during “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” gave me a shiver of excitement. Being a big pirate fan, Job was surprised with a room that looks like the cabin of a pirate ship. Realm Collections was proud to be able to help with the creation of this special boys dream room. You may have seen some of the Pirate items we donated when the show aired on Sunday, October 26th.

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” could not have picked a more deserving family for their phenomenal deed and we at Realm Collections could not feel more blessed to be able to help. The McCully Family has experienced tragedies and hardships relating to their son, Job McCully, while still making time to give back to their community in Bigelow, AR. On July 16, 2002, Job was diagnosed with high risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of four. Now at the age of 10, Job McCully is an inspiration to his small town, surviving leukemia, a bone marrow and double lung transplant. After all the years spent in the hospital, he was finally released in March of this year. Only finding himself unable to return to his moldy and dilapidated home. Thats when Ty and the team at “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” worked their inspiring magic bringing the McCully family back to a place Job and his family can really call home.

Pirates might be popular villains in literature and movies, including famous characters like Captain Hook of “Peter Pan” and Jack Sparrow of “Pirates of the Caribbean,” but they are also very popular with kids, topping the list alongside robots, superheroes, wizards and dinosaurs for their cross-generational appeal. Hence, it is not so surprising that kids (and maybe even some adults) everywhere would want a pirate-themed bedroom.

Last Sunday, ten year old Job McCully got his pirate fantasy fulfilled on ABC’s top-rated TV series “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” as host Ty Pennington and his stalwart crew brought some maritime adventures to Job’s room. An inspiration to his small hometown, Job is surviving leukemia, a bone marrow and a double lung transplant. Following years in and out of hospitals, Job was finally allowed to go home in March 2008. To ensure his health, the McCully family could not return to their sinking, moldy and dilapidated home. Enter “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” provides home renovations to deserving families. The families often face a recent or ongoing hardship, from natural disasters to life-threatening illness. While the show’s producers and crew film the makeover, all materials and labor are donated. Of course, Realm Collections is proud for the opportunity to help, donating pirate-themed items to make Job’s room his dream room.

Here are some pirate-themed items from Realm Collections you might have seen as part of Job’s room:

Wooden Ship’s Wheel - Ship’s wheel, along with the anchor, is the symbol of ships and sea. It was introduced sometime in the beginning of the 18th century. Wooden Ship’s Wheel is a great decoration piece. The ship’s wheel is made of wood with sold brass nave.

Pirate Telescope - This telescope is designed after the ones used by pirates and contains a brass surface finish with a leather wrapped section that is used as a handle. Great accessory that can also be used for every day use as a personal and convenient telescope. Have fun looking for mermaids!

Brass Glass Sand Timer Hourglass - Hourglass sand timer is a glass vessel with two compartments joined by a hollow fine neck. Despite the electronic and mechanical watches and clocks available, the sand timers have a mystique that cannot be surpassed. The sand timers were used to measure the speed of the ships and today they are installed to keep the traditions live. The glass is hand blown by the craftsmen and each piece is unique. Our Sand Timer Hourglass is beautifully made from brass and can be used to keep time, as a pirate accessory, or simply as a decoration.

Dead Man’s Chest Limited Edition -  Sought after, fought over, the Dead Man’s Chest holds Davy Jones’ heart – and whoever has it controls Jones. Rugged and ancient looking, the chest opens – with or without Davy Jones’ Key. Will it give you power over Jones? Maybe not – but it’s a great way to stow the stuff on your desk. The limited-edition replica chest opens - with or without Davy Jones’ key - and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. As one of the most important film props, it’s a significant addition to any Pirates collection. No self-respecting pirate - or collector of pirate lore - should stow their heart - or treasures in anything else!

Jack Sparrow Button Ring Replica - Black stone set in gold-finish metal with an inlaid floral design of gold-finish metal and crystal glass. Romance is at hand! Play up your romantic side! The ladies love Captain Jack, and he loves them. When an encounter is especially romantic, Jack takes something to remember it by – like this opulent ring with it’s inlaid floral design.

Pirates Of The Caribbean Curse Coin - Exact Elizabeth Swann Necklace replica of the original coin featured in the Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Gold plated replica polished with an antique finish to further define the intricate details. Front of the coin features the traditional pirate symbol of a skull while the reverse shows a traditional Aztec symbol. The Elizabeth Swann Necklace replica makes a great collectible and costume accessory.

Pirate Coat - Pirate Coat is a stunning coat, featuring long period cut, large bell cuffs and richly antiqued buttons. Pirate Coat is one eye-catching piece of pirate garb that would make even Captain Jack take notice. Pirate Coat is made of heavy gray wool with black rayon lining. This buccaneer coat has an 11 inch slit from the hem line in the middle of the back. Also it features a horizontal 10 inch mini belt above the slit at waist height accented with 2 buttons.

Pirate Colonial Hat - Pirate Colonial Hat is a leatherette hat with an exception antique look. This hat is an exact replica of the hats worn by the ravage pirates and the peaceful settlers during the 18th century. Perfect head accessory for many costumes and also adds a pleasant look as a display.

Pirate Ship Banner - Pirate Banner is an original accent which would be a perfect part of themed room decor. It is made of durable cotton and has an original design.  This ship pirate banner has a distinct color pattern with a red background and a black bottom panel decorated with a skull and cutlass motif. This banner is the perfect finish to a pirate inspired setting. Pirate banner is also a perfect gift for those who dream of adventures and sailing the high seas.

Pirate Treasure Map - Pirate Treasure Map is a beautifully illustrated map that shows a pirate ships trail to find hidden treasure. It is a fun gift for kids that may spark their imagination and send them on a treasure hunt. X marks the spot!

Pirate Skull Sword Holder - Pirate Skull Sword Holder is amazingly detailed, right down to the red bandanna wrapped around this Jolly Roger’s skull. Made of high quality resin and painted in rich shades to enhance the aged look, this pirate cutlass holder is a grinning skull with glowering brows that will show off your favorite cutlass or sword to full advantage. Pirate Skull Sword Holder is designed to hold any standard size sword or cutlass. The patina of the skull is expertly applied to give it that old-world, aged appearance. You’d think it had been found in some dank cave in a pirate’s cove! This Pirate Skull Sword Holder includes wall-mounting brackets.

Brass Pirate Compass - Brass Pirate Compass features a style that helped small yachts and life boats find their way home. Binnacle is a case on the deck of a ship, generally in front of the helmsman, in which is kept a compass, and a light by which the compass is read at night. In the 1880s a compass and binnacle were patented by Lord Kelvin that greatly advanced marine compasses. This stunning Brass Pirate Compass will make a great gift for the pirate collector or antique collector.

So why the appeal of these thieves of the seas?

Author J. Patrick Lewis, who wrote “Blackbeard the Pirate King,” summarizes the overall longevity of the appeal of pirates. “Pirates appeal, I think, because of their clandestine nature. Kids (and adults) are hooked on the buried treasure, the eye patch, the battle at sea. Piracy stretches to the breaking point our collective imagination of a world so totally at odds with the one we know.

You can find more pirate collectibles and Pirates of the Caribbean memorabilia at realmcollections.com. You can watch this full episode featuring the McCully family and Job’s pirate room at the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” site.

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is an American cult television series that has garnered an Emmy award as well as a Golden Globe nomination within its airing period from March 10, 1997 until May 20, 2003. The series is about Buffy Summers, a young woman chosen to be a slayer of vampires and demons. Buffy is played by actress Sarah Michelle Gellar in the series but the first Buffy who ever appeared on screen was portrayed by Kristy Swanson in the 1992 film version of the same title. Both the movie and TV series versions were written by Joss Whedon but he considers the TV series closer to his ideas on Buffy being the vampire slayer.

The “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” movie was shown in 1992 and was categorized as an action-comedy-horror film about a popular cheerleader chosen to have the strength and skills to fight vampires. Swanson as Buffy embodies the typical blonde and popular cheerleader whom you would not expect to be fighting off demons. The television spin-off character, as played by Gellar, is somewhat different because she is not exactly blonde and is not popular in her school because of the rumors about what happened in her previous school. Gellar as Buffy seemed to appear to have more strength and moves than Swanson’s Buffy. This might also be one of the reasons why the TV series became more popular and successful than the movie.

Another reason why the movie was a bomb is because even though Whedon wrote a horror film about an empowered woman, producers opted to create a commercial broad comedy as dictated by the 90s eras movie trend. However, several years after, Gail Berman, one of the executives of Sandollar Productions asked Whedon if he wanted to turn Buffy into a TV series. This marked the beginning of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” TV series and Whedon’s role as the show’s executive producer and show runner under the Warner Bros. Network. The first episode was aired on March 10, 1997.

Buffy Summers became a TV cult icon since the popularity of the show set off. The duration of the show brought about different memorable characters such as Angel, Buffy’s love interest, whose story after breaking up with Buffy became a spin-off of the television show.

The show’s popularity also gave Buffy the movie the chance to redeem itself by rating high in video rentals and sales. Many Buffy followers felt the need to watch the movie to understand what happened before she moved to Sunnydale.

After several plots and adventures, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” the TV series went off the air in 2003 after seven seasons and continued instead with a spin-off comic book series for its eighth season.

For movie replicas from “Buffy” and other favorite films, drop by the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” section at realmcollections.com.

Collecting movie replicas have quickly turned into a fashion trend. A movie becomes famous when fans buy its DVDs or go to the theater to see it but some do much more than that and buy products which makes them remember the best features of the movie. Sometimes buying replicas, action figures, weapons and accessories becomes a hobby: http://findmyhobby.com/collecting/movie-memorabiliaSometimes people spend thousands of dollars just to own and capture the special and famous moments or characters of the movie. Some people buy a whole collection of movie replicas and throw them away because another movie interested them and it becomes a history. Others, however, come to a conclusion that collecting movie memorabilia is very valuable things so they keep the records and gifts for years to show how much it meant to them: http://www.horror-wood.com/colprop.htmStores only get the movie maniac’s business for a while and turn back to their “own selves” afterwards. The movie replicas mania can be a temporary thing but I believe it is a big waste of money where the collectioners just want to feel unique and better than their friends: http://www.realmcollections.com/c129/movie-replicas.html. Companies certainly benefit from the movie maniacs but not their customers.

So many issues arose just from the One Ring in “Lord of the Rings” that the adventure quickly made itself known and people discovered their new hero. Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Aragon, Boromir Pippin and Samwise all help the action-seeking Frodo to destroy The Ring. While adventures arise, their troubles and actions lead to new problems and action-filled resolutions. Many replicas from Lord of the Rings are spread throughout many stores and website seeking the needs of the customers to buy their products since each is so unique and relevant to the story. Many famous rings and swords featured in the actual movie are compiled together to get the views of the people and make their heroes well-known:  http://www.realmcollections.com/c143/lord-of-the-rings.html.

While one becomes more and more attached to the the replicas and the favorite characters in the movie, http://www.warofthering.net/quintessential/movielinks/index_fan.htm offers a lot of discussions, pictures and videos especially designed for people seeking adventure and more information on this Academy Award winner movie.The names for the unique swords and the characters in Lord of the Rings are every unique and appealing to the times where the weapons of the Middle-earth are not just the tools but also a form of the entire back stories and histories. Much is decided to by the force of arms and the character of those that choose to use them. A sword was only a one with bones of the earth as the potential but its maker decided to use the material from the mountains of the Middle-earth. The origin of all metal weaponry and armor came from the iron-rich rock that the sword was officially made from. Just as “Lord of the Rings” was a truly amazing movie, its movie replicas are also aspiring especially when their origins reach as far as the Middle-earth times. http://www.lordoftherings.net