Can You Buy an Oscar?

by Emily Co 0

The value of an Oscar is priceless to its recipients. The trophy propels an actor to the elite of the elite and is a prestigious validation of his craft. But do you ever wonder if you can purchase an real Oscar prize from a down-on-his-luck actor looking to make an extra buck or two? Well, don't worry, you won't even get a chance to.

Since 1950, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences makes its Oscar winners sign a contract that stipulates if the recipient ever decides to sell the statue, he needs to first offer it to the Academy for $1 before trying to resell it elsewhere.

There have been some instances of the statue being sold successfully — like Harold Russell, a World War II veteran, who sold the award he received for a supporting role in a 1946 movie called The Best Years of Our Lives for $60,500. But for the most part, the Academy does its best to block the sales of the trophies in an effort to prevent them from becoming resale items.