It’s that time of year again! Our favourite actor’s birthday is coming up, and as in previous years, I would like to follow Richard’s suggestion that we give to charity instead of investing money in a present for him. It is a lovely thought – both in terms of his followers wishing to shower him in gifts, as well as of Richard to channel those gifts into much-needed donations. A fundraising auction is the perfect middle ground – a #CelebRAtionWithPurpose, benefitting a charity with the proceeds, while honouring Richard’s suggestion. Added bonus: You can do good and get something material back in turn: fan items. Lots of winners – a charity, the birthday boy who is being honoured with donations in his name, a fandom to show its kindness, and generous auction winners who receive fan memorabilia in return.

The current charity initiative comes off the back of our combined fundraising efforts in the previous years. Together we have already donated over 6000 USD$ for good causes over the last two years – and that is only here, via this blog. There are other amazing fundraising efforts, both by individuals as well as fan groups. You are amazing, Armitage Army! The current auctions have been made possible thanks to some donations from fellow fans, some of which prefer to remain unnamed. We are auctioning fan items in order to raise funds for British charity Young Minds.

YoungMinds’ mission is to promote and support the wellbeing and mental health of young people, helping young people have the strongest possible voice in improving their mental health. Young Minds advocates young people’s interests in terms of Government policy as well as practice in schools and services, with input from young people, and keeping their experiences and aspirations in mind. Additionally, Young Minds supports parents to help their children through difficult times, educates professionals to provide the best possible support to the young people that they work with, and empowers young people to change their world.

Richard has been supporting Young Minds since 2014. You can donate to them through his fundraising pages on JustGiving. Or you could simultaneously give yourself a gift and bid for one (or more) of the items on offer in the charity auctions on eBay. 100% of the funds raised will go to charity, as I am offering all auctions free of postage/packaging charges, helped by donations for postage fees, as well as some donors sending the items to the winners themselves.

The auctions are hosted on eBay, in an effort to widen the reach, to make bidding more reliable and easy, and to make it more anonymous. There are 15 auctions in total, 14 of which will take place on eBay. In an effort to generate a minimum of 325 Euro in proceeds from the fundraiser, I have taken the liberty to set starting bids for the auctions. They reflect current prices of similar items and take the value of materials/items into account.

You can find an overview over all listings on my eBay page HERE. For your convenience you will also find a picture, description and link to each individual auction in this post below. Click on the numbered headline to be transferred directly to the respective listing on eBay. Note the end times of the auctions, too, so you don’t miss out on a coveted item:

1. One genuine Richard Armitage autograph

This is a print of my photo of Richard at the Urban and the Shed Crew premiere 2015 in Leeds. The photo is signed “R Armitage” with gold Sharpie and was obtained through written request. It is mounted and framed in a silver-plated frame. The frame can be removed.

Dimensions of photo: 15.1 x 20.2cm Dimensions of frame: 16.6 x 20.6 cm

Auction ends: 23 Aug, 2017 08:04 BST

2. One LLL  Playbill, signed

This a genuine autograph of Richard Armitage, signed “R Armitage”. The signature was obtained at the stage door of the Roundabout Theater, New York, on a genuine Playbill theatre programme. The signature is on the cover of the Playbill for the Roundabout production of Love Love Love (2016), with black Sharpie. And not only that – Richard’s co-stars Ben Rosenfield, Alex Hurt, Zoe Kazan, and director Michael Mayer also signed. This is a true collector’s item!

Auction ends: 23 Aug, 2016 08:05 BST

3. One hand-made RA fan bag

The ultimate fan tote – fangirl in style, yet discreet with this hand-crafted, reversible tote bag. The shoulder bag is sewn from two different materials – silver faux leather, and printed cotton drill. The bag is designed to be reversible so that inside and outside can be switched. The black-backgrounded cotton print symbolises various characters from Richard Armitage’s oeuvre. A zippered pocket has enough space for your cell phone or your keys and change.

Dimensions of the bag: approx. 25 x 50 x 10 cm; strap length approx. 28 cm (can be worn over shoulder).

Auction ends: 23 Aug, 2016 08:10 BST

4. One RLRA pocket shrine

This is a hand-crafted piece of fan art, one-of-a-kind, contained in a metal mint tin, containing a diorama of Richard Armitage. All the checks and balances – well, or plaids. It comes with miniature candles and holders.

Mixed media collage, hand-crafted item. Dimensions: approx. 7 x 9 cm

Auction ends: 23 Aug, 2016 08:15 BST

5. One LLL fan set

Your chance to get your hands on a whole set of merchandise items from the play Love Love Love, including a genuine autograph of Richard Armitage, signed with “R Armitage”, as well as a key ring and fridge magnet from the official merchandising for Love Love Love. All items donated by an unnamed fellow fan.

The signature was obtained at the stage door of the Roundabout Theater, New York, on a genuine Playbill theatre programme. The signature is on the cover of the Playbill for the Roundabout production of Love Love Love (2016), with black Sharpie. Also signed by co-star Ben Rosenfield! All pages of the Playbill contained, minor wear and tear on the spine.

The key ring is 5.7 cm in diameter. Dimensions of fridge magnet are 6.5 x 9.0 cm.

Auction ends: 23 Aug, 2016 08:39 BST

6. One Raymond de Merville fan set

Let’s celebrate Richard’s latest role. Here is a set of two pieces of fan art, containing a plushie by the one and only plushie-maker Sinnamin, as well as a pocket shrine. Both are hand-crafted pieces of fan art for the Richard Armitage’s character Raymond de Merville from the film Pilgrimage.

Plushie: hand-sewn, three-dimensional felt plushie of Raymond de Merville

Shrine: metal mint tin, containing a diorama of the character Raymond de Merville. It comes with miniature candles and holders. Mixed media collage, hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind item. Dimensions: approx. 7 x 9 cm

Auction ends: 23 Aug, 2016 08:25 BST

7. One LLL  fan set including book

This is a set of collector’s items for fans of Richard Armitage, including an autographed book of the LLL script, a genuine Playbill from the play’s run at the Roundabout Theatre in New York, as well as a LLL key ring from the official merchandising. The book was donated by a generous fellow fan.

The signature of Richard Armitage reads “R Armitage” and was obtained at the stage door of the Roundabout Theater, New York. The signature is on the inside cover of the Bloomsbury edition of Love Love Love by Mike Bartlett (2013), with black Sharpie. Also signed by co-star Ben Rosenfield. All pages intact, minor wear and tear, unbroken spine.

The key ring is 5.7 cm in diameter. The Playbill is unsigned.

Auction ends: 23 Aug, 2016 08:43 BST

8. One Trevor Belmont fan set

Computer geek? Animation fan? Here’s a fan set just for you: These are two pieces of fan art, containing a plushie made by Sinnamin, and a pocket shrine. Both are hand-crafted pieces of fan art of the Castlevania character Trevor Belmont.

 

Plushie: hand-sewn, three-dimensional felt plushie of Trevor Belmont

Shrine: metal mint tin, containing a diorama of the Castlevania character Trevor Belmont. It comes with miniature candles and holders. Mixed media collage, hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind item. Dimensions: approx. 7 x 9 cm

Auction ends: 23 Aug, 2016 08:33 BST

9. One issue of Glamour Magazine

A really exciting collectors’ item: Issue 142 of Glamour UK magazine including an article on Richard Armitage – “The Hottest Man in Middle-Earth”. The magazine is in pristine condition, fully intact, no pages missing, unbroken spine, obviously having been taken great care of by its previous owner, an unnamed fellow fan.

Published January 2013 Dimensions approx. 15 x 22 cm

Auction ends: 23 Aug, 2016 08:35 BST

10. One issue of Richard III BBC History Special

Do you share Richard’s interest in King Richard III? Then this collector’s item might be for you: Richard III – The Full Story of the King under the Car Park, a BBC History Special Magazine. The magazine was published in 2015 and contains multiple articles on any aspect of King Richard III’s life and reign as well as on the discovery of his remains and on his reception in history. All pages are intact, there are no creases but some wear and tear on the magazine corners. Donation by an anonymous fellow fan.

Published 2015    Dimensions: 22 x 29 cm

Auction ends: 23 Aug, 2016 08:40 BST

11. One unframed Armitage autograph

If you prefer to choose your own frame, here is a genuine autograph by Richard Armitage, signed with “R Armitage” – unframed, but mounted. The signature was obtained via written request, on a photograph taken by me. The signature is on the original print, with gold Sharpie. The photograph was taken at the Leeds premiere of the film Urban and the Shed Crew.

Dimensions of photo: 15.1 x 20.2cm

The autograph is mounted in a white mount and unframed. (Mount dimensions: 20.2 x 25.2 cm)

Auction ends: 23 Aug, 2016 08:54 BST

12. One Armitage autograph, framed in classy silver

Ready to go on your wall: This a genuine autograph by Richard Armitage, signed “R Armitage”. The signature was obtained via written request, on a photograph taken at the Leeds premiere of the film Urban and the Shed Crew, by me. The signature is on the original print, with gold Sharpie.

Dimensions of photo: 15.1 x 20.2cm

The autograph comes mounted on a white mount and is in a removable, silver-plated frame. (Frame dimensions: 20.3 x 25.4 cm)

Auction ends: 23 Aug, 2016 08:50 BST

13. One Armitage autograph in box frame

This a genuine autograph of Richard Armitage, signed with “R Armitage”, mounted and framed. The signature was obtained via written request, and is on one of my photographs from the Leeds premiere of the film Urban and the Shed Crew. The signature is on the original print, with gold Sharpie.

Dimensions of photo: 15.1 x 20.2cm

The autograph is mounted in a white mount and comes with a removable box frame. (Frame dimensions: 19.7 x 24.7 x 4.0 cm) The frame is dark wood inside and gold outside.

Auction ends: 23 Aug, 2016 08:55 BST

14. One Crucible Poster

This item will take you back to ‘The Summer of Love’. This is an original Crucible poster advertising the Old Vic production of the 2014 play, bought via mail order. The poster is unmounted and unframed but has a white printed border. Top notch fan material, courtesy of an anonymous donor.

Dimensions: 29 x 42 cm

Auction ends: 23 Aug, 2016 09:05 BST

15. One custom RA pocket shrine

And lastly, a custom-made RAPS. This is a mixed media piece of fan art, contained in a mint tin, dimensions to be determined. It includes two mini candles (gold) and holders. For inspiration, check the Guylty Shrines gallery.

This item is *not* auctioned off on eBay but by e-mail. Bids can be placed by e-mail to me, Guylty. This is the procedure :

1. Send an e-mail with your bid to guylty@photographer.net, subject line “Bid for Custom RAPS”.
2. To make things easier for me, please convert your bid to Euros, since the donations will be transferred in that currency. A handy converter is here.
3. You will receive confirmation from me that I have received your bid (in case of delay, please bear in mind possible time-difference)
4. I will update you on the bids on this blog and on my Twitter.
5. Please subscribe to the comments of this post in order to get notification of bid updates.
6. You may raise your bid, but please only bid if you really are prepared to win the auction (and pay).
7. Bidding is open from now until 09:10 pm BST, Wednesday, 23nd August 2017.
8. The auction winner will be notified by e-mail.

The customary small print: All my auctions – on eBay and via e-mail – are private and non-commercial, a fundraiser for charity. I will try and update you on the progression of the auctions as we go along. Items go to the highest bidders, upon payment. Since these are all fundraising items, I am charging no postage fees and I will also cover the initial fees for listing and the cut charged by eBay for auctioning. The items will be carefully packaged and sent by registered mail anywhere in the world. However, I cannot guarantee that the glass in the frames will make it to the destination intact! The buyers will receive a tracking number to track the progress of their parcel. No returns possible, I am afraid, as this is a charity project. The final, total proceeds will be posted here on blog, and I will notify you via blog when the donation has been made.

All proceeds of these auctions will go to Young Minds via JustGiving. If you do not wish to bid on an item but would like to contribute with a donation, please send me an e-mail and I can facilitate that.

So please check out the auctions! Bidding is open for all, anywhere in the world – electronically on eBay, and via e-mail for the custom RAPS. Stay tuned for updates on the auctions’ progress – I will post highlights here over the next few days.

Thank you for generously bidding for a good cause!