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Original Lightsaber Goes For 3x Expectations

Brad1138 writes "Los Angeles - The lightsaber used by intergalactic hero Luke Skywalker in Star Wars sold for $200 000 (about R1.3m) at an auction of Hollywood props that fetched far more than expected, officials said on Saturday. news24 link here. I guess Star Wars is truly done. Kind of reminds me of 'The Last Voyage of the Enterprise' when they start parting out the set."

29 of 258 comments (clear)

  1. Wow! by American+AC+in+Paris · · Score: 4, Funny
    (about R1.3m)

    1.3 million Rand? That's nearly 390,000 Pa'anga!

    --

    Obliteracy: Words with explosions

    1. Re:Wow! by beacher · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'm surprised that there isn't a USD Imperial Credits conversion function... Then again, Imperial credits are no good in this system.......

    2. Re:Wow! by Valdrax · · Score: 2, Funny

      Some country uses the Rand as its unit of currency?
      What is it backed by, "enlightened self-interest?"

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      If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
  2. Wow! by geomon · · Score: 2, Funny

    A lightsaber prop from the original series? I thought it would have gone for more than a $200K US.

    I guess the fans are broke after having to pay for the high ticket prices and the assorted other crap that came with the last three movies.

    The law of diminishing returns works after all.

    --
    "Rocky Rococo, at your cervix!"
  3. Let's get real by bigwavejas · · Score: 2, Insightful

    That saber belongs to none other than the Star Wars Kid http://www.screamingpickle.com/members/StarWarsKid /

    --
    "Simplify, simplify, simplify!" Thoreau
  4. Of course by papasui · · Score: 4, Funny

    George needs the warehouse room so he can sell the original extra special platinum edition lightsabre.

  5. Missing Items by spaztech · · Score: 5, Funny

    How much did they get for Mark Hamill? He's obviously part of this collection that no one has seen for years..

    --
    /. spaztech ./
    1. Re:Missing Items by I8TheWorm · · Score: 4, Informative

      I realize you were just being funny, but anyone with kids has seen (and heard) quite a bit of Mark Hammill since Return of the Jedi. See here.

      --
      Saying Android is a family of phones is akin to saying Linux is a family of PCs.
    2. Re:Missing Items by MouseR · · Score: 2, Funny

      Most importantly:

      some horror flic

  6. In Other News.. by joepeg · · Score: 2, Funny

    .. the infamous "Star Wars Kid" puts golf ball retriever up for sale on eBay...

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    ZEN is a prime number in base-36

  7. I thought that was spam by rob_squared · · Score: 3, Funny

    Make you light saber 3x! Or something like that.

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    I don't get it.
  8. I'd rather by ericdano · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'd rather have the little outfit that Princess Leia wore while being a slave for Jabba the Hut ;-)

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    1. Re:I'd rather by winkydink · · Score: 5, Funny

      I don't think it would fit you.

      --

      "I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey

  9. Hey by zardo · · Score: 5, Funny

    $200,000 is a small price to pay, I'd pay that much for the nuclear power cell alone.

  10. not that suprising by everphilski · · Score: 2, Insightful

    There were so many duplicates of each they were hardly unique, that's why they went for so cheap. That's also why they were being auctioned, that their profits might preserve the more rare items (and the other lightsabres).

    -everphilski-

  11. Why is this not in the SMITHSONIAN?!? by voss · · Score: 4, Insightful

    A cultural icon like that not in the smithsonian?!?
    It surely belongs in the smithsonian as much as Archie Bunkers chair.

  12. You spent *how* much? by Iambic+Pentametor · · Score: 4, Funny

    But... but... but, Honey!

    The kids won't need to go to college!
    With this, they can go to the Jedi Acadamy!

    --
    So, rather than appear foolish afterward, I renounce seeming clever now.
  13. UNSURPRISINGLY... by somethingwicked · · Score: 3, Funny

    Due to the heat of walking around in a desert in a metal suit, the codpiece from C3PO's costume went for FAR LESS than expected...

    --

    ---"What did I say that sounded like 'Tell me about your day?'"---

  14. Cult? by AAeyers · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...George Lucas's cult Star Wars series...

    Christianity used to be a cult too, but I don't hear it being called that anymore. I think Star Wars has grown out of 'cult' status.

    --
    "For Great Justice."
  15. Edit for truthfulness by Red+Flayer · · Score: 4, Funny

    From the Article:

    Some 85 items used in producer George Lucas's cult Star Wars series went on the block after one of the film's original producers Gary Kurtz put them up for sale to help maintain and restore his historic collection. (emphasis mine)

    I think the author mispelled "cash out while his collection still had some value."

    --
    "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  16. Hamill's Salary? by airship · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Anyone know how much Mark Hamill was paid to play Luke Skywalker? Would he have been better off to have worked for free and just kept the lightsabre? I suspect that may be the case. If so, that's kind of warped.

    --
    Serving your airship needs since 1995.
    1. Re:Hamill's Salary? by winkydink · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I think if you factor in the time value of money, he probably got a better deal with his then-salary.

      --

      "I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey

    2. Re:Hamill's Salary? by FidelCatsro · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah , he should of asked to keep the Millennium falcon . he could of made a good living doing the kessel run

      --
      The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
  17. it actually went for $170,000.... by filledwithloathing · · Score: 3, Informative

    it actually went for $170,000 but there was an 18% buyers premium for the acution I guess they're sort of adding that in (although the math's still wrong). Here's the auction: http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ViewItem&item=6545186641

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  18. RTFA by AAeyers · · Score: 2, Informative

    Also performing far better than expected was the lightsaber used by Skywalker's dark nemesis Darth Vader in 1980's The Empire Strikes Back, which fetched $118 000 dollars instead of the estimated $40 000 - $60 000.

    $200,000 > $118,000.

    --
    "For Great Justice."
  19. Re:WOW!! by I8TheWorm · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Hehe, I was amazed by it about a week or two ago, when I checked out of curiosity. I can't believe he's had time to have kids.

    Of note, one of his sons was an extra in the crowd during the pod racing scene. Ironically, that son was watching Luke's father win the race. It all sounds like part of a Douglas Adams story to me :)

    --
    Saying Android is a family of phones is akin to saying Linux is a family of PCs.
  20. Wrong department. by solomonrex · · Score: 3, Funny

    "from the dum-dum-dum-dum-da-dum-dum-dum dept."

    I believe that's
    dum-dum-dum-dum-da-dum-dum-da-dum

  21. $200 000?!?!? by Pseudo98 · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...we could almost get our own ship for that!

  22. No hints this was in the movie by Misagon · · Score: 2, Informative

    There is no evidence that this "lightsaber" was used in the production of any Star Wars movie. We can only tell that is was owned by Gary Kurtz.

    It is a Graflex camera flash with a linhof mount at the end of it. The black grips (or "cooling fins") are of a type not seen anywhere else but in Kurtz collection. No lightsaber in any production photo or publicity photos or any of the lightsabers that Lucasfilm regularly puts on display has any grips like it.
    For all we know, it could be something that Gary Kurtz built himself ...

    (ps. An authentic Graflex 3-cell flash in good condition is worth no more than $200 USD)

    --
    "We mustn't be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology" -- Aldous Huxley