A lightsaber wielded by Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi recently smashed the record for the priciest piece of Star Wars movie memorabilia ever to go under the hammer.
The enduring popularity of the franchise means that props, costumes, filming equipment, and other genuine artefacts sell for eye-watering prices at auction. Read on to discover the 30 most expensive pieces of Star Wars movie memorabilia ever. We've also adjusted pre-2022 sales figures for inflation to give you an idea of their value today.
All dollar amounts in US dollars.
This screen-worn stormtrooper helmet from the original movie realised $256,000 (£190k) when it went under the hammer at Comic-Con in San Diego in July. The piece had previously been on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
Authenticated by Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies, the helmet is believed to have appeared in the film's Tatooine sequences. Only around half a dozen of these helmets are thought to survive, hence the piece's considerable value.
The actual black leather gloves Darth Vader sported in the first instalment of the space opera sold for $258,300 (£192k) at a Propstore auction in London in 2022.
Just one complete Vader costume is believed to have been made for A New Hope, making these gloves a unique surviving element of that original ensemble and a truly singular piece of the saga’s history.
Original X-wing fighter miniatures that featured in the early movies are extremely sought after by collectors. One of four in the top 30, this particular version is the only standard painted model from the original film to have come up for auction.
It fetched $270,000 at a Profiles in History sale in Los Angeles in 2012, the equivalent of $380,000 (£282k) in today's money.
In 2023, a stormtrooper helmet from the collection of the franchise's Oscar-winning costume designer John Mollo went under the hammer at a Heritage Auctions sale in Dallas.
Thanks to its impeccable provenance and rarity – the prop was one of only around 12 stormtrooper helmets used in the original movie and repurposed for The Empire Strikes Back – this stunning piece of Star Wars history sold for a hefty $275,000 (£204k).
Thought to be the sole snowtrooper helmet to have ever come up for auction, this specimen, which featured in the Hoth battle scenes in The Empire Strikes Back, is a bona fide Star Wars holy grail item.
It achieved $276,750 at a Profiles in History auction in Los Angeles in 2012, or $389,000 (£289k) in 2025 money.
A stormtrooper helmet crafted for Return of the Jedi sold for $277,200 (£206k) at a Propstore auction in Los Angeles in September. It's estimated that a mere 50 examples were produced for the movie, and genuine surviving props are ultra-rare.
The item has a fascinating backstory: it was rediscovered at a garage sale in Florida in 1989, where it was no doubt snapped up for a song, then subsequently restored after being painted over twice.
In either late 1977 or early 1978, a set of Darth Vader costumes was created purely for promotional purposes. Previously, the studio had used the actual outfit that featured in the first movie.
This particular specimen toured Australia and was sold along with the original travel case. It realised $287,500 ($360k/£267k today) at a Propstore sale in Los Angeles in 2020.
Staying with Darth Vader memorabilia, this set consisting of helmet, facemask, and chest armour from The Empire Strikes Back was pulled from the studio archives, meticulously restored, and donated by Lucasfilm to a 1992 charity auction.
The set is backed by exemplary provenance, including a letter of authenticity signed by George Lucas himself, though its screen use hasn't been proven. It last sold in 2019 for $310,000 ($392k/£291k today) at a Profiles in History auction in Los Angeles.
First introduced on Endor in Return of the Jedi, the sleek biker scout helmets were designed by Nilo Rodis-Jamero to give troopers greater mobility and a more streamlined look than the classic stormtrooper. Between 24 and 30 were produced.
This example is one of only two in private hands. It sold for $315,000 (£234k) at a Propstore auction in Los Angeles in 2024.
This helmet, screen-matched to the Tatooine 'Jedi mind-trick' scene in A New Hope, is one of just three known surviving sandtrooper examples.
Bearing the name of stunt performer Reg Harding inside, it retains many original components and production-era wear. It achieved $327,600 (£244k) at a Propstore auction in London in 2024.
This gigantic optical printer was the machine used to composite every VFX shot in A New Hope. Modified extensively in 1976 and 1977, it was instrumental in winning the film its Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
After Star Wars, the printer was used on productions from The Blues Brothers to RoboCop. It sold for $340,200 (£253k) at a Propstore auction in Los Angeles in 2023.
Luke Skywalker’s Red Five X-wing from The Empire Strikes Back is one of the saga’s most recognisable starfighters, seen from the icy trenches of Hoth to his Jedi training on Dagobah. This original filming miniature is identified by its five red wing stripes and tiny R2-D2 dome.
It sold for $375,000 (£279k) at a Heritage Auctions sale in Dallas in 2023. Together with the previously mentioned standard X-wing and the two models still to come on this list, it highlights the extraordinary demand for these miniatures.
One of just two medals created for the throne room finale of A New Hope, this resin prop, finished in gold leaf and feayuring its original olive-green ribbon, was also worn by Harrison Ford in behind-the-scenes shots.
Originating from the collection of prop man Gerard Bourke, it's the only Medal of Yavin ever to reach the market. The blingy piece sold for $378,000 (£281k) at a Propstore auction in Los Angeles in March 2024.
This original filming miniature of a TIE fighter, used in A New Hope, achieved $402,500 ($605k/£450k today) at a Profiles in History sale in Los Angeles in 2008. At the time, it set a new record for the most expensive piece of Star Wars memorabilia ever auctioned.
The fighter famously collides with Darth Vader in the Death Star trench. Today, it remains one of the most celebrated surviving models from the original trilogy.
The most expensive Luke Skywalker lightsaber ever sold at auction, this hero version appeared in both A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Hero props are highly detailed objects used for close-ups. This one was built from a vintage Graflex camera flash handle and fitted with resin grips and a belt clip.
Sourced from the archive of producer Gary Kurtz, it's undoubtedly one of the most iconic artefacts of the saga. The prop realised $450,000 at a Profiles in History auction in Los Angeles in 2017. Adjusted for inflation, that's $595,000 (£442k).
The opening moments of A New Hope are defined by the Rebel Blockade Runner fleeing from an Imperial Star Destroyer. This unique miniature created that unforgettable shot.
Crafted in aluminium with red detailing, the model came from the collection of chief model maker Grant McCune, who won an Oscar for his work on the film. Unlike other spacecraft where multiple versions were built, only one Blockade Runner of this scale was ever made. It achieved $450,000 ($615k/£457k today) at a Heritage Auctions sale in 2015.
One of just 14 TIE fighter pilot helmets produced for A New Hope, this example is screen-matched to the pilot seen during the Millennium Falcon’s escape from the Death Star. Its signature silver mohawk stripe and decal wear patterns confirm its on-screen use.
Rarer than stormtrooper helmets, most surviving examples were later reused in the sequels. This hero piece sold for $541,800 (£403k) at a Propstore auction in London in 2023.
This non-firing DL-44 blaster, carried by Han Solo in Return of the Jedi, was built largely from wood and remained with the film’s art director, James Schoppe, for over three decades. Schoppe, who bagged an Oscar nomination for his work on the movie, later consigned the piece to auction.
It went on to fetch $550,000 ($710k/£528k today) at a Julien’s Auctions sale in New York in 2018.
The Panavision PSR 35mm camera used by George Lucas to shoot A New Hope played a key role in bringing the movie to life.
It became the most expensive piece of Star Wars memorabilia ever to go under the hammer when it sold for $625,000 at a Profiles in History sale in Los Angeles in 2011, breaking the record set by the TIE fighter in 2008. In today's money, that's the equivalent of a staggering $900,000 (£669k).
This hero stormtrooper costume from A New Hope is one of the most complete and well-preserved examples in existence. Screen-matched across multiple scenes featuring Darth Vader and Princess Leia, it also featured in the Donny & Marie Star Wars Special in 1977, the 1978 Holiday Special, and even the 1978 Oscars.
Part of the late Greg Jein’s collection, the outfit achieved $645,000 (£480k) at a Heritage Auctions sale in Dallas in 2023.
This light-up head worn by Anthony Daniels as C-3PO in A New Hope is the only complete Threepio helmet from the film in private hands. Screen-matched to the Tusken Raider attack, the trash compactor sequence, and the closing medal ceremony, it's a crucial piece of Star Wars history.
Kept by Daniels himself after production and later restored, the head was also used for publicity events and appeared on the cover of Daniels' memoir I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story. It sold for $693,000 (£515k) at a Propstore auction in London in 2023.
Chewbacca’s crossbow-style blaster was his weapon of choice throughout the entire original trilogy, appearing in A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, not to mention the 1978 Holiday Special. Screen and photo-matched across productions, it's believed to be the only bowcaster made for the films.
The prop was tweaked for each sequel but eventually restored to its Jedi configuration. A one-of-a-kind Star Wars holy grail item, the bowcaster fetched $768,600 (£572k) at a Propstore auction in Los Angeles in 2023.
A year after Anthony Daniels’ A New Hope Threepio head sold for $693,000 (£515k), this later screen-matched version from Return of the Jedi set a new record for the character.
Matched to key Endor scenes and distinguished by unique markings, it's the only complete C-3PO head from Jedi in private hands. Its weathered, battle-worn finish contrasts with the gleaming look of the earlier piece, reflecting Threepio’s expanded role in the trilogy’s final chapter. Offered directly from Daniels’ collection, it realised $850,500 (£632k) at a Propstore auction in Los Angeles last year.
The sole surviving hero DL-44 blaster made for A New Hope blasted past expectations when it sold for just over a million dollars at a Rock Island Auction in 2022, setting a Guinness World Record as the most expensive prop gun ever auctioned.
One of three created for Han Solo, this particular example had long been thought lost until it resurfaced from the archives of UK armourers Bapty & Co. It was the blueprint for every Han Solo blaster that followed.
This screen-worn helmet and facemask from The Empire Strikes Back became the most valuable Darth Vader headgear ever auctioned, selling for $1.125 million ($1.43m/£1.06m today) at a Profiles in History sale in Los Angeles in 2019.
Unlike the heavily restored helmet, facemask, and armour auctioned that same year for a fraction of the price, this example offered direct, production-worn provenance, a detail that clearly made all the difference to bidders.
This screen-used miniature of a Rebel Y-wing fighter, identified as the Gold Leader/TIE-killer version, played a pivotal role in the space battles above the Death Star in A New Hope. One of only two created, it features detailed surface textures and illumination in the engine nacelles to simulate motion and thrust.
Sold at a Heritage Auctions event in Dallas in 2024, the exceedingly rare model fetched a substantial $1.55 million (£1.2m).
This screen-matched X-wing, known as Red Leader, was one of the highly detailed hero miniatures built for the climactic Death Star trench run in A New Hope. Constructed with working servomotors to articulate its wings and fitted with lights, it was used in multiple shots during the final battle.
A rare survivor from the handful of models created, it went under the hammer for $2.39 million (£1.8m) at a Propstore auction in Los Angeles in 2022.
This complete full-sized R2-D2 unit was assembled from original screen-used components spanning the original trilogy, as well as The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.
Consigned from a private collection, the peerless unit generated global headlines when it achieved $2.76 million ($3.65m/£2.71m today) at a Profiles in History sale in Los Angeles in 2017.
The most expensive Star Wars spacecraft sold at auction, this hero X-wing fighter miniature, which is screen-matched to Red Leader in A New Hope, was kitted out with servo-controlled S-foils and internal lighting for close-up effects shots.
It fetched an astonishing $3.135 million (£2.33m) at a Heritage Auctions sale in Dallas in 2023, comfortably eclipsing the Propstore Red Leader sold the previous year.
Shattering the record for the priciest piece of Star Wars memorabilia ever, Darth Vader’s screen-matched duelling lightsaber from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi realised a whopping $3.654 million (£2.7m) at a Propstore auction in Los Angeles in September.
Used in the saga’s most famous lightsaber duels, the prop was built from a vintage 1950s camera flash and heavily modified with grips, wiring, and calculator parts. Its screen use and revered status helped propel it past all previous records, cementing it as the ultimate Star Wars collectible.
Now discover what the first 21 Star Wars figures are worth today