Tank Girl a collection FAQ

Tank Girl
a collection
Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where can I buy Tank Girl stuff ?

2. Where did you find the Tank Girl items on your site?

One word: EBAY. (www.ebay.com)

Most Tank Girl items are extremely hard to find. Of course, you probably already know this.

Movie tie-ins (posters, t-shirts, mags/books, etc.) were produced and are naturally more common than props, wardrobe, and models made in more limited quantity that were used on film..

Most of the comic related publications are equally difficult to find. Check comic stores and cross your fingers. Do this by phone and save lots of wasted mileage on your car.

Best bet: EBAY, EBAY, EBAY, EBAY, EBAY...you may have to wait years though. Trust me on that one.

Other than EBAY???

Reel Clothes in LA had a lot of stuff when the movie was released or shortly thereafter (1995). I found their ad in a magazine called Collecting (no longer in print). I have to assume they are completely sold out of Tank Girl items as I have emailed and called them numerous times since then to see if they had anything left. I bought everything they could find back then with every penny I had. I purchased items over several months, so I know they sold stuff to someone while I was intermittently broke.

The model planes and maquettes came from a movie memorabilia dealer that advertised in Cinefex magazine. These were bought perhaps in 1996 and 1997.

4. Are you telling me everything you know?

Of course not.

I still collect Tank Girl items. The more I tell everyone where to buy stuff, the less chance I have of getting more stuff myself.

If you discovered gold, would you tell everyone where to find it?

5. You have a lot of stuff. Did you work on the movie?

Nope. But I wish I did.

A lot of the props I've acquired were however purchased from those who did work on the movie. How did I find these people. Shhhhh...I'm not telling.

6. How do you know the stuff you bought is legit?

I used to say, "if it looks like junk, it must have come from the movie."

Many props look fantastic on film, but in your hands look less than what you'd expect. Props and wardrobe are often handmade and made in very limited quantity. As a result, they don't have that "just off the shelf" appearance. Background set pieces that are not seen close up on film tend to look worse than close up items.

Of course some of this has to do with deliberately making something look old to achieve a certain look for a movie.. It may have to do with the way the item was treated after the movie was produced. These items are often extremely fragile and break easily. Every time they are moved, they risk being destroyed to some degree.

As to being legit, I know the movie well. I mean, very well. I've studied the movie often frame by frame. But more importantly, I buy from people I trust. Knowing the movie well means knowing who worked on it...those people behind the scenes. Those end credits aren't there just to make your exit from the movie theater less painful. When you collect movie memorabilia, they become VERY important.

But generally, ask for a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) or Letter of Authenticity (LOA) if you wish. If the seller balks, RUN the other way. Most of the things I've purchased do not have a COA. Like I said, know the movie well and know the seller well. Fortunately Tank Girl stuff is so odd that one would have to be off their rocker to want to reproduce it and think they will become extremely wealthy by selling it.

Some movie items were produced only once or twice. There were only two "real" pair of Tank Girl boots made. "Real" meaning made for Lori Petty. There were two pair made for her stunt double.

Other wardrobe items for TG were made as often as 5 or 6 times. Can I guarantee Lori wore every copy made? Nope. But that doesn't affect the value of them. No one making a movie is gonna keep track of it. Yes, it'd be nice to know. But that is virtually impossible.

3. Will you sell your stuff? I know your website says "nothing for sale."

I do not see the day I will sell any of my TG items.

If I was in need of a heart transplant and needed the extra cash; yeah, I'd think about it.

I love the movie as much as anyone out there. I'm looking to BUY more stuff, NOT to sell.

This site was mainly created so I can find more stuff. Also, I know others loved the movie and might like to see that the movie items didn't get trashed. Some did, (horrors!), btw. So here are at least some of them.

Sometimes, I get TG memorabila almost dirt cheap. Of course that's relative. For instance, one of Lori Petty's blue POW outfits was $60.

Other times it's very expensive. Jet Girl's model plane is the most expensive thing purchased to date...only $4000 (cheap!).

Often I've seen prices double or triple compared to the lowest price I once saw it available. It seems every time a dealer gets ahold of something the price climbs in increments of the original price. For instance, Dealer A sells something for $50. Dealer B buys from Dealer A and resells for $100. Dealer C buys from Dealer B and sells for $150. That's not etched in stone, but prices often climb the more hands the item passes through. It's important to find Dealer A.

7. How much did you pay for your Tank Girl stuff?

This page last updated 01.22.03

Tank Girl stuff is soooooo cool. It's unlike anything out there. It has a look you just can't get anywhere else.

Don't assume anyone you know will ever understand your love of Tank Girl. You are in the EXTREME minority. Most people never heard of the comic or movie. And some even hated the movie! Ah, but they are not like you and I. They have no appreciation for the odd, quirky, Tank Girl world. So to hell with them and go broke if you must. But go broke only after you pay your rent, car payment, food, electric, and any other quality of life bill. Everything is for sale sooner or later. And the item you can't afford today will be for sale someday (OK, it might be a LONG wait). But there's plenty of cool stuff out there. I can't buy it all, try as I might.

8. Why collect Tank Girl?

Chateau Marmont is a very cool hotel in West Hollywood. Famous for Jim Morrison dangling from one of it's windows and John Belushi dying there. I stayed there once with a view of the well-hidden pool and the not-so-hidden Sunset Blvd. It did have a nice view of the very large Marlboro man in front of the hotel. But PC America has removed that little landmark.

One can see to the east a view of the original billboard The Doors used for their first album release and posed sitting above it as well as a mall with Crunch gym inside. Crunch is famous for stars working out there and being seen by movie goers using the mall. It's somehow fitting that a statue of Bullwinkle the Moose is right across the street from Chateau Marmont.

The room I stayed in was more like an apartment. It's a rare hotel that offers a "room" with 2 hallways, a dining room, kitchen, and very large living room all nicely furnished with valuable furniture. At $325/night (1997 dollars) it was well worth the stay.

9. What is "chateaumarmont"?

The black leather Tank Girl boots are NOT for sale. There are a pair that might satisfy you that have a Tank Girl look. Made by TUK shoes in I believe is their Gripfast line is a 3-buckle pair. Click on the skeleton head to see them.

Some history to the TG boots:
There were four pair custom made for the movie. That is, you can NOT buy them in a store. Two of the four pair were made for Lori Petty and two for her stunt double. So, there are in essence only two "real" pair in existence. I have one "real" pair. They sold on ebay a few years ago for about $800. Near that time a pair of Neo's boots from The Matrix sold for about $1500. Was $800 too much or about right? Seemed good to me.

10. Will you sell me your Tank Girl boots (aka "where can I get Tank Girl boots")?

Click me to see Tank Girl-like boots.