Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) presents Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamil) with the Medal of Yavin as Han … [+]
Did you ever watch Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and picture yourself up on the podium alongside Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, receiving a medal of honor from Princess Leia after destroying the Death Star? If so, and you have a half a million dollars or so burning a hole in your pocket, you could be the bidder who lands the coveted Medal of Yavin prop at an upcoming auction of Hollywood memorabilia held at the upcoming Propstore auction March 26-28, 2025.
The fully authenticated medal is one of over 1,300 lots featuring iconic artifacts from the silver screen listed in the current auction catalog, likely to net over $8 million in total according to Propstore. The buzz around the auction is a testament to the rising popularity of this niche of the collectibles market that has seen massive growth over the past decade, as more and more people look to own actual props and costumes that appeared in their favorite films.
Propstore COO Brandon Alligner with the Medal of Yavin from Star Wars, projected to fetch between … [+]
“We’ve seen a lot of interest and big jumps in price levels over the past ten or fifteen years,” said Brandon Alinger, COO of Propstore’s LA location (the company also has a division in London). “A lot of our buyers are pure collectors, buying from passion. They are cognizant of the investment potential and whether an item will hold its value, but we’re not seeing that many people driven purely by the financial side. We always advise people to buy what they love.”
If you’re a movie fan, chances are, the Propstore catalog has something to tickle your fancy. Among the other highlights of the March auction are John Travolta’s “Greased Lightnin’” T-birds jacket from Grease (1978), the “evil Superman” costume worn by Christopher Reeve in Superman III (1983), a Mr. Fusion appliance from Back to the Future 2 (1989) and a radio-controlled Ghost Trap and pedal from Ghostbusters (1983). These props probably won’t help you woo the girl of your dreams, give you superpowers, travel back in time, or capture ghosts, but they are likely to impress friends and fellow fans.
Writer/Producer David Mandel (Veep, SNL, Seinfeld, White House Plumbers) is a longtime prop collector and cohosts the Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of podcast with House of the Dragon producer Ryan Condal. He says a lot of enthusiasm comes from the fact that props are often one-of-a-kind or very limited items, making owning one a very special and exclusive experience.
“My highest priority is Star Wars, Star Wars, and of course, Star Wars,” said Mandel. “The Luke ceremonial media is amazing, but it’s the Chewbacca bowcaster [seen in all three original films] that just blows me away. As a kid, I made one out of wrapping paper tubes. It came with the action figure. It just speaks to me on a primal level.”
Chewbacca’s bowcaster from the original Star Wars trilogy, at auction at Propstore, March 2025.
Alinger says that fans of a property like Star Wars or genre films in general tend to cross over into prop collecting as an extension of their interests. A large number of items in the March auction come from science fiction, fantasy and superhero films and are likely to draw bids from collectors who also have original artwork, cards, comics and action figures. The demographics of collectors with deep enough pockets to bid on high end props also explains the preponderance of material from the 70s, 80s and 90s – nostalgic sweet spots for today’s peak career professionals and empty nesters.
But the Propstore auction also features what Alinger calls “vintage” items, including a pair of boots worn by Charlie Chaplain’s “Little Tramp” in his 1940 classic The Great Dictator and the jacket worn by Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate (1968).
“It’s harder to find vintage,” said Allinger. “Just by the nature of it, there’s less in the market due to age. But we try to offer something for everyone, and the vintage fits into that very nicely.”
One item in the catalog that checks both boxes is a utility belt worn by Adam West in the 1960s Batman TV series. “Everything that is great about the Batman show is right there in that belt,” said Mandel.
Two important factors beyond the collector’s personal interest in the item are the authenticity of the item, and whether it is likely to hold its value if the collector eventually wants to sell or trade up. Alinger says Propstore and other reputable dealers go to great lengths to certify that the prop is actually the one used in the film by “screen matching” it to sequences in the movie where it appears, comparing scratches and other imperfections at a minute level. Cases of counterfeits have been rare, but with prices rising into the six- and seven-figure range, obtaining that certified guarantee is important.
As to the long term value, the market for props fluctuates like any collectible, depending on factors like scarcity, desirability, salience and memorability of the movie in today’s popular culture and dynamics within an auction itself. Even in a relatively small hobby, when there are only a couple of screen-used props in existence, it just takes two “whales” getting into a bidding contest to drive the hammer price well beyond expectations.
Executive producer Frank Rich, left, poses with executive producer and director David Mandel at the … [+]
Mandel, who has been collecting for nearly 30 years, says that today’s market has cooled down a bit from the pandemic era, which saw booming prices for all manner of art and collectibles, but remains strong at the top end. “The middle can be a little soft, with people who overpaid during COVID and now can’t get the same number,” he said. “But for killer pieces from a high demand movie, prices have never been better.”
Auctions like the one coming in March are becoming more common. Propstore holds three per year (two in Los Angeles, one in London), and other auction houses feature similar material, or specialize in areas like onscreen fashion and dresses. Alinger says not everything requires a big investment. Most of the items on the March list will probably go for four figure bids, and some even lower.
In a world where cinema has always offered people a temporary escape from hard reality, it’s not hard to see the appeal of holding just a little piece of that fleeting fantasy world in the palm of your hand.
Registration and online bidding for the Propstore auction March 26-29 in Los Angeles (with online bidding) are now open, and Mandel and Condal will be previewing the auction in an upcoming episode of their prop collecting podcast The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of.
