‘Star Wars’ Chewbacca mask fetches $172k at auction

New York: The Chewbacca mask used in the original ‘Star Wars’ trilogy has been sold for a whopping 172,200 dollars at a movie memorabilia auction this weekend.

Other items included were an ‘Edward Scissorhands’ costume worn by Johnny Depp that sold for 86,100 dollars and an Everlasting Gobstopper used in the 1971 movie ‘Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory’ that sold for 49,200 dollars. The Chewie mask was described by auctioneer Profiles in History as the “finest full costume headpiece of Chewbacca from the original trilogy in private hands,” and “the finest screen-correct Chewbacca costume head from the Star Wars trilogy known to exist.” The eyes are actual casts of Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew’s closed eyes, the auctioneer said. The expected price for the well-liked Wookie was between 60,000 dollars and 80,000 dollars, plus fees and taxes, according to the auction catalog. “It’s a good day for the Wookiee people on Kashyyyk, but seriously, iconic Hollywood props and costumes are finding their deserved places among pop culture collectors around the world,” Joe Maddalena, CEO of Profiles in History, told the New York Daily News. Other ‘Star Wars’ items included a rare DLT-19 Bakelite blaster marketed as having “a 50 percent chance of being (the weapon) used by Chewbacca in the famous jail break scene during Princess Leia’s bold rescue” in the first 1977 film, the catalogue stated. It sold for 104,550 dollars. An E-11 Stormtrooper blaster pulled in a cool 43,050 dollars. While the ‘Star Wars’ spending might sound otherworldly, it’s in keeping with demand for other rare items from George Lucas’ beloved space series. Four years ago, someone spent a reported 240,000 dollars to get the lightsaber prop used by actor Mark Hamill in the first two ‘Star Wars’ movies. A C-3PO head fetched a reported 120,000 dollars. Other highlights from the Saturday auction were a Superman costume from the 1978 Christopher Reeve movie that sold for 79,950 dollars, Russell Crowe’s chest armor from the 2000 flick ‘Gladiator’ that sold for 58,425 dollars and a Wolverine black leather battlesuit from ‘X-Men’ that raked in for 49,200 dollars. ANI