This Coveted ‘Star Wars’ Prop Could Fetch $1 Million at Auction

Besides the C3PO helmet, props will be on offer from films ranging from 'The Ten Commandments' to 'Back to the Future'.

C3PO lit-up prop head from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983). Photo courtesy of Propstore.

Calling all Star Wars fans: if you have ever wanted to own a unique prop from your favorite film franchise, now is your chance.

British actor Anthony Daniels is parting ways with the iconic golden helmet he wore portraying the character C-3PO on the set of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983). The head of the wise-cracking android will be sold at Propstore’s entertainment memorabilia auction in March, where it is expected to fetch between $500,000 and $1 million.

In addition to the robot head, Daniels will also sell his personal collection of press clippings promoting the releases of all three installments of the Star Wars trilogy, along with assorted memorabilia. These range from articles published in Vanity Fair, Financial Times, and USA Today to flyers promoting “Where Science Meets Imagination,” an ongoing traveling show organized by the Museum of Science, Boston.

Anthony Daniels with the C3PO lit-up prop head. Photo courtesy of Propstore.

“I’m thrilled that Propstore has agreed to curate my collection and I trust that the pieces will go into the right hands,” Daniels said in a press release. “I hope this can bring pleasure to Star Wars fans and collectors all around the world and give them a chance to own a piece of the real thing.”

The auction, which will take place from March 12 to 14, will feature more than 1,700 props valued at more than $8 million. They include iconic memorabilia such as the Erlewine Hondo Chiquita Guitar wielded by Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly in Back to the Future (1985), which is tagged with an estimate of $100,000 to $200,000; and the Panhead Chopper motorcycle that Peter Fonda rode in on as Wyatt in Easy Rider (1969), which is estimated to make between $200,000 and $400,000.

Panhead Chopper motorcycle from Easy Rider (1969). Photo courtesy of Propstore.

Harry Potter’s wand from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), the tablets that had a starring role in The Ten Commandments (1956), and a Freddy Krueger stunt mask from A Nightmare on Elm Street 5 (1989) round out the sale.

See more images of the lots below.

Ten Commandments tablets from The Ten Commandments (1956). Courtesy of Propstore.

Stormtrooper helmet from Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi (1983). Courtesy of Propstore.

Captain Picard’s chair from Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–94). Courtesy of Propstore.

Stunt leather jacket from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). Courtesy of Propstore.

Erlewine Hondo Chiquita Guitar from Back to the Future (1985). Courtesy of Propstore.

Wedding tartan from Braveheart (1995). Courtesy of Propstore.

Costume worn by Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton John) in Grease (1978). Courtesy of Propstore.

Wand belonging to Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). Courtesy of Propstore.


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