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by Pia Seidel
Darth Vader's lightsaber and Indy's whip go under the hammer
24.7.2025
Translation: machine translated
In September, you have the opportunity to bid for two props from well-known films from the 1980s. In addition to Darth Vader's lightsaber, an original whip from Indiana Jones will also be on sale.
Darth Vader is one of the most famous film villains of all time. When he's not «using the power» to strangle the unarmed, he likes to reach for his glowing red lightsaber. And you can bid for this very lightsaber - along with around 1,000 other props - at a live auction event from 4 to 6 September.
But you should bring some change to the event organised by the Propstore auction house in Los Angeles. Experts estimate that the famous prop will go for between one and three million US dollars. The price could also be higher, depending on who is interested in buying it.
According to the description, it is an original lightsaber. It was used in the battle scenes between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker in the films «Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back» (1980) and «Episode 6: Return of the Jedi» (1983) in the first «Star Wars» trilogy. For example in the cloud city in Episode 5.
The Propstore auction house specialises in film props and is always offering pieces from old classics.
An improvised prop is now worth millions
Before you buy it, however, you should realise this: You can't actually use this thing to cut through metal struts and chop off your son's hand. It's just the handle of the sword. In the film, a wooden pole attached to the handle was used as a blade to make the sword fights more or less realistic. The pole is not part of the auction.
In addition, you should not expect an elaborately manufactured high-tech device. According to the object description, the handle was cobbled together from various other pieces of equipment. The prop makers used the handle of a camera flash unit and attached small electronic parts, wires and buttons from a pocket calculator to it.
Source: Propstore
According to the description, the prop was in a private collection for decades. Genuine lightsaber props from the original trilogy are therefore extremely rare. According to the description, it could even be the only lightsaber of a main character from the trilogy that can be proven to have been seen in the films. Photos from the set of the films, on which the hilt can be seen, serve as proof. Its damage matches that of the prop on sale here.
Indy's whip from «The Last Crusade»
If you don't have that much money and prefer beating up Nazis, you might be interested in one of the other items in this auction. A leather whip around 2.5 metres long is also for sale. It was made for the 1989 film «Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade». A belt and a loop for attaching the whip to the belt, both made of leather, are also included. The set is estimated to sell for between 250,000 and 500,000 US dollars.
Source: Propstore
An enclosed label indicates that the equipment was intended for the «Rideaway Scene». This is a motorbike chase in which Indy and his father flee from Nazis. However, there is no whip to be seen in the finished film.
The description indicates that this scene was filmed towards the end of the film and that the whip may have been used in earlier scenes. It shows hardly any signs of use and was also previously privately owned. In the end, perhaps the only question that remains is: doesn't the whip actually belong in a museum?
Header image: Propstore
Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.
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