Iconic Movie Memorabilia Sold for Huge Prices (30 photos)

Fans will do anything to get their hands on any souvenir from the set of their favorite movie—from the main character's handkerchief to his car. Therefore, selling props can sometimes be a lucrative source of income for filmmakers—especially when it comes to cult films, where the auction price of each item from the set can reach millions. And that's no exaggeration!





Dorothy's Dress - The Wizard of Oz

During the filming of the iconic movie "The Wizard of Oz," 10 identical dresses were made for Judy Garland, who played Ellie.



They were the subject of unsuccessful collector's hunts for many years. It wasn't until 2015 that two of the 10 dresses were put up for auction. One of them sold to an anonymous film buff for a record-breaking $1.56 million.

Hogwarts Acceptance Letter - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

In the first episode of the series, as many remember, Harry received a whole bunch of Hogwarts acceptance letters, so many of them were put up for sale at various times.





Nevertheless, this charming film souvenir has not lost its value – in 2017, one such original letter from the set sold for $9,900 on an online marketplace.

Eliza Doolittle's Dress - My Fair Lady

The magnificent dress in which Audrey Hepburn's character made a splash at Ascott was designed and brought to life by designer Cecil Beaton.



It was this dress that inspired the Academy to award the Oscar for Best Costume Design to "My Fair Lady." Nearly half a century later, in 2011, this lace dress was auctioned off for $3.7 million. The buyer wished to remain anonymous.

Indiana Jones's Hat - "Raiders of the Lost Ark"

The Indiana Jones hat became the signature piece of the iconic character played by Harrison Ford.



Ford received a new hat for each film, but the design remained the same. The hat used on the set of Raiders of the Lost Ark was auctioned off for charity in London in 2018. A hat, adorned with Harrison Ford's signature for added appeal, sold for $524,000.

Rose's Dress - "Titanic"



The red dress Rose wore when she was about to jump overboard and was saved by Leonardo DiCaprio's character, Jack, was auctioned in 2012 and sold to an anonymous buyer for $330,000.

Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber - "Star Wars: A New Hope"

In In the 1970s, when the first Star Wars films were being filmed, few had heard of computer technology. Props on the Star Wars set were made from scrap materials, inspired by the saga's creators' imaginations, and were far inferior in quality to the space toys sold in stores today.



For example, Luke Skywalker's original lightsaber was made from a piece of wood painted with reflective paint and a light stand from an old camera. But love can't be measured in money: in 2008, a Star Wars fan bought the sword at auction for $240,000.

James Bond's Aston Martin - Goldfinger

The Aston Martin is James Bond's iconic car, used in various iterations in many Bond films. Two Aston Martin DB5s were used in the 1964 film Goldfinger.



One of them was used for stunts and special effects, the other for road scenes. It was this second car that Sean Connery drove, and it was this one that the film studio sold at auction in 2010 to an anonymous Bond fan for $4.6 million.

Marilyn Monroe's White Flowing Dress - "Seven Year Fever"

The dress worn by Marilyn Monroe in "Seven Year Fever," which would seductively lift in a gust of air from the air vents, became an iconic piece of the star's wardrobe for many years to come.



So when it was announced in 2011 that it would be auctioned in Los Angeles, it sent shockwaves through the film memorabilia community. After a long battle, the dress ultimately sold for $4.6 million.

Flying Car - "Bang Bang, Oh-Oh-Oh"

The film about the magical car starring pop music legend Dick Van Dyke was directed by Ken Hughes in 1968.



Six specially designed and decorated cars were used for filming. But only one of them, number GEN 11, was actually drivable and was used in filming road scenes. In 2011, it was put up for auction, where it was purchased by famous British radio host Chris Evans for $804,000, adding it to his car collection.

Cowardly Lion Costume - The Wizard of Oz

Bert Lahr, who played the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz, complained a lot about the discomfort of his costume. Made from real lion skins, it was incredibly hot, stiff, and very heavy—over 25 kilograms!



The actor was happy to finally get rid of it after filming. But in 2014, someone was willing to pick it up, and for a huge sum—an anonymous buyer bought the Cowardly Lion costume at auction for $3 million.

Charlie Chaplin's Cane — "Modern Times"

A hat, a mustache, and a cane—three essential components of the Tramp character, as Charlie Chaplin appeared in most of his silent films.



A cane from the set of the film "Modern Times" ended up at auction in 2013, where it sold for $350,000. The Chaplin fan who bought it later said that the auction was quiet and almost no one knew about it—and this helped him acquire the memorabilia at a very low price.

Amphibious Car - "The Spy Who Loved Me"

The submarine car, nicknamed "Wet Nellie," was used on the set of "The Spy Who Loved Me" in 1977.



35 years later, in 2013, it went up for auction and was bought by none other than Elon Musk. A big fan of unusual technology and Bond films, Musk readily paid $989,000 for "Wet Nellie."

Piano — "Casablanca"

The piano from Rick's Cafe is one of the most iconic items from the set of one of the most legendary films in history. The instrument on which Humphrey Bogart so tragically leaned was put up for auction in 2014.



By the way, buyers were warned that this piano was unplayable: made specifically for the film, it has only 56 keys—that is, 30 fewer than a normal piano. Nevertheless, a buyer was found immediately and paid $3.4 million for the instrument.

John Travolta's Suit - "Saturday Night Fever"



The shiny white suit Travolta wore for his fiery dance in the iconic "Saturday Night Fever" was auctioned off in 2017 and purchased by a fan for $1.7 million.

Hypersleep Chamber — "Aliens"



More than a dozen hypersleep chambers were made for the filming of "Aliens," but they never appeared at auction until 2012, when an unknown fan bought one for $65,000.

Michael Delaney's Watch — "Le Mans"

Tag Heuer's "Monaco," considered the latest in mechanical watchmaking technology at the time, was produced in two copies for the filming of "Le Mans."



One of them broke toward the end of filming, while the other, in excellent condition, survived to this day and was sold at auction in 2012 for $799,500.

Darth Vader Mask - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

In 2019, a large-scale auction was held in Los Angeles, where the film studio put up dozens of memorabilia from the set of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, released in 1980.



The most expensive lot was a Darth Vader mask: it was bought for $900,000, while the organizers had hoped it would fetch only half a million dollars.

Children's Costumes - "The Sound of Music"

The costumes of four children from "The Sound of Music" were sold at auction in 2014 for $1.56 million.



This surprised even the experts: surely a wealthy family of film buffs had decided to introduce children to the arts.

The DeLorean - Back to the Future

The DeLorean DMC-12 is a true icon for fans of the Back to the Future franchise. A total of six cars were used in the three films.



Two of them are currently on display at the Universal Studios Orlando exhibit. Another was purchased ten years ago by a fan of the film, completely restored, and auctioned off for $541,000. He donated part of the proceeds to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which fights Parkinson's disease.

Cyborg Skeleton — Terminator 2: Judgment Day

The T-300 cyborg skeleton was built for the film to Arnold Schwarzenegger's specifications. It was then superimposed over the actor's image using special effects, thus "replacing" Schwarzenegger in scenes where his character was supposed to lose his shell.



After filming in 1991, it was in excellent condition, including its working red eye bulbs, and was auctioned off in 2007 for an impressive $488,750.

Indiana Jones's Whip

Unlike his hat, which Harrison Ford changed for each film, the whip remained the same in all three Indiana Jones films—Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade, and Raiders of the Lost Ark.



It was 2.5 meters long and made of kangaroo skin. In 2014, it sold at auction for $216,000.

King Kong's Skeleton - "King Kong"

The first film about the giant ape, "King Kong," was made in 1933.



Back then, digital technology was only a dream, so King Kong's devastation in New York was filmed using miniature models. The model of the giant himself was a half-meter-tall metal skeleton covered in fur. This skeleton was auctioned in Los Angeles for $200,305 in 2009.

Falcon figurine - "The Maltese Falcon"

The mysterious Maltese falcon figurine, pursued by Humphrey Bogart's detective Sam Spade in the famous film "The Maltese Falcon," was long considered missing.



Plastic replicas repeatedly surfaced on the market and were offered to fans for high prices. Finally, in 2013, the original 44-pound metal figurine—the very one from the film—was auctioned. An unknown Bogart fan paid $4.1 million for it.

Audrey Hepburn's dress - Breakfast at Tiffany's

The stylish black evening gown worn by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's was made by Givenchy in three copies for the film.



One is in a glass display case in the Givenchy Museum, the other is in the Costume Museum in Madrid. The third was sold at auction in 2006 for $806,000, more than five times the starting price.

Golden Ticket - Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory



The lucky golden ticket from the classic 1971 film "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" was sold at a studio auction in 2012 for $34,000.

Robbie the Robot - Forbidden Planet

After his debut in "Forbidden Planet" in 1956, Robie the Robot became a bona fide movie star. He starred in films such as "The Twilight Zone," "The Addams Family," and "Mork & Mindy."



In short, he became a true prop legend—and when he was finally retired in Hollywood in 2017 and put up for sale, he became the world's most expensive movie memorabilia: an anonymous buyer bought Robbie for $5.34 million at auction in New York.

Captain's Chair — "Star Trek"

Captain Kirk's chair (played by William Shatner) is a true legend for all Star Trek fans.



Many replicas hang in museums around the world. The original was purchased at auction by some lucky fan in 2002 for $305,000.

Magic Slippers - The Wizard of Oz

Dorothy's Magic Slippers from the classic film The Wizard of Oz are one of the most recognizable items in the film.



Judy Garland owned more than a dozen pairs of identical shoes. One pair is in the Smithsonian Museum's collection; another was stolen in 2005, and its fate remains unknown. Well, the third pair went up for auction in 2000, where it was purchased for $666,000.

Willy Wonka's Frock Coat - Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory



The bright purple frock coat worn by Gene Wilder on the set of the classic 1972 film was auctioned by the studio in 2012—and it was instantly snapped up by a fan for $73,800.