娱乐英语新闻：Bond souvenirs have licence to thrill

BEIJING, Oct. 31 -- Shaken by the financial markets' gyrations? Maybe a look at James Bond memorabilia as an investment would stir your imagination.

    Experts say the value of 007 memorabilia has shot up, not least because of the world premiere on Wednesday of "Quantum of Solace," the new Bond movie starring British actor Daniel Craig.

    At the top end are 007's cars, most notably a 1965 Aston Martin driven by Sean Connery in "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball." The gadget-laden car fetched more than a million pounds at auction in the United States two years ago.

    But there are less pricey ways of owning a piece of Bond memorabilia.

    Due to the spy's enduring popularity, there is a high level of collector interest in original Bond movie posters, and their value has risen dramatically over the past decade.

    Original British posters advertising "Dr No," the first of the action-packed films, can fetch between 5,000 and 7,500 pounds (US$8,300-12,400). A decade ago, they could have been snapped up for just 100 pounds, according to Bruce Marchant, co-owner of The Reel Poster Gallery in London.

British actor Daniel Craig and his partner Satsuki Mitchell arrive for the world premiere of the latest James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace" at Leicester Square in London October 29, 2008.

"Prices for Bond film posters have risen quite dramatically over the past 15 years," Marchant said.

    "The market is huge, and while the prices sometimes stabilize, they've never gone down."

    Bond film posters have a loyal fan base, mostly in Britain, continental Europe, the United States and Japan.

    "Many people buy them because they love them and never sell them again," he said. "It spans about three generations with 22 Bond films now."

    First editions of Ian Fleming's Bond books are also sought after as collectors' items.

    A first edition of the first Bond book "Casino Royale," published in 1953, is expected to fetch between 9,000 and 12,000 pounds at Sotheby's literature sale in December.