Anthony Daniels, C-3PO in 'Star Wars,' Is Auctioning off His Extensive Memorabilia Collection
Original Star Wars star Anthony Daniels, who played C-3PO in a number of Star Wars projects across four decades, is auctioning off the extensive memorabilia he collected from his time on the sets. The auction, held by Propstore, will be held March 12–14 in Los Angeles.
The prime item Daniels is auctioning off is a light-up head that he donned in Return of the Jedi (1983). The piece, consisting of a faceplate, backplate, and neck ring, is going for an astonishing amount: anywhere between $500,000 and $1 million. The piece is screen-matched, a term used in the industry to define props used on-screen with inconsistencies or specific markings to prove their inclusion in the film.
“It is not only the prop that I wore, but it was also a prop I would use in interviews to identify myself,” Daniels told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s very much, ‘You don’t know my face, but you know this face.’”
Daniels told the outlet he was feeling a bit of seller’s remorse, even considering calling the auction off just a few weeks ago. Describing his emotions as “a slight wobble,” the actor wondered, “Am I right to move this on? I have lived with these items for 50 years, and I have very mixed feelings.”
Other choice items include a set of C-3PO hands Daniels wore during production on The Empire Strikes Back (1980), estimated to sell for between $30K and $60K; a “personal, hand-annotated fourth draft” of the screenplay for A New Hope, estimated at $10K–$20K; parts from the Millennium Falcon used in Jedi, estimated at $1,500–$3,000; as well as assorted antennas, and neck and torso bolts.
“They were burning the Millennium Falcon [after production],” Daniels said of how he sourced his Jedi keepsakes. “I was horrified. I think everyone is fond of the Falcon. It had a character about it, the wooden and the plastic parts. They were making a disgusting bonfire in the drizzle. I just picked up some pieces.”
While he’s still unsure if he wants to say goodbye to these memories forever, Daniels told THR he’s purging the items so that his wife won’t have to after he’s gone. “She doesn’t want to deal with this stuff,” the 78-year-old said, half-seriously.
You can head over to Propstore’s website to check out, or maybe even bid on, Daniels’ extensive collection of memorabilia.