You can now own a very expensive piece of movie history, thanks to an auction featuring props from the likes of The Empire Strikes Back and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Highlights of the original Star Wars trilogy are the lightsaber duels fought between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader at the end of Empire and Return of the Jedi.
And now you can own the very laser sword brandished by Vader actor David Prowse and stunt performer Bob Anderson in those iconic scenes.
The lightsaber is being sold as part of the Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction hosted by Propstore in Los Angeles in September, where fans can bid for it alongside props from Jaws, Indiana Jones, and Men in Black.
Darth Vader’s lightsaber will set you back up to $3 million
The lightsaber in question is a piece of film history that was constructed from a camera flash handle, that was fitted with plastic grips and a circuit board with magnifying bubbles from a calculator.
The prop has been identified as the lightsaber used in Episodes IV and V thanks to damage to the hilt, making it a unique opportunity, which is why the presale estimate is from $1 million to $3 million.
Propstore COO Brandon Alinger says of the sale: “Nearly 50 years after the first Star Wars film, lightsabers are a universally recognized symbol of the world’s most beloved film franchise and are consistently ranked as the most iconic and memorable props of all time.
“They are the ‘ruby slippers’ of cinema’s modern era. Surviving genuine lightsaber props from the original trilogy of films are exceedingly rare, and Propstore is honored to present this historic artifact in our September sale. It is a grail-level piece, worthy of the finest collections in the world.”
Indiana Jones prop is also up for grabs
Another highlight of the auction is Indiana Jones’ bullwhip, whip holster, and belt from Last Crusade.
Crafted by David Morgan – the whipmaker who worked across the first three Indiana Jones movie – the prop is 8 foot long, and features only minimal damage from on-set use.
The trio of objects come with a production tag noting they were made for the ‘Rideaway Scene,’ which is the iconic chase sequence at the end of the movie.
As the only complete set of their kind to ever be offered at public auction, the presale estimate is $250k-$500k.
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