First Auction of ‘Mythbusters’ Memorabilia To Benefit Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation
The shocking July 2020 death of electrical engineer and roboticist Mythbusters’star Grant Imahara sent fans and his peers reeling, as the star was beloved and a key cast member who made the show such a fun watch. Grant was only 49 years old when he succumbed to a brain aneurysm.
The very first Mythbusters online auction powered by leading film and TV memorabilia auction house Prop Store is officially planned. This auction will benefit the STEAM Foundation, and it will allow fans to purchase these iconic show props.
Producers note that each item comes with a Prop Store Certificate of Authenticity. The preview and registration are available now, as bidding opens on August 20.
About the Mythbusters and Grant Imahara STEAM auction
More than 80 authentic props from Discovery Channel’s science series Mythbusters are being offered to the public for the first time. There will be no reserve prices set to ensure that as many fans as possible have an opportunity to own a piece of their favorite show.
Conducting the auction is Prop Store, one of the world’s leading auction houses of film and television memorabilia.
Proceeds will benefit the Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation — the non-profit organization founded in memory of the late Mythbusters’ host that provides mentorships, grants, and scholarships to underserved youth in the areas of science, technology, engineering, art, and math.
Every prop in the auction is an actual item from the franchise, built and tested by hosts Grant Imahara, Kari Byron, Tory Belleci, Adam Savage, and Jamie Hyneman.
Many props up for auction were seen in the popular multi-city museum tour, “MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition,” and were generously donated for the auction by Discovery Channel and Beyond Productions, the producers of the series.
What is up for auction?
One-of-a-kind props include the mechanical shark built for 2008’s “Shark Week Special,” the infamous “Robo-cat” designed by Grant for the “Dog Myths” episode, spent JATO rockets from some of the series’ most famous experiments, actual pieces of crash test dummy “Buster,” and more.
Collectibles from the show’s production will be auctioned, including blueprints to destroyed production cameras. In addition, many of the items are autographed by Adam Savage, adding value.
And, each item comes with a Prop Store Certificate of Authenticity.
Quotes
“I’m so grateful for this opportunity to raise funds that benefit the Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation. I’d like to thank Discovery Channel, Beyond Productions, and Prop Store for helping us bring these artifacts from Mythbusters — some of which were built by my son — to fans worldwide while contributing to a cause very dear to Grant. I’m proud of the work the foundation is doing in my son’s name, and I’m thankful to all the fans and supporters who are helping us with our mission to inspire and empower young and underserved talent in STEAM education,” said Carolyn Imahara, Grant’s mother and co-founder of the foundation.
“When Mythbusters debuted almost 20 years ago, it brought a unique and engaging show to viewers, showcasing Jamie, Adam, Kari, Grant, and Tory’s prop-making abilities, humor, and scientific know-how to verify or dispel urban legend myths. Prop Store is honored to partner with the Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation to offer actual items created for and used on Mythbusters to help raise money for the foundation. Grant was a valued member of the Mythbusters team and a great designer in his own right. This is sure to be a massive event for Mythbusters obsessives and collectors of one-of-a-kind prop art alike,” said Brandon Alinger, Chief Operations Officer for Prop Store.
Bonus intel
Tested.com will be publishing a series of videos featuring its editor-in-chief and former MythBuster Adam Savage to support the auction.
Adam will feature his favorite props from the auction, telling behind-the-scenes stories from filming and reminiscing about the challenges of the builds.
What is STEAM Foundation about?
The nonprofit is built around the core principles embodied by Grant throughout his life – curiosity, integrity, and generosity.
The Foundation’s mission is to help talented kids get an “in” educationally to empower those underserved youth in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math education.
The Foundation exists to promote Grant’s legacy of giving back to communities in need through mentorships, grants, and scholarships.
The goal is to fund scholarships and grants so any student who has the desire and the talent to be funded in their education, regardless of their socio-economic status, race, color, or gender.
The auction will begin Friday, August 20 at 9 AM PT/noon ET and runs through Wednesday, September 1, 2021; a preview and registration link are available now at http://propstore.com/MythBusters.
