How to Cash In on Doctor Who’s
50th Anniversary Celebrations

It was 6.15 p.m., on a damp, dark Saturday evening on Saturday 23 November 1963, and I was to be found hiding behind the sofa (well, I was only six), occasionally peering over the top to view the unfolding drama of the very first screening of Doctor Who.

This iconic television series, featuring William Hartnell as the Doctor, now woven into the tapestry of our television lives, almost never took off at all.

The day before, the world had been shocked with news of the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas, USA. Nothing made sense that weekend, least of all Doctor Who.

The BBC, sensing a disconnect with their viewing public, decided to screen the first episode of Doctor Who all over again the following Saturday, immediately followed by the second episode.

In episode two, the Doctor, with his companions, travelled to the home planet of the Daleks. And from that point onwards, largely due to those frightening Daleks, the show became an instant hit.

Doctor Who is still terrifying many of us 50 years later.

Last week we discussed the profit opportunities presented by the Goldfinger Aston Martin 50th Anniversary, and the same opportunities apply for the Doctor Who brand 50 years on. In this instance, the Doctor Who anniversary celebrations are scheduled to last a whole year: well into 2014.

So, now is the time to sell any Doctor Who memorabilia which you might possess, to take advantage of the public interest and turn a healthy profit.

Remember, anniversaries mean that the public attention is focused on a specific topic for a short while, giving a marketing boost through increased visibility.

So dig out those old comics, annuals and much-played-with Daleks and get listing if you are of a mind to sell.

Possibly, you might consider buying or investing in Doctor Who memorabilia, instead of selling. We are bound to be offered countless products in the coming months, especially in the run up to Christmas and beyond.

If you are buying any such memorabilia with a view to an investment, I would recommend selecting items with the tag ‘limited edition.’ That way, the limited supply will help to ensure that your purchase not only holds its value, but increases over time.

The whole Doctor Who year of celebrations kicks off this Saturday 23 November with a special screening of The Day of the Doctor with the welcome return of David Tennant, and John Hurt.

For a bit of fun, here’s a quick trivia question: What does the name ‘Tardis’ stand for? Answer at the end.

With Aston Martin and Doctor Who, we have looked at how we might profit from current anniversaries. The truth is that we are more likely to profit from future anniversaries, by buying in advance in anticipation of future demand.

By way of inspiration, a quick search of Google reveals the following upcoming anniversaries, but there are bound to be more if you are of a mind to dig deeper.

Some 50th Anniversary celebrations in 2014

•Mohammed Ali became the World Heavy Weight Boxing Champion in 1964. Boxing memorabilia is always popular, but will be given a boost next year with the increased exposure of this anniversary.

•Donald Campbell broke the land & water speed records in 1964, becoming the first man to break the world land and water speed records in the same year. Models, books, autobiographies and films will abound next year.

•Ford celebrates its iconic Mustang. Since introducing the model in 1964, Ford has sold 9.2 million Mustangs. The car has made over 3,000 screen appearances, becoming one of cinema’s most popular cars and featuring in film classics such as Bullitt, Goldfinger, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, U-Turn, Vanilla Sky, and Getaway. The Mustang has inspired songs, toys and works of art, all of which can be collected in advance of the Mustang anniversary, hopefully in anticipation of a corresponding sales-kick.

•And, not quite 50 years, but The Fast Show has been muted to return for 20th anniversary in 2014. So time to dig out your old Fast Show DVDs, as they might be worth a bit more this time next year.

ps. Trivia answer: The Tardis stands for ‘Time and Relative Dimensions in Space.’