Luke Skywalker was pretty handy with a DL-44 Blaster in movies like “The Empire Strikes Back,” and now you can own one of the guns he used, if you’re willing to part with at least $200,000. That’s the pre-bid auction estimate. So who’s biting?
Well, no one yet, according to Nate Sanders Auctions, which is handling the sale.
The Luke Skywalker prop is featured on its Web site, with provenance attesting to its authenticity from Sotheby’s.
The New York City auction house last sold the item in February 1998. Although the sale price then is unknown, the pre-bid asking price isn’t as outlandish as it may seem.
Luke Skywalker’s movie light saber sold for $240,000 a few years ago, although the pre-sale estimate was $3.5 million.
The blaster gun Han Solo used in both “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” sold in 2013 for $200,000, according to an auction tracking site.
Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in early Star Wars films, originally gave the replica gun to a young fan during a guest appearance on the BBC television show “Jim’ll Fix It,” according to the site.
The piece made at least one appearance in “The Empire Strikes Back,” but it’s hard to see how it was used. The gun is crudely made from gray, silver and brown-colored fiberglass. It doesn’t look as detailed as blasters that were prominently featured.
It’s in original 1980 filming condition, with some wear. It has one glued section, but has been judged overall to be in “very good condition.”
“[It] retains its original flash suppressor and scope, though it does not (and never did) fire, making it the lighter model used in the movie for non-firing scenes,” according to the site.
The sale runs through Jan. 28. So far, there are no bids.
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