— In Los Angeles, Propstore is holding a three-day online auction that runs through Saturday, Sept 6, featuring more than 1,000 film and TV artifacts. The headline lot is a screen-used Darth Vader lightsaber from The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), valued up to $3 million; the sale also includes iconic items from Indiana Jones, Men in Black, Batman and more.
Key takeaways
- Propstore’s three-day online auction in Los Angeles includes 1,000+ lots and ends on Saturday, Sept 6, 2025.
- The most valuable lot is a screen-used Darth Vader lightsaber (Empire Strikes Back, 1980; Return of the Jedi, 1983), valued up to $3 million.
- Other high-profile items: Indiana Jones leather whip (est. $500,000) and Michael Keaton’s 1989 Batman suit (est. $500,000).
- Notable props also include Men in Black’s neuralyzer (est. $150,000) and Tom Hanks’ Wilson volleyball (est. $40,000; had attracted double the estimate by Thursday).
- Propstore calls this one of the largest single sales of movie props, likely to raise tens of millions of dollars.
Verified facts
Propstore, a Los Angeles-based specialist in film memorabilia, is conducting the auction online across three days. The catalog lists more than 1,000 lots spanning science fiction, action, adventure and television. The auction schedule published by Propstore indicates the sale concludes on Saturday, Sept 6, 2025.
The Darth Vader lightsaber offered in this sale is described by Propstore as a screen-used “hero” prop seen in both The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). The company values it at up to $3 million and notes visible wear and dings that they say corroborate on-screen use and enhance authenticity.
Other highlighted items and their auction estimates include: Harrison Ford’s leather whip from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (est. $500,000); the Men in Black neuralyzer (est. $150,000); Michael Keaton’s Batman suit from 1989 (est. $500,000); and costume pieces, posters and space gear from films such as Alien, Armageddon and Back to the Future.
The sale also reaches into television memorabilia and lower-value collectables. Examples listed include Kiefer Sutherland’s Counter Terrorism Unit badge from 24 and Tom Hanks’ blood-stained Wilson volleyball from Cast Away, which the catalog estimated at $40,000 and which had already drawn a bid twice that estimate by Thursday afternoon, Sept 4.
Context & impact
The market for screen-used props and costumes has grown steadily, with high-profile items drawing collectors, museums and investors. Propstore describes this event as among the largest single auctions of film artifacts, and projects proceeds in the tens of millions of dollars.
Preservation and provenance are central to value. Items showing screen wear—such as the Vader lightsaber’s scratches—are often prized because they support claims of on-set use. Propstore emphasizes careful presentation and documentation in its auction materials.
For studios and private owners, auctions like this recycle production materials that were once treated as expendable. For collectors and institutions, they present rare chances to acquire pieces of cinematic history, potentially influencing exhibit programming and private collections for years to come.
Implications for collectors
- Screen-use verification and documented provenance can sharply increase an item’s market value.
- High-profile lots draw competitive bidding and can set new price benchmarks for similar artifacts.
- Online formats broaden participation but make due diligence on authenticity and condition essential.
“We strive to present these pieces with the same level of care that went into their presentation on screen, as they deserve nothing less,”
Propstore (auction brochure)
Unconfirmed
- Propstore states this is “the only hero lightsaber prop with verifiable screen-use to ever be offered at public auction”—that claim is attributed to the company and has not been independently verified here.
- Final sale prices and the auction’s total receipts are unconfirmed until the sale concludes and results are published.
Bottom line
Propstore’s Los Angeles sale is a major event for film collectors, led by a rare screen-used Darth Vader lightsaber with a top estimate of $3 million. The auction’s mix of high-value hero pieces and eclectic memorabil ia underscores continued strong demand for authenticated cinematic artifacts; final prices and the sale’s overall take will be clear once results are posted after Sept 6, 2025.