Han Solo's Return of the Jedi blaster tops auction
June 24, 2018
Julien's Auctions had put the famed sci-fi weapon on display in New York last month.
The New York auction house said Robert Ripley's franchise Believe It or Not bought the item on Saturday. The auction was held at Planet Hollywood casino resort.
For more than 30 years, the blaster pistol had been part of the belongings of James Schoppe, art director of the hugely popular Star Wars film, which was released in 1983.
Read more: Star Wars: The Story of Han Solo set for takeoff
Martin Nolan, the auction house's executive director, said Schoppe, an Oscar nominee for his work on Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, finally decided to sell Han Solo's gun and about 40 other items from the movie, including an Ewok axe and plans for Jabba the Hutt's ship.
The blaster sold for $550,000 (€471,000), topping the $450,000 auction previously fetched by Skywalker's lightsaber from the first two Star Wars films.
Julien's said the Ewok axe was auctioned for $11,250 while another blaster from the movie got $90,624.
Last year, an R2-D2 from several Star Wars films sold for $2.76 million.
Other items at Saturday's auction included a Superman III movie costume worn by Christopher Reeve and a dress worn by Marilyn Monroe.
Read more: Solo: A Star Wars Story celebrated at Cannes
shs/tj (AFP, AP)
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