Miraculously showing at public public sale for the primary time ever is maybe the Holy Grail of all “Star Wars” collectibles within the type of Darth Vader’s screen-matched hero lightsaber prop wielded by actor David Prowse and famed stuntman Bob Anderson in “Star Wars” saga finale struggle scenes.
To say that this can be a momentous event for sci-fi collectors is a supreme understatement, as that is the primary dueling lightsaber used through the taking pictures of two Star Wars motion pictures — “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Again” and “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.”
It is going to be introduced because the premier merchandise in Propstore’s upcoming Leisure Memorabilia Stay Public sale in Los Angeles, launching from September 4-6, 2025.
Pre-sale estimates for the unbelievable film-used weapon of the intimidating Sith Lord are working between $1,000,000 – $3,000,000, but it surely might go even greater if a heated bidding battle erupts.
The lightsaber will be seen held by the performers within the dramatic third-act clashes between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker in each director Irvin Kershner’s 1980 sequel and director Richard Marquand’s 1983 follow-up to shut out the area opera trilogy.
Per the official catalog description, “It’s constructed from a classic British press digicam flash deal with that was remodeled into Vader’s notorious weapon by way of the becoming of dressing elements corresponding to plastic grips, calculator bubbles, and beauty wiring. This particular prop was additional modified with a customized blade-mounting system that facilitated the set up of a picket rod; the rod served because the blade through the choreographed struggle scenes and made the bodily, on-camera dueling attainable. It additionally later served as a information for visible results artists so as to add the hand-animated glow for the ultimate photographs.”
Slight injury to the enduring prop’s hilt identifies it as the first lightsaber filmed in these historic cinematic sequences. Based on Propstore, that is very seemingly the one hero lightsaber prop ever rising from the unique “Star Wars” trilogy with bona fide display screen use and has been stored in a single non-public assortment.
“I grew up deeply impressed by ‘Star Wars,'” Propstore COO Brandon Alinger tells Area.com.
“It wasn’t only a film, it was the film of generations. The unique trilogy is what sparked my lifelong fascination with filmmaking and screen-used props. The lightsaber, particularly, holds a near-mythical place in my creativeness. The truth that this precise lightsaber nonetheless exists, and that it screen-matches these iconic moments, is extraordinary. To see it and even maintain it, you’ll be able to really feel the gravity of what ‘Star Wars’ means to thousands and thousands of individuals. And now, for the primary time ever, this legendary artifact is heading to public public sale, able to discover a new house the place it might probably proceed to encourage.”
Vader’s lethal lightsaber will even be on show for the general public when it is despatched out on a multi-city press preview tour subsequent month, together with different highlights from Propstore’s September Leisure Memorabilia Stay Public sale. Cities concerned within the street present are: London (August 6), Beverly Hills (week of August 18), and New York Metropolis (week of August 25).
For more information, go to the Propstore web site.
