Star Watch: Selling the "Gunsmoke" belt buckle? Say it ain't so, Burt R!

Lot 148 of 676: A gold tone Gunsmoke belt buckle designed by Al Shelton for the Wyler Foundry, engraved on the back, "To My Longtime Friend Burt Reynolds from Al Shelton" (2 5/8 by 3 1/2)

by Ken

Sure, I could be ranting about those gosh-darn Republicans, or the clueless clods in the Customer Non-Care Dept. of a certain magazine I could name but won't (except to say that it rhymes with "You Corker"). But tonight's news won't wait. There's not much more than a week for you to study the 676 lots that make up Julien's Auctions' offering of "Property From The Life and Career of Burt Reynolds (#121114)." The actual sale apparently doesn't start till a week from tomorrow, December 11, at 2pm PT. Luckily, you won't have to do the calendar math. The online catalog listings include a legend that counts down the seconds in real time. Here's how it looked earlier this evening:

But even though the sale doesn't start for more than a week, the bidding online appears to be fast and furious. Both the main listings for the kaboodle and the individual listings like the one for the Gunsmoke belt buckle contain the "current bid" as well as an "estimate" and "starting bid" for each lot, and when I looked earlier this evening, the current bids for the lots I peeked at seemed to be already over, and often way over, the estimates.

In case you were wondering, the Gunsmoke belt buckle was estimated to go for $300-$500 and was scheduled to start at $150, but as of this evening the current bid was $700 (5 bids). In case you were wondering, Burt appears to dumping a whole shitload of belt buckles, and some or many of them may go cheaper than the Gunsmoke one, but that may not be much consolation for diehard fans of Gunsmoke's at least occasionally shirtless (yes!) half-Comanche blacksmith, Quint.

Quint appeared in 50 episodes in nos. 8-10 (1962-65) of Gunsmoke's 20 seasons, beginning with Episode 3 of Season 8, "Quint Asper Comes Home," written by John Meston and directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, and described thusly by IMDB:



Also in case you were wondering -- since after all we're here to make fun of this, and it wouldn't be much fun if Burt was desperately scraping together some cash for a cemetery plot -- it appears that the 78-year-old actor isn't at death's door, and emphatically not, he says, broke. He's just "downsizing." (Presumably once all those belt buckles are disposed of, he has an alternate plan for holding his pants up.)

ET ONLINE

Burt Reynolds: "I am not broke"

Burt Reynolds accepts award onstage during Spike TV's Guys Choice 2013 at Sony Pictures Studios on June 8, 2013, in Culver City, California.

Burt Reynolds reacted Tuesday to speculation that his upcoming Las Vegas auction of more than 600 personal items -- including his 1998 Golden Globe for his role in "Boogie Nights" -- is a sign that the 78-year-old actor is in serious financial need.

"I want everyone to know that contrary to what all the news outlets are saying, I am not broke," he told ET."I have been dealing with a business dispute for many years as well as a divorce settlement. I am simply selling some of my memorabilia that I have enjoyed for so many years but do not have use nor room for them anymore."

"Quite frankly, I am sick of so many pictures of myself in my own home," he adds.

Reynolds has filed for bankruptcy in the past, and has been in a foreclosure fight with Bank of America since 2011 over his 12,500 sq. ft. mansion in Jupiter, Fla., according to a CBS12 report in June. In 2006, his home was listed for sale for $15 million. The bank filed the litigation in 2011 after Reynolds allegedly fell behind on mortgage payments, claiming that the actor hasn't made a mortgage payment since Sept. 1, 2010.

Reynolds married his now ex-wife Loni Anderson on the estate in 1988. During the ceremony, the former couple rode in a stagecoach that is expected to bring around $20,000 during the auction.

The huge sale will include not only Reynolds' awards, but a few very personal items of his such as his embroidered Western shirt from his role in "Smokey and the Bandit II," and a pair of cowboy boots from his 1996 film "Striptease," co-starring Demi Moore.

"I have been in the auction community for 25 years and I've never seen an opportunity like this," Museum of Television president James Comisar recently told ET.

The auction will take place at The Palms in Las Vegas on Dec. 11 and 12.

In the auction catalog, Reynolds explains, "The fact of the matter is that it truly is the time to downsize and for these items that I have loved over the years find new homes where they can be cared for and appreciated. ... I've collected so many things that I truly adore but at this stage in my life I find it very difficult to manage them all."

IF YOUR CATALOG-PERUSING TIME IS LIMITED --

I'm relieved to be able to report that the folks at Urban Daddy have done some surrogate perusing for you. Here are some of the treasures they spotlighted (links onsite):



Don't waste time wondering whether you can afford to bid on such treasures. Ask yourself rather whether you can afford to go on living without at least one of them.

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