Movie Fans Buy Memories at New Universal Shop : Memorabilia: La Galerie caters to a growing number of collectors of items from the big screen and TV.

Stephen Howard and his wife, Tina, were typical tourists. Like thousands of others, they experienced the parting of the Red Sea and the wrath of King Kong at Universal Studios Tour. But unlike most, when the Howards left the tram ride, they took home a piece of television magic: the original genie bottle used in NBC’s 1965-70 series “I Dream of Jeannie.”

“When we walked into the store, what really impressed us were the unique items featured” at La Galerie Hollywood, said Stephen Howard, a 30ish lawyer from Texas.

La Galerie is Universal’s latest addition to the “Streets of the World” section of the tour, with restaurants and less expensive gift shops. It is also the studio’s first attempt to capitalize on cinema history, merchandising classic movie memorabilia ranging from postcards, original cigarette and lobby cards, to authentic cartoon cels with autographed signatures and costumes worn in classic films.

Last year the Howards purchased their first movie collectible--an autograph of Vivien Leigh on her personal stationery. “My wife is a real ‘Gone With The Wind’ fan. And we’re drawn to anything that’s a one-of-a-kind,” Howard said.

When the couple noticed the four-colored genie bottle at La Galerie, they discussed purchasing it, but eventually decided the $3,495 price was too steep.

“But there was a uniqueness to the piece,” said Howard. “It was actually used on the show, and the location of the others is presently unknown.” Several weeks later, Howard couldn’t resist. He called Jim Cerone, the store’s retail buyer, from Texas and became the genie bottle’s new master.

“A growing number of young people are discovering the great old movies because of the American Movie Classics cable channel,” said Patsy Irvine, a collectibles specialist for Butterfield & Butterfield, a San Francisco-based auction house dealing in movie memorabilia through its Los Angeles office. “We see more and more people wanting movie magazines, autographed photographs, even the clothing used in filming. And the more bizarre something is, the more it’s sought after.”

The concept for La Galerie developed more than a year ago. Silver Screen, a small gift shop on the studio tour, carried a few celebrity autographs, said Eileen Strotz, director of merchandising for La Galerie. “But they started selling very well, so we knew there was a strong enough interest in this sort of memorabilia.” La Galerie opened in June, with Silver Screen continuing to stock less expensive items, Strotz said.

Strotz and Cerone spent months attending auctions and sorting through memorabilia stored in property warehouses on the Universal lot. It took nearly 12 months to gather and restore items for the opening.

“We worked with experts at Camden Auction House, a Los Angeles company specializing in movie collectibles,” said Cerone. “In pricing items, it all depends whether or not the celebrity is living or dead, whether the item carries an authentic autograph, and just how rare the item is. Elvis Presley, for example, signed his name on very few things throughout his lifetime, so anything with his signature is rare.”

La Galerie does display a framed 20th Century Fox contract signed by The King and his manager, Col. Tom Parker, Cerone said. The document is dated Dec. 22, 1958, and sells for $4,300.

Other pricey items include: the autographs of all four Beatles on one card, framed with their photograph, selling for $4,300; a promotional scarf given away during the premiere of “The Wizard of Oz” for $5,000; and a 1938 edition of the novel “Gone With The Wind,” autographed by 23 cast and crew members, for $30,000.

“People who visit La Galerie seem to be fascinated by anything autographed. I guess that’s because it’s about as close as you can get to these legends,” Cerone said about the 1,200-square-foot area fashioned like a fine-art museum. Since items are constantly being bought and sold, patrons frequently see new displays. About 5% of the shop changes monthly, he said.

“We’ve made it just as entertaining to come into the shop and just look,” Strotz said. “We showcase quite a few fun items from our own studio collections that are not for sale.”

Items marked “For Your Enjoyment Only” include: the colored mat used as the background set for Munchkinland in “The Wizard of Oz”; the silver goblet from Kirk Douglas’ “Spartacus”; and a hat worn by W.C. Fields. About 20% of La Galerie’s memorabilia is not for sale.

“I’m still sorting through the items stored in Universal’s warehouse,” said Strotz. “Cowboy star Tom Mix’s saddle is sitting in a huge crate there. So much of the material was stored in poor shape for so many years that we’ve had to do a lot of restoration. The miniature battering ram from “Masada” that’s displayed in the shop window had to be literally pieced back together.”

Another popular section at La Galerie displays cels from animated movies and television cartoons such as “The Jetsons,” “The Flintstones” and “Roger Rabbit.” Some of the cels cost as much as $6,000, said Strotz, who noted that Galerie carries a “Roger Rabbit” cel, autographed by Charles Fleischer, the voice of Roger Rabbit. It costs $4,995.

Purchasing movie memorabilia can be exasperating, Cerone said. He recalled when he attended a Camden House auction to purchase a script titled “A Boy’s Life,” which would later become the basis for Universal’s movie “E.T.” The auction catalogue estimated its value at $400. But Cerone found himself in a bidding war with a private collector. The final price was $8,500.

“We really wanted to have that script. ‘E.T.’ is a Universal film,” said Cerone. “But it just goes to show you how bidding can really escalate the price you pay for something.”

“Movie memorabilia is very different from any other art form. There’s an emotional value attached to it,” said Joshua Arfer, director of animation and collectibles for Christie’s, a New York City-based auction house. “When people see a particular scene from a movie or a character or costume that made them laugh or cry, there are a lot of ‘oohs and ahs’ when they get the chance to buy that item. And the majority of collectors make purchases for purely personal enjoyment. There are very few dealers in movie memorabilia, even in Los Angeles.”

“We’re starting to get specific requests from guests,” said Cerone, noting that one Galerie visitor requested an authentic Sammy Davis autograph mounted with Davis’ photo. But since Galerie is new, most customers are tourists.

However, the distinction between the serious collector and the tourist is a fine one. “There will always be people who will immortalize and idolize Elvis, Marilyn and James Dean,” he said.