An iconic item from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back sold for a staggering sum of money beyond its estimated price range at a recent auction. It set a record for being the biggest sale of the event, outselling items from other iconic franchises. Notably, memorabilia from the epic space opera series has a history of fetching impressive sums of money at auctions. Darth Vader’s lightsaber, for instance, once reportedly sold for $3.654 million while the X-wing starfighter sold for $3.135 million.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back C-3P0’s head earns $1 million at auction
A light-up C-3PO head from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back reportedly sold for $1,058,400 at Propstore‘s March 25 auction. Due to this, it surpassed the sales of items from franchises like Jaws, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Top Gun, and Batman Begins. The item had an estimated price range of $350,000-700,000.
According to the listing, the item is said to be the only original from The Empire Strikes Back to make it into the collector’s market. An auctioneer affiliated with the auction house revealed in a YouTube video breaking down the head’s features that it came from the family of a crew member who worked on the film.
The head, whose dimensions are 25 cm x 20 cm x 32 cm, is composed of three major components: a backplate, a faceplate with installed eyes, and a neck ring. All of these are fixed together with two neck bolts and a forehead antenna. Moreover, it is made out of thin fiberglass, ensuring it is close-fitting and lightweight. Furthermore, the head’s components were cast into the fiberglass.
Special care was taken when designing the illuminating photoreceptor eyes so as not to blind Anthony Daniels, the actor behind C-3PO. Black material was inserted behind the lights to protect his vision, thus leaving small ports for him to see through.
The right eye retains the original wiring. However, the left eye’s wiring has been changed, now connected to a newly installed battery pack and a switch on a custom-made display stand. Meanwhile, the faceplate and backplate interiors include the numbers ‘6’ and ‘5’ written in black marker pen and ink, respectively.
C-3PO, along with his constant companion, R2-D2, holds the distinction of appearing in all nine mainline Star Wars films.
