Tannis Props 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea model kit info needed!

We just learned that Tannis Props, or one of their independent craftsmen, created a very limited edition of the epic battle scene between a giant squid and the Nautilus submarine from Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". It consisted of a scale model of the squid entangled with the sub cut in half and mounted to a wooden plaque for hanging on a wall. We don't know if there were any COA, special packaging or other accessories included. If you have one of these please send us a photo so we can include it on this site.

Image courtesy: WikiFred

Last of the series Grail Diary up for auction right now.

The very last Grail Diary is currently up for auction right now on eBay.  Find it by searching the CaliCraftsman listings here.
Update: The Diary sold the same week for it's asking price.

Collectors from around the globe.

Tannis Props was among the first to focus on the worldwide appeal of it's items and has served collectors from all over the planet.  This is an incomplete, but still impressive, list of the countries where Tannis Props replicas have found a home.

United States
Argentina
Australia
Brazil
Canada
China (Hong Kong)
Costa Rica
Denmark
England
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Ireland
India
Israel
Italy
Japan
Mexico
New Zealand
Norway
Panama
Poland
Russia
Scotland
Spain
South Africa
Sweden
Uruguay

Grail Diary variations

We know there were several editions of the Grail Diary with various changes between them, and sometimes changes were made in the middle of a production run in order to make certain that the customer was getting the best available version.  Our categories below don't reflect the names given to the various series by Tannis, but rather indicate the major changes to the editions as they were built.  Here's what we know so far:

Original Grail Diary
These first few Diaries seem to number only about 3 or 4 pieces because they were originally made for friends of someone at the prop house and were not fully accurate representations.  They can be easily identified because they are only about 1/2 to 3/4 the thickness of an accurate Diary.  They are all in private hands but at least one was made available publicly.  It is believed that they are not marked in any way as being made by Tannis Props so they would be difficult to find today.  We are always happy to help you determine if you have an authentic Tannis Diary.

Second Series  
This second edition, as we call it, featured Kangaroo hide for the cover.  This is an extremely costly leather, one of the most expensive you can buy in fact.  This seems to be one of the rarest of the Grail Diary editions because Tannis switched over to a more standard hide after several buyers insisted that they would rather have a less expensive Diary than one made with the better material.  Kangaroo hide was originally chosen because of it's unique appearance, and if you are lucky enough to see one, or better yet to own one of these rare gems, you understand why.  The colors and natural variation as well as the way the hide ages naturally with handling, makes it the best choice for those who value artistic beauty over 100% screen accuracy.  The rich, tobacco color of the hide has a radiance and visual appeal that regular cow or goat hides do not.  Today, these "Kangaroo Diaries" as they are informally known, are the most desirable and sought after by many collectors.

Third Series
The third series came along with many more pages that were hand watercolored, also more inserts were made and several interior pages were updated.  Some notable changes were the addition of a separate plate for the Christ painting which was glued in place opposite a similar crucifixion scene depicted as a painted drawing.  A small number of Diaries were made with pigskin as a test for durability.  While the hides proved to be very durable, this extra strength made them very difficult to properly age and make to look worn.  The worn areas tend to be more whitish than brown and the texture of the hide is more easily seen.  These don't seem to command any more interest than the regular hide version among collectors, but likely because most can't tell the subtle differences between the two.

Gold Edition
We believe there were as few as two individual Diaries that featured real gold leaf applied to some of the detail work.  We do not have any images for these books but would love to see photos if you or someone you know owns one.

Prototypes
There are as many as three prototypes known to exist but it is unclear if they cover the various editions or simply reflect changes made to the books as the series ran.  We have seen the official Prototype Grail Diary in the Tannis Props private collection and it's a work of art.  We were told that it is a test-bed of sorts and that it has had pages and artwork added and altered over the years and because of this, it is different from all other Grail Diaries that have been made.  This is a true one-of-a-kind and will most likely never be offered to the public.


Certificates of Authenticity/Edition Marks
The early Diaries did not come with any sort of certificate, but rather were marked by hand with the edition number and size.  Later they came with a full page certificate that was signed and numbered by Tannis.  Later editions received a smaller, card-like certificate that changed with each year or edition.  There may be as many as three or four different versions of this certificate.  The last few Diaries produced may or may not have certificates.  I understand that Tannis began marking the inside cover with a unique stamp that only the last 10-20 received and originally this replaced the certificates, but some may also have an accompanying certificate.

We will authenticate any Grail Diary free of charge, in some cases this can be done through email with photos but may require you to deliver the actual book in rare instances for a more complete evaluation.  You are responsible only for paying insured shipping both ways.

Help us create the Tannis props archive.

We are trying to compile a list of all the items, from series productions to one-offs, that have been created by Tannis Props.  We hope to eventually compile a complete and accurate archive for the use of all collectors around the world.

So far, these are the items we know were produced:

Adventurer Series

• Grail Diary  In series production since 2001, unknown production.  Believed to be three series and several prototypes.  One prototype in public hands, several in company's private collection.
• Jeweled Ceremonial Chestplate  3-known including the prototype all in public hands, one was destroyed in shipping. 
• VooDoo Doll  One known to exist, in public hands
• Monkey Head Dinner Prop  Unknown production at this time, believed to be 4 or less.  Prototype remains in the hands of Tannis props, though it has been offered for sale in the past.
• Nurhache's Urn  Several variations produced, believed to be less than 10 worldwide. 
• Sanskrit Cloth  A handful of these were made and the quality of the artwork is impressive. We are not sure if they were signed, mounted in any way.
• 1/6 scale Grail Tablet  Unlimited production, unknown how many were produced.
• Webley Pistol Replica  Unknown production but believed to be less than 10 produced.
• Smith & Wesson Pistol Replica  Unknown production but believed to be less than 10 produced.

National Treasures Series

• Meerschaum Pipe  Limited Edition, total numbers unknown.

Miscellaneous Editions

•  Vampire Hunter Kit  Intended as full production, only one made to date.  In public hands.

(Vampire kit featuring pre-ban ivory crucifix w/ sterling silver ribbon, oxblood carnelian cabochon, antique box.)

Help us complete the list and let us know if there is anything we do not have listed.  Photos and details are always appreciated.  tannisprops@gmail.com

Send us YOUR pics!

We would love to feature pictures of your Tannis Props collectibles.  Just send us photos and a few words about your collection, or maybe how or why you came to own one the props.  We will post messages here as they come in.  Message us at tannisprops@gmail.com