New Chris Hardwick Series ‘Up For Auction’ Takes Fans Behind the Biggest Disney Parks Memorabilia Auction Ever
Last summer, Van Eaton Galleries auctioned off perhaps the biggest collection of Disney memorabilia ever as part of The Joel Magee Disneyland Collection.
Among the treasures that were auctioned off were a 1917 Model AT Ford Moving Van from Main Street, U.S.A., a set of Hitchiking Ghost audio-animatronics, and a pair of figures from The Great Movie Ride. Even a Dumbo ride vehicle went up for sale.
Photo: Van Eaton Galleries
Now, Disney fans can get a look behind the scenes at both the collection and the auction process with Chris Hardwick’s news streaming series Up For Auction.
Up For Auction
The eight-episode series gives viewers an inside look at the world of high-priced auctions as Mike and Janeen Van Eaton get ready to put the largest privately owned Disney Parks memorabilia collection on the market.
“He has like five times as many things as went up for auction,” Hardwick tells ABC Audio of Joel Magee‘s massive trove.
Photo: Van Eaton Galleries
“So they had to pick the best 1,499 pieces for this particular auction…it wasn’t even his whole collection — wasn’t even the majority of it!”
As a huge Disney fan himself, Hardwick was awed by the collection of treasures he found.
Photo: Van Eaton Galleries
“Just getting to see it like in a warehouse first, like, covered up. It was so, like, you know, Raiders of the Lost Ark … just like this archeological dig of, like, lifting up a tarp and, ‘Oh my God, here’s a Dumbo ride car! Here’s the control panel for the Haunted Mansion! Or here’s a Skyway car!’ … I rode that ride a ton, it doesn’t exist anymore,” he said.
A Disney Fan’s Dream
The best part for Hardwich, however, was seeing people’s “emotional reactions” to the exhibition. Regarding the new series, the former Talking Dead host says there is a little something for everyone.
Photo: Collider
“There’s a lot of history in there, there’s a lot of great stories, Hardwick explains. “And you also do get that, ‘Oh my God, that sold for how much?!’”
Up For Auction is streaming now on the CW website and CW app. The series will hit video-on-demand in May.
