Do I need to say more? We are kicking off the RA50Auctions with a bang! The Guy of Gisborne costume generously donated by Richard Armitage himself is on sale via auction NOW. A huge big thank you to Richard for supporting the cause this way. Our donation will go to LOROS Hospice Care.

This is the direct link to the auction: https://www.ebay.ie/itm/334114502323

You can follow the auction on eBay – it will end on 18 Aug, 2021 15:09:47 BST

But please take a minute to read this post (or come back to it later) – for the item description, some additional information on authentication and shipping, and some notes on the auction process – to make sure you know exactly what you are (potentially) bidding on.

Item description:

Gloves, belt and sword not included!

On offer is an original piece of film costume, the iconic leather jacket worn by Richard Armitage as Guy of Gisborne in the 2005-2007 BBC Robin Hood. As an on original prop, it goes without saying that this is a used, worn item. Therefore the jacket has some signs of wear (scuffed leather)- namely on the inside and outside collar, as well as on the lining inside the jacket.  However, the costume is still in good condition! The jacket is made from soft leather and is fastened with several metal clasps that are decorated with wolf heads. The waistband is closed with two snap buttons. There is a small hook closure at the collar of the jacket. Due to storing and shipping (to me), the leather jacket currently has some creasing (but which can be dealt with once the new owner receives it). All closures, buttons and hooks are still intact. However, there are some tears around the closure hooks (but not affecting the closures themselves) where pieces of leather have come off. Also a few cuts/tears in the leather near some closures are visible upon scrutiny. (see photos!) The lining is intact, as are all the characteristic piping decorations on the jacket’s arms and shoulders. The costume is clearly a custom-made quality item, still in good nick after all these years and despite some vigorous fighting-on-film.

See the pictures for some more information, or watch video on THIS BLOGPOST.

The dimensions of the jacket are:

• arm length ca. 70cm
• waistband (closed) ca. 95cm
• across shoulder ca. 50cm
• top to bottom (shoulder seam to waist) ca. 70cm

Authentication:

This piece of original costume was donated to the fundraiser by actor Richard Armitage himself who reached out to the auction organiser with the offer of contributing this item. There is no official letter of authentication available for this item, but it will come with the following documents to prove its provenance:

• printed tweets sent by Richard Armitage referring to his offer of donating an item
• original customs declaration form attached to the leather jacket. The form is signed by Richard Armitage and details the content of the shipment as “one old leather jacket”. Note: For privacy reasons I would ask you to not publicise this document but keep it in your records for authentication purposes only as it contains *my* private address.

Shipping:

The jacket will be shipped from within the EU (Republic of Ireland). Shipping is free, as the fundraiser/auction owner will pay for it as a little bonus. The jacket will be carefully packed in the original packaging material (a sturdy cardboard box) it was sent to us in. Shipment will be by commercial parcel carrier DHL. You will receive a tracking number to track the parcel’s journey. For security’s sake and peace of mind, the parcel will be insured for the final amount reached in the auction, at no extra cost to you. Important note: For insurance and customs purposes, the value of the item will have to be declared on the customs declaration form. Depending on the country of destination, import duty and taxes may be due, calculated on the basis of the declared value. This will have to be covered by the buyer!!!! Please inform yourself about import customs and taxes in your own territory to make an informed decision on your maximum bid, and to avoid disappointment upon the arrival of the parcel. Potential import duties and taxes are NOT covered by the auction owner! To recap: Shipping + insurance cost covered by fundraiser/auction owner. Potential customs duties and taxes covered by buyer!

The auction process:

The auction takes place on eBay. The auction opens on the starting price and you bid against other buyers. There is no hidden reserve; the item *will* be sold to the highest bid. Bidding is anonymous, i.e. bidders are not publicly identified. You can keep track of your bidding from the “Bids/Offers” section on eBay. When the listing ends, the highest bidder wins the auction and pays for the item. Note: a bid is a binding contract. When you bid on an item in an auction, you’re committing to buy it if you win. For eBay’s rules on bidding, check HERE.

The auction is set to “post worldwide”. If the eBay information on the auction post visible to you appears to exclude “worldwide”, disregard. We *will* ship worldwide. However, please inform yourself prior to bidding whether there are currently any restrictions in place in *your* territory regarding shipments via DHL from the Republic of Ireland! Check via this LINK.

The auction is non-commercial and private, in that it is part of a fundraiser. For that reason we also can not accept any returns as the proceeds of this auction will be donated to charity. The item will be shipped to the buyer upon receipt of the due price. Please bid responsibly, i.e. make sure you are able to transfer the money due in a timely fashion, so that the final charity donation can be transferred on 22 August 2021. Estimated date of shipment: depending upon receipt of payment – so between 18 to 23 August 2021.

Right, here, if you have read through all this, you have earned that 👇🏻.

Rear view of Gisborne jacket

Bidding is now open, so have a look at the listing and *carefully* consider a bid. We are, of course, hoping for  generous proceeds from this auction, especially as Richard has promised to match the winning bid with a donation of his own.

Have fun and fingers crossed! And please also consider looking at the other auction items that will go live later this evening (GMT), as well as our fixed-price sale that will go live from Wednesday evening. I will notify you as soon as the other events are starting – on this blog, and on Twitter.