Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and More Aardman Puppets Head to Auction at Propstore
Original stop-motion puppets of Wallace, Gromit, Feathers McGraw, Shaun the Sheep and other Aardman characters are heading to auction as the animation studio celebrates its 50th anniversary. Propstore has partnered with Aardman for a September 24 auction featuring more than 220 pieces spanning nearly every production from the studio’s five-decade history. Bidding opened September 4, with every lot carrying a starting bid of $132.
Among the headline pieces is a screen-matched Wallace stop-motion puppet from 2024’s Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. A Gromit puppet from the film is also included, along with a Feathers McGraw puppet complete with the villainous penguin’s red-glove disguise. The auction reaches beyond Wallace & Gromit. Collectors will also have a chance to bid on a Shaun the Sheep puppet used for Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, the upcoming third Shaun the Sheep feature film.
Some of the oldest Aardman history represented in the sale comes through Morph and Chas. Original clay stop-motion puppets of the pair made by Aardman co-founder Peter Lord are included in the auction. Morph first appeared on screen in 1977 and became one of the characters most closely associated with the studio’s early years.
The collection has been assembled as part of Aardman’s yearlong 50th anniversary celebration, giving animation collectors access to production material associated with characters that ordinarily remain closely tied to the studio’s archive. “The collection traces Aardman’s remarkable creative history, from original Morph and Chas models made by Peter Lord to instantly recognisable characters including Wallace, Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Feathers McGraw,” Propstore founder and CEO Stephen Lane said in announcing the auction.
The sale also includes pieces created specifically in connection with the anniversary, including an original sketch by Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park.
Unlike mass-produced figures or replicas, the puppets in the auction are pieces of the physical filmmaking process behind Aardman’s stop-motion productions. Characters are constructed, posed and moved frame by frame during production, giving surviving puppets a direct connection to the films and television programs in which they appeared.
Proceeds from the auction will go back into Aardman’s talent-development programs, including bursaries through the Aardman Academy, skills-development programs and opportunities for emerging filmmakers. The Aardman 50th Anniversary Auction takes place live through Propstore on September 24, with online, absentee and telephone bidding available worldwide. The full auction catalog is now available, with bidding already underway.