Bits of iconic films like The Wizard of Oz and Raiders of the Lost Ark come up for bids
They’re just made of black plastic, red sequins and a few yards of white rayon fabric but the combined auction prices for Darth Vader’s lightsaber, Dorothy’s ruby slippers and Marilyn Monroe’s Seven Year Itch dress exceed $35 million dollars. The value of movie props has skyrocketed in recent years with million-dollar bids becoming the norm for the most iconic items.
London-based Propstore has become a major player in the world of movie memorabilia since opening its U.S. hub in Valencia in 2017. Their spring entertainment auction includes iconic items like the only known light-up C-3PO head from The Empire Strikes Back, an original “Wilson” the volleyball, Tom Hanks’ best friend in Cast Away and an entire fishing rig used to fight the shark from Jaws.
Collectors tend to know and value items from the movies they grew up with. Recent sales have seen artifacts from more recent decades shooting up in value alongside their golden age counterparts. One of the oldest items is the Cowardly Lion’s “courage” medal from 1939’s The Wizard of Oz with the majority of movie props up for bids dating to after the Reagan administration.
Some of our favorite items up for bid.
Lot 174 Harold Lloyd’s eyeglasses
Items from the iconic silent-era comedian don’t turn up for sale everyday and this lot includes script pages, personal correspondence and his trademark round eyeglasses.
Lot 204 Chachapoyan Fertility Idol Prototype from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
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Audiences first meet Harrison Ford’s professor turned explorer when he trades a bag of sand for this ancient idol. This plaster prototype version was once displayed at Planet Hollywood.
Lot 413 Golden ticket from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
What kid of the 1970s didn’t dream of winning a trip to a chocolate factory. Gold foil tickets like this propelled the story but were quickly discarded when filming wrapped. A crew member took this one home.
Lot 360 C-3PO head from The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
One of the expected top-sellers at the auction is this golden robot from the second outing of George Lucas’ mega franchise. The thin fiberglass head has light-up eyes and is expected to fetch up to $700,000
Lot 265 Stop-motion puppet from Mars Attacks! (1996)
Director Tim Burton admired the stop-motion animation from films like Jason and the Argonauts and wanted to utilize the laborious technique in his sci-fi epic based on 1950s trading cards. The 16.5” figure was built but eventually scanned and animated digitally.
Lot 158 The Cowardly Lion’s medal of courage from The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The wizard himself pins this badge on the big cat after he and his gang kill the witch, destroying all of her beautiful wickedness.
Propstore Spring Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction in Los Angeles
March 25 – 27, 2026
