An original “Star Wars” stormtrooper helmet used in the production of “The Empire Strikes” sold for a lot more than expected at an auction in London Wednesday.
The helmet, which was originally predicted to sell for around $90,000, was snatched up by a collector willing to drop $120,000 for the piece of memorabilia that is one of only a few stormtrooper helmets known to exist in private hands.
It was sold at Prop Store’s Entertainment Memorabilia Auction, taking place at the Odeon BFI IMAX, at Waterloo, London.
Other noteworthy sales included the Leeloo Dallas multi pass from “The Fifth Element” at $64,000, Katsumoto’s armor from “The Last Samurai” for $73,000, The Witch King’s dagger from “The Lord of the Rings” for $55,000 and an Ambassador-Class Starship model miniature from “Star Trek” which sold for $57,000.
“The collection auctioned yesterday was phenomenal, and we’re thrilled to see these pieces of history head to new loving homes,” Stephen Lane, Prop Store founder and CEO, said. “A huge thanks to our partners Odeon and the BFI for hosting the momentous occasion. We’re already making plans and accepting consignments for our next auction.”
Though the films have been popular since the original “Star Wars” was released in 1977, the franchise has been even more present in the pop culture landscape of late thanks to the upcoming release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on Dec. 18.