- An auction this September will feature the lightsaber used by Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back. The prop is expected to fetch up to $3 million, the auction house estimates. Also going up for bid are Sauron’s helmet from The Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones’ belt, bullwhip and pistol holster from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Movie lovers looking to get their hands on some of the biggest cinematic props of the last half century better start saving up.
Auction house Propstore is hosting an Entertainment Memorabilia Auction in September with a slew of high-stakes items. The biggest of those, though, is likely to be the lightsaber prop that was used by Darth Vader in his battles with Luke Skywalker in both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
The screen-matched item (meaning its use in the film has been authenticated) is expected to sell for between $1 million and $3 million according to early estimates, though it could go even higher. The prop, which is made from a British press camera flash handle, has been in a private collection prior to this sale.
“This is believed to be the only hero lightsaber prop with verifiable screen-use to ever be offered at public auction,” the auction house writes. “It is one of the rarest and most sought after ‘grail’ Star Wars props in existence.”
The lightsaber could top the $3 million paid for an X-Wing from the Star Wars films in 2023 and the $2.76 million paid for an R2-D2 droid used in the films, which was sold in 2017.
If funds are a bit tight, you might want to opt instead for the Bullwhip, Whip Holster, and Belt that Harrison Ford wore in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. That’s expected to sell for between $250,000 and $500,000. Also reportedly coming up for bids is the helmet Sauron wore in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. (A fedora worn by Ford previously fetched $630,000 at auction.)
Before the auction takes place in Los Angeles, Propstore plans to take some of the bigger items on tour, with stops planned in London, New York, and Beverly Hills to whip up collector interest.