A new website helps movie lovers and history buffs support a range of different charity groups through a weekly series of online auctions.
The site, called Newenglander Hollywood Props, auctions off a new set of framed collector’s items called "keepsake cards" each week on eBay, and then donates the proceeds to a rotating series of charitable organizations. The cards include a fragment from a movie prop or a historically significant item, as well as a set of photos of the film or historical figure of origin.
"We have sold thousands of our cards all over the world in the past two years," the website said in a statement.
Items currently listed in the site’s eBay store include a remnant from a scarf worn by Elvis during a 1976 Pittsburgh concert, a fragment from an Egyptian scroll used in the 1999 film The Mummy, and a glass pendant from the original Star Trek series.
Charities receiving funds from the auctions so far include the Children’s Hospice Coalition, Paul Newman Charities, the Global Fund and the Elton John Aids Foundation. In 2010, the site will launch a new online campaign called Many Hearts – Many Causes, and will ask people to donate $1 to a different humanitarian, environmental or children’s welfare charity each month.
"It is our belief that together we can make a difference in the lives of many by supporting the efforts of those organizations who we feel are impacting the lives of others throughout the world," said the site in a statement about the new campaign.
As this website shows, online auctions are a growing source of revenue for independent retailers and nonprofit organizations alike. New smartphone applications helped eBay host more than half a billion dollars in transactions during the 2009 holiday season.