Later this month the ceremonial dress worn by Princess Leia in the final scene of 1977's "Star Wars" will go on auction and is expected to fetch at least $2 million.
For years the garment sat folded in an anonymous attic, collecting dust. At one point, its owner even lent it out to a friend to wear at a party only to be returned with sweat, wine and blood stains on it.
"We're not exactly sure what kind of party this dress was at," Chuck Costas, vice president of business development and marketing at Propstore told The Wall Street Journal.
However, the garment underwent extensive restoration and is in near-pristine condition.
"When I was first told about the dress, I simply couldn't believe it," props collector Stephen Lane told the New York Post. "I've been collecting for 30 years and I think it's one of the most exciting finds of my career."
Lane explained to the WSJ that one of the reasons the dress holds such high value is because it has undergone "screen-matching" to confirm its authenticity as the actual garment worn by Carrie Fisher in the final version of the film.
Propstore employees meticulously examine any stray threads or distinctive marks, comparing them to freeze-frame shots projected in stunning 4K resolution. In the case of the Leia dress, a noticeable scratch near the central belt buckle and wrinkles on the leather served as unmistakable evidence of its legitimacy.
"The wrinkles are the dead giveaways," said Costas.
The garment will be sold along with 1,400 other items at a Los Angeles auction, marking a significant milestone for sellers and investors, as it showcases a growing collector economy centered around movie props.
The props up for auction this month are expected to collectively fetch between $10 million and $12 million.
Notable items in the auction catalog include an evil clown doll from the 1982 film "Poltergeist" (estimated value: $200,000 to $400,000) and a complete costume worn by Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (estimated value: $75,000 to $150,000).
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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