Gearing Up: Highlights from the Ghost in the Shell Auction 2.0

By Matt Truex on 28.01.2019 | Auctions

In a world of rampant technological advancements, it is often hard to keep perspective on how much the new devices effect our daily lives. Anyone with a smartphone has gone from relative anonymity to having a computer, and GPS, in their pocket practically all day long. But, advancements like the internet and smart phones were not a reality at the time the original Ghost in the Shell was created, and every adaptation since has made use of some of the fantastic tech at play in that world, even as the fantasy and reality move closer and closer together. Here are some highlight examples of future tech from the Ghost in the Shell Auction 2.0.

Photo by Justin Miller and Marcelles Murdock

Lot 104 – Light-Up Yakuza Club Finger Scanner

Without Apple or Google pay, the characters of Ghost in the Shell rely on their thumbs to pick up the tab at most places. Finger scanners scan the thumbprint of a patron to access the correct credit line. Agent Batou uses this particular style of scanner to pay for a beer at a yakuza club. He then proceeded to destroy much of the dance floor and kill a few employees. Hopefully, that wasn’t on his tab, too.

Lot 133 – Two Yakuza Club Huffing Masks and Bottles

While vape pens are fast becoming the nicotine norm, these Kaboki-themed accessories can’t be too far off in our future. Used by yakuza members to protect their reps while toking, yakuza members held the masks to their faces to get their high. The hand-painted masks are connected to a hose and small aluminum bottle, complete with graphics and characters.

Lot 128 – Four Background Tech Collars

Some tech makes a great fashion statement. Though the exact in-universe use for these collars is unknown, they are see worn by rich and poor alike throughout the city, occasionally with a holographic element as well. Is this the new, hands-free phone solution, or a video game for people on the go? Though the answer isn’t clear, these collars.

Lot 113 – Maciej Hotel Geisha Dummy Components

Now, this one is probably a few more years away from us. While the modern world has made incredible advancements in the field of robotics, free moving servants or “pleasure models” are still a fantasty. In one of the film’s most memorable sequences, a small group of robotic geishas are hacked and attack an ambassador’s dinner. The attackers are put down by Major, when the remains are collected and brought back to Section 9 for analysis. This dummy was made for use as set dressing in the lab sequence.

These lots and many more are featured in Propstore’s Ghost in the Shell Auction 2.0. Thank you for checking out our blog coverage and be sure to check out our other articles in this auction series!