Gerrard Kaonga
To Sci-fi fans across the globe, Star Wars remains one of the popular and iconic franchises of all time.
So much so that a miniature prop that was used in the original 1977 Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope flick has sold for a whopping $3.13 million at auction on Sunday.
A 20-inch model of an X-wing Starfighter, seen during the climactic destruction of the Death Star at the end of the film, was shockingly found in a box in a garage before it was sold.
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The garage where it was found belonged to the late Oscar-nominated model maker, Greg Jein. The model, thought to be lost, was found while friends of Jein, who died in May 2022 at aged 76, were clearing out his home.
Joe Maddalena, the executive vice-president at Heritage Auctions and person who carried out the sale said that the selling of the X-wing Starfighter was ‘the most expensive Star Wars screen-used prop sold at auction.'
Heritage Auctions did not name who the buyer was.
“The worldwide response to the Greg Jein collections been outstanding a true testament to Greg and all he accomplished as visual effects artist and collector," he added.
The model was built by Industrial Light and Magic(ILM), George Lucas’ visual effects company, for the film. It is not clear how Jein came to be in possession of the model, however.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, visual effects historian Gene Kozicki, who found the model while helping clear out Jein’s home, highlighted the significance of the find and why it was able to sell for so much.
"This model has not been displayed or modified since it left ILM,” Kozicki said.
"For those of us that grew up in the 70s or 80s, and those of us that work in visual effects, this model is as significant a find as the ruby red slippers or the Maltese Falcon.
“We don’t exactly know the circumstances by which he came into possession of this model. And as an active collector/trader, he also obtained items simply because he figured that he could trade them for something more in line with what he wanted for himself.”
The model has not been on public display and has not been exposed to UV daylight, according to Heritage Auctions. They also noted that the model is in its original condition as when it was filmed.
“Without question, this Hero X-wing miniature represents the pinnacle of Star Wars artefacts to ever reach the market," Heritage Auctions’ description of the model adds.
This particular X-wing is one of four ‘hero’ filming miniatures created for the films. Hero models mean they were built for close up shots, most notably during the trench run in the final battle of the first film.