R2-D2, lightsaber: Force is strong in this auction
Die-hard Star Wars fans will need to rely on more than the force if they want to bid on an R2D2 droid that appeared in several of the franchise’s movies.
A couple million dollars might also help.
Representing “the pinnacle of the Star Wars collecting universe,” it could fetch up to $2 million in the June 26-28 auction, according to Calabasas, California-based auction house Profiles in History.
Nothing like a complete R2 unit has ever been sold at auction before, said Stephanie Connell, a London-based movie memorabilia consultant not involved in the sale.
“This is not just a normal movie prop,” she said. “This is instantly recognizable, the creme de la creme of movie props.”
The 43-inch tall R2 unit for sale is sort of a Frankenstein’s monster of droids, pieced together over several years from different original components used in the first five Star Wars movies. There is no other known complete original R2 unit in the public domain, according to the auction house.
Fans outbid for the droid may want to take a shot at landing the lightsaber. Carried by actor Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in the first two Star Wars movies, it is expected to sell for anywhere from $150,000 to $250,000.
Unfortunately, the 10.5 -inch lightsaber prop does not emit a blade of blue light that can cut through spacecraft walls.