Propstore Auction Features $9 Million in Film Memorabilia Amid Market Growth

Propstore is conducting a three-day Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction this March, offering more than 1,550 distinct items from film and television history with a cumulative pre-sale valuation projected at $9 million. The event, scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, encompasses artifacts spanning over a century of filmmaking, ranging from early production art to props utilized in major motion pictures.

Founded in 1998 by film enthusiast Stephen Lane, Propstore has established itself as a significant entity in entertainment memorabilia, frequently collaborating with studios to offer authenticated, screen-used items directly to collectors. Among the most anticipated lots is the light-up C-3PO head from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), noted as the only known example from that specific film available to collectors, carrying an estimate between $350,000 and $700,000.

Other high-value items include a lightsaber hilt used by Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), estimated at $50,000 to $100,000. These pieces reflect the substantial financial value now placed on tangible cinematic artifacts; for context, a Darth Vader lightsaber previously achieved over $3.6 million at auction. Further highlights include Quint's harpoon gun from Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975), which is expected to reach $500,000, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's distressed jacket from The Terminator (1984), estimated between $75,000 and $150,000.

The auction commences with in-room bidding at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on the first day, followed by timed online sessions. This activity occurs within a demonstrably expanding global market for TV and movie memorabilia, which was valued at US$ 33.45 Billion in 2026 and is projected to reach US$ 41.05 Billion by 2035, reflecting a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 2.3%. The Asia-Pacific region was identified as a leading market in 2023.

Brandon Alinger, COO of Propstore, frames the company's function as "caretakers of film history," stressing the preservation of these items for subsequent generations. The high prices realized are attributed to scarcity, provenance, and the emotional connection fans maintain with the on-screen moments these props represent, with costumes currently generating the largest share of revenue in the memorabilia sector.