Bones Auctioned Off Classic Props From The Show After The Series Finale
"Bones" enjoyed one of the most incredible runs of any TV show in the 2000s. The Fox series ran for 12 seasons, airing 246 episodes. It's an unthinkable number for a scripted show in the new streaming dominated landscape. But what happens when a show like this ends? More specifically, what happens to all of the props and costumes used during the series? Are they just left to languish in a warehouse somewhere never to be seen again like the Ark of the Covenant at the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark?" In this case, a great many of the show's props were made available to the general public.
As reported by Entertainment Weekly in 2017 after the "Bones" finale aired, the folks at Screenbid got hold of hundreds upon hundreds of items from the show, holding a massive auction with said items going to the highest bidder. The auction included more than 1,000 props from the show's run, including some of its most cherished iconography. The auction included, amongst many other things, Booth's desk, Booth's FBI ID, Brennan's prop published books, Brennan's lab coat, Booth and Brennan's living room couch, Zack's King of the Lab trophy, Jeffersonian Institute forensics kits, and even Booth's beer helmet, which the "Bones" crew made good use of long after that episode aired.
Most amazing of all? Gormogon's silver skeleton was available to whoever was willing to pay the most. Since the auction took place seven years ago, it's a little hard to track down where the items ended up. Someone somewhere has that beer hat in their home. And yes, someone indeed went home with that skeleton. But what about everything else? What about the smaller items? It turns out, those were very much attainable for anyone who had even a little bit of disposable income.
Some Bones props were surprisingly affordable
As Milled pointed out, quite a few of the items that were available were pretty dang affordable, as far as owning a piece of TV history goes. They highlighted props such as Brennan's watch for $21.99, Booth's bowtie from his tuxedo for $11.69, and Sweets' green jacket for $21.99. That didn't account for shipping or fees but still. Fans didn't need thousands or even hundreds of dollars to bring home a piece of "Bones."
Certain fans who purchased surprisingly cheap items from the auction have revealed what they got over the years. "Screenbid is still selling 'Bones' props, so I got these screen used 'bones' for only $30!" Reddit user igor6541 revealed on the "Bones" subreddit in 2021. Another Reddit user, findscarlet, also revealed that they were able to secure a placemat when a conversation about this auction popped up a couple of years ago:
"I have the placemat Angela drew on for Zach that they pull out of the box of his favorite things in the final Gormogon episode. I actually just bought it a couple of years ago so keep checking the prop auction/sale sites, they still have random things pop up for sale."
This sort of auction wasn't unique to this show by any means. Studios and networks regularly try to make some money by selling off items from popular shows or movies. It's better than just hucking this stuff in the garbage behind the lot. In 2020, just as the show was nearing its end, Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." held a similar auction through Prop Store. In 2021, the cars from "Mad Max: Fury Road" also went up for auction. Granted, those certainly cost more than $21. But it is good for fans to keep in mind that owning a piece of their favorite show may not be out of reach.
"Bones" is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Hulu.