Film studios once treated props as clutter. Today a single sled, slipper or sword can pull in more than a house. The auction market for screen memorabilia has grown into a serious business, with specialist houses like Heritage Auctions, Propstore and Bonhams running dedicated sales.
The ten items below are all real sales with documented prices, and all cleared six figures. Most went far past that, and the recent results come from 2024 to 2026.
Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz
The last of four known pairs sold for a record $28 million in December 2024, making it the most expensive piece of movie memorabilia ever auctioned. Including fees, Heritage Auctions put the total at $32.5 million. The gap between the two figures is the buyer’s premium, which is why you’ll see both numbers quoted.
This pair had a strange history. It was displayed at the Judy Garland Museum before being stolen in 2005, and it took 13 years for the FBI to track it down.
The Rosebud Sled from Citizen Kane
A painted wooden sled that played a key role in Citizen Kane sold for $14.75 million, the second most expensive item of film memorabilia ever auctioned. Heritage Auctions sold it during its Hollywood and Entertainment Signature Auction in Dallas in July 2025.
Only the slippers have fetched more. For a plain sled, that’s a remarkable place on the leaderboard.
Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet
In 2017, a fully composed Robby the Robot, sold with his original jeep and extra accessories, went for $5.375 million. The sale took place at a New York auction.
Robby was no one hit wonder. The seven foot tall robot went on to rack up more than 20 film and TV credits after Forbidden Planet. That long résumé probably helps explain the price.
The Maltese Falcon Statuette
In 2013, the Maltese Falcon statue, with its distinctive bend in the tail feathers, sold for $4.085 million. It’s a small object, about the size of a bookend.
Its value comes from its role as the object everyone in the story is chasing. The statue’s place in cinema history and its central role in the plot helped drive the price.
Sam’s Piano from Casablanca
Sam, played by Dooley Wilson, sang As Time Goes By on the instrument in 1942, and it sold for $3.4 million at a 2014 Bonhams auction in New York. It’s a prop tied to one of the best known musical moments in classic cinema.
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Unlike many items on this list, it has no weapon, costume or gadget appeal. It sold on the strength of a single scene.
Darth Vader’s Hero Lightsaber from The Empire Strikes Back
At Propstore’s Los Angeles auction in September 2025, Darth Vader’s hero lightsaber realized $3,654,000 including buyer’s premium. The estimate had been between $1 million and $3 million.
The prop was used by David Prowse in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. At the time, it was the most expensive piece of Star Wars memorabilia ever auctioned.
Luke Skywalker’s Blue Lightsaber Hilt from The Empire Strikes Back
The Vader record didn’t last long. Luke Skywalker’s blue lightsaber hilt, which Mark Hamill wields in the Cloud City duel, sold in July for $3,750,000 at Heritage Auctions. That sale was reported in October 2026, so it’s among the newest results here.
The two sabers came from the same film and sold within roughly a year of each other. Together they show how strong demand for original trilogy pieces has become.
Chewbacca’s Bowcaster from the Original Star Wars Trilogy
Chewbacca’s photo matched bowcaster, with restored dressing components, sold for $768,600 at Propstore’s Los Angeles auction in March 2025. The weapon was used by Peter Mayhew across the original trilogy.
The phrase photo matched matters here. It means the auction house compared the piece against frames from the films to confirm it appeared on screen.
The Floating Door from Titanic
The wooden panel from Titanic that saved Rose’s life sold for $718,750 at auction in March 2024. Fans have argued about whether Jack could have fit on it for decades.
The sale shows that a prop doesn’t need to be flashy to command a big price. A piece of wood tied to one of cinema’s most debated scenes was enough.
Indiana Jones’s Fedora from Temple of Doom
The fedora from Temple of Doom achieved £365,400 ($482,328) after a spirited bidding run. It sold during Propstore’s London Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction on Friday, 5 December 2025.
It’s not the only Indiana Jones hat to do well lately. Another brown felt fedora, made for the second film in the series, sold for $630,000 in August 2024.
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