There’s no way to put a price on the Battle of Yavin — an event that changed the course of history in “Star Wars.” But a medal given to the heroes of that key Rebellion win was sold for almost $400,000 at a recent auction.
A prop medal given to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in the original “Star Wars” film sold for $378,000 on Wednesday, the first day of Propstore’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction. The three-day event, which concluded Friday, boasted memorabilia from films including “Ghostbusters,” “Batman Returns,” “Jurassic Park,” “Conan the Barbarian” and “Tron” as well as the TV shows “Star Trek: The Original Series,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “Breaking Bad” and “Friends.”
In addition to the Medal of Yavin — a medal of bravery of sorts bestowed by Princess Leia on Skywalker and Han Solo for their roles in helping destroy the Death Star — the auction also featured Chewbacca’s bowcaster. The prop of the Wookiee’s crossbow-like laser blaster fetched $768,600 during the auction.
The Battle of Yavin, the first key win for the Rebel Alliance against the Empire, is the event that separates time periods in the galaxy far, far away. The years before that battle are labeled BBY, for Before the Battle of Yavin, while the years after are labeled ABY, for After the Battle of Yavin. The upcoming second season of Disney+’ “Andor” will span 4 to 1 BBY.
Props from the “Star Wars” franchise were not the only ones that sold big last week. Other notable sales during the auction, according to Propstore, included a radio-controlled light-up ghost trap from “Ghostbusters” and “Ghostbusters II,” which went for $327,600. In the film, the trap was triggered by a pedal and was one of the tools used by the paranormal investigators to capture various spirits haunting New York.
Also among the items featured in the auction were Conan’s sword from “Conan the Barbarian,” which fetched $176,400; a Batsuit from “Batman Returns,” which went for $157,500; Dumbledore’s wand from “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” which sold for $94,500; and Wolverine’s claws from “X-Men: The Last Stand,” which netted $20,160.
Pee-wee Herman’s iconic red bicycle from Tim Burton’s “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” which was expected to attract bids in the $15,000 to $30,000 range, ultimately sold for $144,900.
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