Stacy Bair turns movie memorabilia collection into unique showcase at Bairco
Lovell business owner Stacy Bair has turned her lifelong love for movies into a fascinating hobby by collecting original movie props. What began as a quirky interest has blossomed into a full-fledged collection, which she now proudly displays in a dedicated room at her family’s business, Bairco Construction.
A lifelong resident of Lovell, Bair left her hometown for California at 18 but returned after a decade away. She has a strong connection to her community and loves being back in the town she grew up in.
“I’m Charlotte’s and Gage’s mom. Nothing else about me is cooler than that, so it’s not worth mentioning,” she said.
Besides a passion for community and family, she has another passion that is quite unique, collecting real movie props.
Bair’s passion for movie props started unexpectedly while she was searching for a Halloween costume online years ago. That search led her into the world of movie prop collectors, and it wasn’t long before she purchased her first piece.
“I purchased my very first movie prop as a Halloween costume for (husband) Devin to wear,” she said. “It was a Necromonger suit from The Chronicles of Riddick.”
From there, her interest took off. Now after 13 years of collecting, Bair has gathered a wide range of memorabilia from some of Hollywood’s biggest films such as Titanic, Gladiator and The Shawshank Redemption.
When Bairco Construction moved out of town to its current location, Bair saw an opportunity to turn her growing collection into something special. She designed a unique movie prop room, complete with movie theater carpet and ceiling tiles featuring Hollywood stars to showcase her ever-growing collection. While the room may be small, it’s packed with history and cinematic treasures.
“The room is small but has some really neat elements that tie into the movie theme,” she said.
Her favorite pieces range from Gladiator memorabilia to a poker chip from Rounders, a film she particularly loves. Each item tells its own story and brings a bit of Hollywood to Lovell.
“I love the movie Rounders, so one of my favorite props is a poker chip from Teddy K.G.B.’s infamous poker room,” Bair said. “I also love Gladiator and have several pieces from that movie.”
Although her current favorite film is Rocky IV, she doesn’t have any props from it, yet. However, her collection does include a Rocky Balboa champion pin from Rocky III, a nod to the character’s iconic boxing career.
Bair’s collection isn’t really just a hobby for herself, she’s also shared it with the Lovell community by occasionally displaying items at the Hyart Theatre. Currently on display in the Hyart lobby is the wedding dress worn by Geena Davis as the character Barbara Maitland in the original Beetlejuice movie in 1988.
“I will continue to display some pieces now and again at the Hyart if they will let me,” Bair said. “The Hyart is such a treasure for our small town, and I love to help promote it in any way I can.”
For Bair, collecting movie props is a unique way to connect with the magic of the movies, and also another way to connect with the community she loves.