Austin Powers Merchandise: Shirts, Figures and Collectibles

Austin Powers merchandise falls into five families: apparel, figures, printed art, music and film copies. All of it traces back to three films from director Jay Roach, each led by Mike Myers, who plays several roles in every one.

The saga began with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery on May 2, 1997. It was made for $16.5 million and earned $67.7 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me followed in 1999 with a $33 million budget and $313.7 million worldwide. Then Austin Powers in Goldmember arrived on July 26, 2002, on a $63 million budget, and grossed $296.9 million. Those numbers matter to a collector because each film introduced new faces, and new faces mean new designs. The full money picture is on the Austin Powers box office page.

The characters shape what people collect. Austin Powers is a flamboyant British spy from 1967 (the series spoofs the secret agent genre, and you can see the source material on the James Bond hub), and Dr. Evil, Mini-Me, Fat Bastard and Goldmember each give a shirt, a poster or a shelf piece its own personality. For the full lineup, start with the Austin Powers characters page.

If you are comparing like for like, think of it the way you would think about cars. A mass market tee is the daily driver, a boxed figure is the weekend car, and anything tied to a screen or a premiere is the garage queen. Sorting by category is the quickest way to decide where to spend.

A fourth film is in development, but no release date has been announced in any region. The Austin Powers 4 page tracks the status. Until then, interest in older items rests on the three released films, which you can line up with Austin Powers movies in order.

The best categories to start with are Austin Powers shirts and clothing, character figures, posters and prints, music, and film copies. Each rewards a different kind of fan, and each has its own checklist.

Shirts are the easiest entry point because the designs follow the characters. Look for Dr. Evil, Mini-Me, Fat Bastard and Goldmember artwork, plus the retro 1960s styling of Austin himself. When you shop, check the print quality, the neck label and whether the design shows the film title, since that tells you which movie it comes from. Vintage tees from the late 1990s and early 2000s tied to a specific film deserve a close look for fading, cracking and stretched collars. Perhaps the simplest rule is to buy the design you would actually wear, because condition and size drive the price more than the logo.

Figures suit anyone who wants a character on a shelf. Mini-Me, played by Verne Troyer, first appears in The Spy Who Shagged Me, so a Mini-Me figure points to the 1999 film or the 2002 sequel, where he returns. Dr. Evil is the other natural pairing, and Mike Myers plays him in all three films, along with Austin Powers himself. Goldmember and Fat Bastard are Myers roles too, in the 2002 film, and Fat Bastard also appears in 1999. Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham) and Foxxy Cleopatra (Beyoncé) are Austin's lead partners in the second and third films, in that order. Ask whether a figure is boxed, whether the packaging is sealed, and whether the accessories are present. Those three answers decide most of a figure's value.

Posters and prints suit the film fan who prefers a display to a collection. Original theatrical posters for the three titles are the premium end, while reprints and fan art are cheaper and fine for a den. Check size, paper stock and whether the item is an official release or a reproduction.

The Spy Who Shagged Me has its own album, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (soundtrack), with songs including Beautiful Stranger by Madonna, Word Up! by Mel B and American Woman by Lenny Kravitz. George S. Clinton composed the score for all three films. For the full track picture, see the Austin Powers soundtrack page.

Copies of the films are the most practical collectible, because they keep the whole saga together. If you only want to watch, where to watch Austin Powers lists the current options in the US, UK and Australia.

In my opinion, the honest answer to what a figure or shirt is worth is that it depends on condition, completeness and what a buyer will actually pay. The safest method is to compare several recently completed sales of the exact item, and to treat asking prices as hopeful. Sealed packaging, original accessories and clear photos all raise confidence. Watch for reproductions sold as originals, especially on posters and vintage tees.

One last practical step: pick a character first, then a category, and set a budget before you search.