Hunger Games $999 Mockingjay Pin: The Dark Knight Rises and Other Expensive Movie Merchandise
Target announced Monday that it would release a $999 Mockingjay pin in honor of The Hunger Games DVD release. From a Harry Potter collectible wand to a Lord of the Rings chess set, Ramin Setoodeh on the most expensive movie merch.
Murray Close / Lionsgate
Hunger Games fans: save your allowance! Target announced Monday a line of exclusive limited-edition merchandise timed to the Aug. 18 DVD release of the hit film based on Suzanne Collins’s book. Among the goods, there’s a $999 Mockingjay pin and a $349 leather jacket, like the one Jennifer Lawrence’s character Katniss wears in the movie. This isn’t the first time Hollywood has tried to milk expensive movie merchandise from super fans:
Batman: The Dark Knight Rises collectible statues for Batman, Catwoman, and Bane are $130 each. For true Batman fans, a mere $606 lands you a deluxe costume, inspired by the one that Christian Bale wears in the movie.
Harry Potter: Official Warner Bros. merchandising includes collectible wands (from $35) and lightning shapes earring that retail for $99. But only a true Potter fan would shell out $249 for this sterling silver time turner necklace fashioned after the one Hermione owns.
Lord of the Rings: Did they play chess in Middle-earth? That didn’t stop the merchandising giants behind Peter Jackson’s film from making this $500 chess set made of plexi-glass and porcelain. If you want to wear your Tolkien pride, try this $700 “fellowship cloak” imported from New Zealand out of sheep’s wool. And once your Hobbit proposes, he should definitely present you with this $1,283, 14-karat gold Lord of the Rings ring.
The Avengers: Decorate your office with a two-foot tall Incredible Hulk retailing for $650, from Sideshow Collectibles. It ships February 2013. The Chris Evans Captain America is $600.
Star Wars: The original Darth Vader helmet from The Empire Strikes Back reportedly sold for $115,000 in auction. If you couldn’t afford that, in 2005, on the eve of the final movie, two new Darth helmets were priced at $900 and $2,000.