FLOAT

King Kong (1933) Stop-Motion Armature

Maker
Willis O'Brien / RKO
Year
1933
Rank
103 of 100

King Kong (1933) Stop-Motion Armature

King Kong (1933) Stop-Motion Armature by Willis O'Brien / RKO (1933) is ranked 103 in the FLOAT 100 for Memorabilia. It sold for $200,000 on 24 November 2009. The skeleton of the original Kong — a cornerstone of special-effects history.

What is it, and why is it in the FLOAT 100?

The skeleton of the original Kong — a cornerstone of special-effects history.

22-inch steel stop-motion armature used to animate the original King Kong

What is the best-sourced number for it?

Figure
$200,000
Kind
Realized at auction
Date
24 November 2009

Christie's London. ~$200,000.

This is a realized sale. Somebody paid it. Source.

How this is made

The figure
One reference price, taken from a named public source and shown with its own kind. FLOAT does not average it with anything or adjust it for time.
Realized or not
A realized price is a completed sale. A market asking price and a price-guide value are not sales, and are labeled as such wherever they appear.
Why no grade ladder
Most FLOAT 100 entries are individual objects. There is one of this, so there is no population and no spread across grades to show.
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2026-08-08