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Indiana Jones' fedora sells for $522K at auction

It's not the years, honey. It's the auction price.

Sean Keane Former Senior Writer
Sean knows far too much about Marvel, DC and Star Wars, and poured this knowledge into recaps and explainers on CNET. He also worked on breaking news, with a passion for tech, video game and culture.
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Sean Keane
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One wealthy collector is set for fortune and glory, or least very expensive cosplay, having paid £393,600 ($522,110) to own Indiana Jones' fedora from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

It set the world record price for any piece of Indiana Jones memorabilia when it sold at a London auction, exceeding the £300,000 ($392,674) it was expected to go for.

On the Set of "Raiders of the Lost Ark"

Harrison Ford wore the iconic hat in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

The Prop Store auction was held at the BFI IMAX in London's South Bank on Thursday.

The bullwhip wielded by actor Harrison Ford in the 1984 sequel, Temple of Doom, went for £55,350 ($73,447). It didn't quite meet expectations -- it was previously predicted to sell for £70,000 ($91,667).

On the set of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

Don't tell Han Solo the odds of his jacket from the Empire Strikes Back failing to meet its reserve.

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

The predicted big ticket item of the auction, Han Solo's smuggler's jacket from The Empire Strikes Back, reportedly failed to meet its reserve. It was expected that a fan of the 1980 Star Wars sequel would snap it up for between £500,000 ($654,139) and £1 million ($1,308,278).

Maybe people were afraid that owning the jacket would get them frozen in carbonite? Regardless, the Prop Store noted in an email that it's already had a number of post-auction enquiries about the jacket.

The classic bad guys of Star Wars had similarly bad luck. A Stormtrooper helmet from A New Hope was expected to make up to to £60,000 ($78,482), but ultimately went for £49,200 ($65,287).

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This Stormtrooper helmet, from 1977's A New Hope, went for $65,287 and almost certainly won't improve the owner's aim.

propstore.com

The villains of the new movies did better -- a Stormtrooper helmet from The Last Jedi sold for £135,300 ($179,538), considerable higher than the predicted £50,000 ($65,400). Proceeds from that one go to the the NSPCC British children's charity, proving that the First Order aren't all bad.

A fan looking to bring balance to the Force won Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber from Revenge of the Sith -- you know, the one he sliced Mace Windu's hand off with --  with a £135,300 ($179,538) bid.

79820-anakin-skywalkers-hayden-christensen-hero-lightsaber-1

Someone's taking a trip to the dark side with Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber from Revenge of the Sith, having paid $179,538 for it.

propstore.com

Also up for auction were Marty McFly's hoverboard from Back to the Future Part II, which sold for £36,900 ($48,965); Terminator's jacket from first movie in that series, which sold for £24,600 ($32,643) to a fan really excited about the new one; and Cap's army costume from Captain America: The First Avenger, which sold for £55,350 ($73,447).

Oh, and a Wonka Bar from 1971's Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory went for £9,840 ($13,057), even though it's unlikely to contain a Golden Ticket.

First published on Aug. 1 at 8:52 a.m. PT.
Updated on Sept. 21 at 9:02 a.m. PT: Adds the results of the auction.

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