Sure, there are eBay auctions all the time, offering you the chance to claim a collectible related to your favorite series, but what if there was a way to own a one-of-a-kind item from, say, The Office, Desperate Housewives, Doctor Who, or Ugly Betty, and have the proceeds go to charity?
I'd say you came to the right place. The fine folks at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (the home of the Emmys) and BAFTA/LA are conducting an auction right now over at CharityFolks.com to benefit the non-profit educational foundations of both organizations. In addition to your usual gift baskets and walk-on roles, also up for grabs in this British-themed auction (BAFTA/LA is, after all, a sponsor) are one-of-a-kind celebrity designed teapots, signed by the casts of many of your favorite series, including the aforementioned series along with Brothers & Sisters, Jericho, CSI, The L Word, House, Medium, American Idol, Dexter, Californication, and Family Guy, among others.
The Office teapot--fittingly stark white with the Dunder-Mifflin logo--is signed by the cast, as is the the hilarious yellow and red tea pot signed by the cast of ABC's Ugly Betty, which comes with its very own tea cozy... in the shape of Betty's rather, er, distinctive Guadalajara poncho. (Trust me, it's awesome.) One of my personal faves is the Big Love teapot, which features the series' logo and little stick figures of a husband and three wives, along with the John Hancocks from series leads Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny, and Ginnifer Goodwin. (Aw.) And the Doctor Who teapot, designed by creator Russell T. Davies, which features the Doctor's trademark TARDIS.
But I was completely blown away by the teapot for Family Guy, which features a full on drawing of Stewie and his teddy bear having tea together and is signed by Seth MacFarlane. This must be seen to be believed.
Some are pretty random, like the one from Prison Break's Robert Knepper, who in true T-Bag fashion, painted a picture of a tea bag on his, with a rather haunting message on the reverse, or Jimmy Kimmel's, which features the rather lifelike visage of Mr. T on one side.
In any event, these are unique pieces that are not only distinctive, but immediate conversation starters and a chance to own a different--yet practical--piece of memorabilia from one of several dozen current television series.
The auction runs through Friday, September 28th, so act now while you still have the chance. Ta!
It's official. I MUST HAVE THAT FAMILY GUY TEAPOT. There, I said it. Bidders, prepare to meet your match. The Ugly Betty one is pretty sweet too, but I'd rather have the one from the Office as it looks like everyone signed that thing. Christmas presents, anyone?
These are so cool! I love the poncho with the Ugly Betty pot but The Office one looks fantastic with the Dunder Mifflin logo. And the Doctor Who teapot is adorable too. So fun!
I wish I had tons of $$$ to buy the whole collection!
The Doctor Who one is pretty sweet. It should come with a dalek shaped tea cozy.
The Prison Break one sounds awesome... and the Family Guy one looks cool; I could potentially see some real merchandising opportunities with that one... Do you have a photo of the Prison Break one? BAFTA should contact you about having a link to their site for the auction from your's!
What's the Jericho one like? Is there a bag of nuts on it?
These are pretty cool. I don't even drink tea but I'd want one, especially as the bidding price seems reasonable still. Maggie, you can have the Family Guy one if I can get the Russell T. Davies one.
must have the ugly betty one..i love her!
sipping my black keemun tea from teacuppa.com this morning