Meet Stewart Berkowitz: Inside the Collection
This multi-million dollar collection spans decades of classic TV.
May. 22, 2022
Stewart‘s passion for the TV shows he grew up with has evolved into a collection like no other. Gilligan’s shirt, Fonzie’s jacket, and Jeannie’s harem costume feature prominently in this classic TV prop collection. Stewart’s favorite comedian, Jackie Gleason, and his comedy classic, The Honeymooners may be the capstone in this finely curated, close-to museum-like collection. Our expert and certified appraiser, Judy Martin is tasked with putting a value on this colossal collection. Then, she will try trading the special classic TV prop she brought in exchange for one of Stewart’s classic TV costumes.
1. Ginger's gown
Stewart considers this one of his "holy grail" items. Tina Louise cosigned it to an auction house herself back in 1995. It was bought by a Planet Hollywood where it stayed until recently, when Stewart was finally able to snap it up!
2. Gilligan's hat and shirt
Stewart knew that if he wanted an iconic Gilligan's Island collection, he needed Bob Denver's classic Gilligan outfit. Denver himself looked at and authenticated this shirt.
3. Jeanie's genie outfit
This costume was lent out after the show and was never returned. It ended up sitting in a storage unit - imagine seeing that on Storage Wars!
4. Jeanie's bottle
If this bottle looks a little different than you remember, it's because this was a bottle used on season one of I Dream of Jeanie. When a series is picked up for a second season onward, they often get more money, and there are cosmetic changes with a bigger budget.
5. Fonzie's jacket
Ayyyy! While Stewart usually likes to collect things from the Fifties and Sixties, he had to make an exception for Fonzie's classic jacket on Happy Days. Another one of these jackets is currently in the Smithsonian!
6. Jackie Gleason's Honeymooners costume
Stewart's all-time favorite show is The Honeymooners, so of course he had to get his hands on this costume! He found the jacket first, and then years later was able to snag the pants that went with it.
7. The Honeymooners set
Stewart also has the kitchen set from the 1960s color episodes of The Honeymooners! It includes the ice box, the kitchen sink, the stove, table, and four chairs. Today, it's worth a quarter million.
8. Jackie Gleason's limo
Stewart was able to get Jackie Gleason's personal custom-made limo! This 1978 Lincoln Continental has a bar, a TV, VHS, and even a cigar burn from the man himself.
5 Comments
Here's an idea for MeTV. Get Svengoolie to go along to meet someone (virtually) that has a classic horror movie collection.