Entertainment memorabilia dealer Propstore sold a light-up C-3PO head for just over $1 million at their spring live auction this week. It’s so far the biggest sale of the auction, which concludes today, March 27.
Sold for $1,058,400, the C-3PO head was worn by actor Anthony Daniels in Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back. This sum surpasses the $843,051 paid for a C-3PO head from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope in 2023.
“This is believed to be the only original C-3PO head from (Empire Strikes Back) in the collector’s market,” according to Propstore’s auction entry.
“The costume’s illuminating ‘photoreceptor’ eyes were designed in such a way as to keep them from blinding Daniels when illuminated; a black material was installed behind the lights to shield the actor’s eyes, leaving only small ports through which he could see. The right eye retains its original wiring, whereas the left eye’s wiring has been replaced. The original power connector has also been replaced, but is included in the lot. The wiring now connects to a more recently installed battery pack and switch on a custom-made display stand.”
As The Hollywood Reporter points out, this isn’t the first Star Wars item to fetch such a huge sum at a Propstore auction. Darth Vader’s lightsaber sold for $3.654 million in September 2025, while a lost X-Wing from A New Hope sold for $3.135 million in October 2023.
Propstore’s spring live auction includes memorabilia from Batman Begins, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Jaws, The Terminator, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, Top Gun, and Gladiator to name a few.
However, the most talked about auction item outside of the C-3PO head is undoubtedly the “butt birth” rhino from Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, which sold for $59,850.
For more Star Wars coverage, watch this first clip from Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, learn about John Boyega’s openness to returning to the franchise, and find out why the puppeteer behind BB-8 thinks Star Wars: Episodes VII-IX will become as beloved as the prequels in 10 years time.
