The force is strong with movie memorabilia collectors.
Chewbacca’s iconic bowcaster from the original Star Wars trilogy just sold for a massive $768,600 at Propstore’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction in Los Angeles. This is the real deal, photo-matched and used in A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.
Its original estimate ranged between $300,000 and $600,000, but clearly, bidders weren’t messing around. It’s got restored components, but the core of the blaster, the one wielded by Peter Mayhew’s Chewie is as screen-used as it gets.
That wasn’t the only heavy hitter on the block. A ghost trap (and pedal) from the original Ghostbusters secured $327,600, no doubt making some collector feel very spiritually fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Conan’s Atlantean sword, swung by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Barbarian, sold for $176,400 — and it came with four behind-the-scenes photos for added flair.
Michael Keaton’s Batsuit from Batman Returns was also snagged for $157,500, further proof that the bat never goes out of style.
John Travolta’s slick T-Birds jacket from Grease fetched $126,000, Dumbledore’s robe from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince went for $81,900, and Tom Cruise’s bomber jacket from Top Gun matched that same $81,900 mark.
Even Winona Ryder’s white dress from Edward Scissorhands made an appearance, designed by the legendary Colleen Atwood and sold for $15,000.
The auction spanned three days and drew collectors from across the globe. Reflecting on its success, Propstore COO Brandon Alinger shared:
“We are thrilled with the incredible success of the first day of our Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction. The auction surpassed our expectations and showcased the enduring popularity of franchises like ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Batman,’ and ‘Ghostbusters,’ along with legendary films like ‘Grease’ and cult favorite, ‘The Evil Dead.’ We’re proud to have connected our global audience of fans with the historic pieces they cherish, and we look forward to the next two days of the auction.”
I wish I had money to blow on cool original movie props!
