In just a few weeks, LucasFilm will unveilSolo, but for fans with a lot of spare cash lying around, you can take home a few pieces ofStar Warshistory with two upcoming auctions. Profiles In History will hold their Icons & Legends of Hollywood auction in Los Angeles from June 5-8, where one of the most prized items is the lightsaber used on screen by Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi) inStar Wars: A New Hope. A few weeks later, Julien’s Auctions will be auctioning off Harrison Ford’s screen-used Han Solo blaster fromReturn of the Jedi, on Saturday, June 23 in Las Vegas.
One thing is for certain, these items will not come cheap. The Obi-Wan Kenobi lightsaber is expected to sell between $150,000 and $250,000. Other big-ticket items from the Profiles in History auction is the Harley-Davidson motorcycle ridden by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1991 classicTerminator 2: Judgment Day, which is expected to sell between $200,000 and $300,000, and the chariot used by Charlton Heston in the 1959 classicBen-Hur, which is expected to fetch between $120,000 and $150,000. Other items include Sigourney Weaver’s spacesuit fromAlien, Harrison Ford’s blaster pistol fromBlade Runner, Richard Attenborough’samber-topped canefromJurassic Parkand many more.
For those in New York City, you’ll be able to get a glimpse at some of the 2,000 items on display at The Society of Illustrators (128 East 63 Street New York, NY 10065), in an exhibit that will be open to the public between Tuesday, May 15 and Saturday, May 19. Other items that will be up for auction include the coat Robert De Niro wore asVito CorleoneinThe Godfather Part II, Orson Welles' coat fromCitizen Kane, Debbie Reynolds' dress fromSingin' in the Rain, Gene Kelley’s dance costume fromAn American in Paris, James Dean’s tuxedo and Elizabeth Taylor’s dress fromGiant, Yul Brynner’s jacket fromThe King and Iand Gary Cooper’s New York Yankee uniform fromPride of the Yankees.
The Julien’s Auctions event, known as Hollywood Legends, will take place at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, and also online where fans can bid on thisiconic Han Solo blaster, and other items from the The James L. Schoppe Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Production Archive. This will be the blaster’s first time at auction, and is expected to sell anywhere between $350,000 and $500,000. Here’s an excerpt from the Julien’s Auctions press release with more on the blaster.
“Actor Harrison Ford as “Han Solo” is seen using the blaster in many scenes throughoutReturn of the Jedi. This original production-used BlasTech DL-44 blasterprop weaponwas custommade specifically for the film, built on a metal working non-firing model version of the German Mauser C96 (“Broomhandle Mauser”) from MGC (Model Gun Corporation) of Japan with additional found parts, greblies and cast resin pieces added on. We believe this is one of four hero “Han Solo” blasters made for and used in the film, the production created one “practical” (blank fire) version and three “non-firing” versions. Julien’s Auctions Hollywood Legends auction event will offer one of the three “non-firing” movie prop weapons made for and used in the film. Once production was completed, the film’s Property Master Peter Hancock presented Art Director James L. Schoppe with the “Han Solo” blaster and other props. Schoppe has kept this blaster and his memorabilia archive intact for the past 35 years.”
While no otherStar Warsitems were specifically revealed for the Julien’s Auctions event, other items from the James L. Schoppe Archive will be available. Fans can head over toProfilesInHistory.comto learn more about that auction, and then to juliensauctions.com to learn more about the other event.
