This C-3PO Head From ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ Just Sold for More Than $1 Million at Auction

The ‘Star Wars’ prop was likely the only C-3PO head from the 1980 film to appear on the collector market. It features working light-up eyes, including one with the original wiring

Ryley Graham | Correspondent

March 31, 2026

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“Did you hear that?” C-3PO asks at the beginning of the first Star Wars movie in 1977.

The melodramatic droid is instantly recognizable, with a body coated in gold and eyes that glow orange. He gets the first line in the original film, and he appears to panic and fuss in nearly all of the movies that followed.

On March 25, a light-up C-3PO head used in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) sold at a Propstore auction for $1,058,400—far higher than the estimate of $350,000 to $700,000. According to a video from the auction house, the item had belonged to the family of a crew member who worked on the film.

“At Propstore, Star Wars material continues to resonate with collectors, and the C-3PO head from The Empire Strikes Back was a real highlight of the day,” Brandon Alinger, Propstore’s chief operating officer, says in a statement.

Other items that went under the hammer included a harpoon gun from Jaws and a Wilson volleyball from Cast Away. But none reached price tags that rivaled the C-3PO head.

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“These [costumes] are pure iconography,” Anthony Daniels, who has played C-3PO in nearly every Star Wars movie, told the Seattle Times’ Thuc Nhi Nguyen in 2015. “Sometimes you just have to shut up and appreciate them.”

Daniels decided to accept the role after seeing concept art drawn for the character by Ralph McQuarrie in the 1970s. He was taken with the wistful, naive expression on the droid’s face. “Over the course of six months, molds were taken of Daniels’ face, torso and limbs to cast the costume with the British sculptor Liz Moore creating the C-3PO head,” writes Artnet’s Richard Whiddington. Moore crafted the head out of three fiberglass components: a backplate, faceplate and neck ring, which were held together on Daniels’ head by neck bolts.

“The fittings that hold the two halves of the head together were also updated as the films progressed,” according to the lot listing. “The neck bolts and forehead antenna had threaded connectors on the Episode IV pieces, whereas this head features the more advanced quarter-turn versions.”

The auction house says this particular prop was likely the only C-3PO head from The Empire Strikes Back available on the collector market. It features working light-up eyes, one of which contains the original wiring used on set in 1980.

Inside, black shields were installed to protect Daniels’ eyes from the bright lights, while two very small holes allowed the actor to see the set around him. The costume was challenging to wear. “Daniels’ fondest memories of his robotic C-3PO costume involve taking it off,” wrote the Seattle Times.

Among collectors, however, items connected to the franchise are highly sought after. Last year, Tom Jung’s half-sheet illustration created ahead of the first film went for $3.9 million at auction, becoming the most expensive item connected to the franchise ever sold. A few months earlier, Propstore auctioned off Darth Vader’s lightsaber from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi for $3.6 million.

“The price level of Star Wars pieces has generally outpaced most other contemporary material,” Alinger tells Artnet. “As time progresses and the price level rises, especially for high-quality pieces, collectors and other sources who have these pieces have given more consideration to selling. The prices paid in the modern era are attention-catching.”

The C-3PO head includes a small antenna, which the character used to receive transmissions from other droids. The gold paint is intentionally tarnished to give the droid, who had taken part in many intergalactic adventures, a well-worn look.

“When you stare at these iconic costumes, you can remember the film,” Daniels told the Seattle Times. “Each costume has greater value than just a sewing kit and its materials. They live in real time.”

Ryley Graham | Read More

Ryley Graham is a freelance journalist based in New York City. Her work has appeared in outlets such as National Geographic, Earth Island Journal and USA Today.