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The Empire Strikes Back Vader Costume For Sale

Posted by samzenpus on from the best-costume-ever dept.

Now is your chance to own an original Darth Vader costume from the best of the Star Wars movies. Christie's auction house plans on putting it up for sale on Nov. 25 and it would be unwise to underestimate the value of this costume. From the article: "The jet-black helmet, mask and armor worn by the intergalactic villain are expected to sell for between 160,000 pounds and 230,000 pounds ($250,000 and $365,000) at a sale of pop culture memorabilia next month."

37 of 167 comments (clear)

  1. Forget it by elrous0 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I could buy David Prowse for a lot less than that.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:Forget it by rthille · · Score: 3, Funny

      You preferred Ewoks? Are you fucking kidding me?

      --
      Awesome furniture, accessories and cabinetry in Santa Rosa, CA: http://humanity-home.com/
    2. Re:Forget it by gknoy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      At the time (when I was a kid), I hated ESB. No happy ending, Luke gets his hand cut off, Han gets his ass kicked, and Luke's Jedi training seemed ... meh.

      Watching it later, I like it much more. It sets up the big surprises in the movie (holy shit, he's his dad!? Vader wants to overthrow the emperor?), shows Luke growing from Hot Shot Pilot Kid into a more experienced veteran, and shows much more of the romance between Han and Leia. (In ANH, you could kindof go either way if you were trying to imagine Leia ending up with one of them.) The story has much more depth, in many ways. It has betrayals, "I had no choice" moments, and so on, which ANH and RotJ didn't have.

      Return of the Jedi had some more depth, in some ways, than ANH, but seemed notable (to me) more for the fact that it wrapped things up, gave the happy ending, and had the good guys kicking ass all over town. I'm not saying I LOVE Empire Strikes Back, but I have a lot more respect for it now than I did when I was a kid. I'd probably enjoy watching it more than ANH, in many ways, but that may be because I've seen them all so many times that it all runs together. ("Wait, they're on the Death Star already? Did I fall asleep or something?")

    3. Re:Forget it by norminator · · Score: 3, Funny

      The Star Wars Christmas Special is a masterpiece compared to Caravan of Courage.

      Wait, no that's not right.

  2. Question: by Pojut · · Score: 3, Funny

    Does it come with the ability to use the Force? No? Then no deal.

    --
    Living With a Nerd
    1. Re:Question: by MightyMartian · · Score: 5, Funny

      It does come with the unlimited right to say "Luke, I am your father", which would normally get you kicked in the balls if said more than twice a year.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    2. Re:Question: by Mongoose+Disciple · · Score: 5, Funny

      It does come with the unlimited right to say "Luke, I am your father", which would normally get you kicked in the balls if said more than twice a year.

      Eventually, your friends would alter that deal. Pray they don't alter it any further.

    3. Re:Question: by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 2, Funny

      You know... If you sound just a LITTLE disinterested, you might be able to get them to throw in a lightsaber. But a No-deal off the bat... They'll go to the next customer.

    4. Re:Question: by by+(1706743) · · Score: 2, Funny

      Does it come with the ability to use the Force? No? Then no deal.

      Well, that depends on the number of midi-chlorians in your bloodstre...no wait, wrong movie -- that wasn't from Star Wars...

    5. Re:Question: by natehoy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Then the little shit's gonna kick you in the balls anyway, so you might as well give them a reason.

      --
      "This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
  3. Sithspawn! by fahlesr1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    The auction isn't in time for Halloween! What were they thinking!?!

    1. Re:Sithspawn! by Frederico+Camara · · Score: 2, Interesting

      What do you mean? It's not a costume.

  4. I don't say this often... by damn_registrars · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ... But I'm actually a little too short for it. The actor who was in the costume was 6' 6.5", I don't quite make that height. And really, what good is a Vader costume that you can't wear?

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
    1. Re:I don't say this often... by jandrese · · Score: 4, Insightful

      My guess is that if you're spending a quarter or a half million dollars on an outfit, you're not going to wear it much period. I suspect that it is going to end up behind a glass case for the remainder of its life.

      --

      I read the internet for the articles.
    2. Re:I don't say this often... by M8e · · Score: 2, Insightful

      ... But I'm actually a little too short for it. The actor who was in the costume was 1 fathom 1 shaftment, I don't quite make that height. And really, what good is a Vader costume that you can't wear?

      Get your units right!

    3. Re:I don't say this often... by blair1q · · Score: 2, Informative

      You sure about that?

      If I buy it, you can better well bet that I'll try it on at least once. Not that I'll advertise that when it's my turn to auction it off...

    4. Re:I don't say this often... by demonbug · · Score: 5, Funny

      My guess is that if you're spending a quarter or a half million dollars on an outfit, you're not going to wear it much period. I suspect that it is going to end up behind a glass case for the remainder of its life.

      You are utterly, 100% wrong.

      Obviously it will be in the glass case. Why would you put it behind a glass case? That doesn't make any sense at all.

    5. Re:I don't say this often... by nine-times · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Are you also a little short for a Storm Trooper?

    6. Re:I don't say this often... by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Borrow some dragon platform boots from Gene Simmons. What could be cooler than Star Wars and KISS?

    7. Re:I don't say this often... by geekoid · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Because the first glass case is a decoy.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  5. Perfect Gift by gblfxt · · Score: 5, Funny

    We know what Cheney is getting for an early Christmas present.....

    1. Re:Perfect Gift by Reverberant · · Score: 2, Informative

      Why would he want it? The TESB costume was based off the ordinal Cheney has.

    2. Re:Perfect Gift by cgenman · · Score: 2, Informative

      Why would he need a costume? He can already force-choke.

      http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/12/22/alg_cheney-waves.jpg

      --
      The ______ Agenda
  6. Thought to have been made? by BoberFett · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "Christie's said Wednesday that the costume is thought to have been made for "The Empire Strikes Back," the second film in George Lucas's sci-fi series, released in 1980."

    I would think that somebody who may well drop a few hundred thousand Imperial credits on Star Wars memorabilia would want a bit more certainty than "We think this might be what it is, but we're fairly certain that some guy didn't just whip this up in his basement."

  7. Awesome Christmas Card by SpasticWeasel · · Score: 3, Informative

    Click through to the slideshow. The first pic is quite a nice one of Darth and Mrs Vader.

    --
    No sooner do I get over one, then you put a better one right next to me. Bastards.
  8. intergalactic? by doconnor · · Score: 4, Informative

    Darth Vader was hardly an intergalactic villain. His villainy was strictly limited to one galaxy.

    1. Re:intergalactic? by viking099 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      But he's also considered a villian HERE, because of his actions as shown in the documentaries.

      And since it happened long ago in a galaxy far, far away, I think it's not totally inaccurate.

    2. Re:intergalactic? by Arthur+Grumbine · · Score: 2, Informative

      But he's also considered a villian HERE, because of his actions as shown in the documentaries.

      Also because of his actions robbing our banks, presumably to pay for his war.

      --
      Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everything I just said is completely wrong.
  9. Can anyone lend me some cash....? by BatGnat · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm a little short....

  10. Empire was not the best of the movies. by blair1q · · Score: 3, Informative

    I really don't get why people think Empire was the best. It was all connective tissue, with no real story to it, and deliberately ended without a resolution. The first one was self-contained and is rightly deemed one of the greatest movies ever made. The third one resolved the trilogy, but of course...ewoks...so it can't contend.

    What? There were three more? Huh. Not part of this series, certainly... No matter.

    The point is, Star Wars is the best Star Wars movie. Empire is flashy and necessary to continuing the story, but is still just a sequel and certainly not superior.

    Regardless, I will be auctioning my left nut in order to raise funds to bid on this dress. Precisely because I'm rational.

    1. Re:Empire was not the best of the movies. by ArsonSmith · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I mostly agree, and am a bigger than most star wars fan. Some might say much bigger. Empire seems to be one of the few that I fall asleep while watching. I find it to be one of the better played but less interesting or fun of the 3 originals. If that makes any sense.

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
    2. Re:Empire was not the best of the movies. by blair1q · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Yeah. Whatever did happen to Highlander 2?

    3. Re:Empire was not the best of the movies. by SpeZek · · Score: 4, Funny

      No. When it comes to Highlander, There can be only one.

  11. Investment Options by BJ_Covert_Action · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You know, most of my older co-workers keep telling me to invest in real estate as it is the best sure-fire long term investment out there. For the price of a condo in California, I could afford this Darth Vader costumer. I wonder if investing in iconic Hollywood paraphernalia is actually a better investment strategy than real estate...

    --
    Motorcycles, Robots, Space Gossip and More!
    1. Re:Investment Options by natehoy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      See, now, there's your problem. You're confusing condos with actual real estate. The actual value of a condo is in the building, and those deteriorate. A condo is a very-long-term lease you pay for up front. If you want a relatively cheap place to live, a condo may not be a terribly bad deal. Just compare it to rental and see how things work out for you based on how long you think you'll be living there, what the condo market has done, what you think it might do, etc.

      If you want to invest in real estate, invest in real estate. As in something where you own the land underneath it. That way, even if the house itself devalues as it ages, you've still got a pretty much permanent asset.

      --
      "This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
  12. Re:star wars ? by Conception · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is the most amazing reply I think I've seen on slashdot. What doesn't it have?! Trolling? Flaming? Irrationality? Presumptions? Arrogance? Everything!

    I think we may have a winner here, guys.

  13. Spaceballs (The Movie) Dark Helmet by PatPending · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm gonna wait for the Dark Helmet outfit worn by Rick Moranis in Spaceballs

    --
    What one fool can do, another can. (Ancient Simian Proverb)