While automotive classics and artwork auctions generally bring in the most cash for their rare items, movie memorabilia auctions also see some hefty amounts being thrown around for truly desirable items and rare collectibles. Now, a recently held auction by the Profiles in History auction house in Calabasas, California, has seen the biggest purchase of a single item ever made at a movie memorabilia auction. An Industrial Automaton R2 series Astro-mech, or more popularly known as an R2-D2 Droid in the "Star Wars" franchise, was sold for a whopping $2.76 million.
A collector's item
The R2-D2 Droid, which was apparently assembled from different parts that were used during the filming of the Movies, was the most expensive item sold during the movie memorabilia auction. According to the Associated Press, the owner gathered the parts from the film set of the original trilogy and the following first and second installment in the franchise. The droid itself looks and feels like the unit that was showcased in the various films and would likely look perfect in any "Star Wars" fan's personal collection.
The owner of the 43-inch tall droid initially wanted around $2 million for the item, which was way below what it actually sold for. The identity of the owner and the buyer are currently unknown.
'Star Wars' collectibles
Along with the R2-D2 Droid, several other items taken directly from the set of the different "Star Wars" movies were also placed under auction. The lightsaber that was used by Mark Hamill in "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back" was also placed under auction and was then sold for $450,000 to one lucky collector.
The lightsaber was previously owned by Gary Kurtz, the original producer of the first two movies. Another item from the popular space opera movie series was Darth Vader's helmet from the first movie, which sold for $96,000. Vader's shoulder armor, as well as Imperial weapons, were also sold at the auction.
More memorabilia items
While the majority of the items were from the popular "Star Wars" franchise, other collectibles from different science fiction movie classics were also put on display during the event. One of the biggest purchases during the event that didn't involve a "Star Wars" piece was a set of twenty-three model ships from both "Battlestar Galactica" and "Buck Rogers," which sold for a whopping $1.8 million for the entire collection. Bill Paxton's helmet, which he wore during the filming of the 1986 "Aliens" movie, was also sold at the auction for $51,000.
