Carefully detailed cosplay is always impressive—but what if your Star Wars ensemble included an actual prop made for 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back? The film’s costume designer, John Mollo, won an Oscar for his work on 1977’s A New Hope, and he brought that level of craft to its sequel, including this Rebel Pilot helmet made for the film’s Hoth battle scenes.
Propstore will be showcasing the item, still in its original and unrestored condition, in an auction this September. As you might expect it won’t come cheap; the eye-watering estimated sale price is between $200,000-$400,000. According to a Propstore press release, it’s being sold from a private collector, but was originally owned by Patricia Carr, assistant production manager on the original Star Wars trilogy.
Further details: “This helmet was custom-made specifically for The Empire Strikes Back (1980), with these helmets worn in the film’s iconic Hoth battle sequence, where Rebel snowspeeder pilots gear up to take on Imperial walkers. It boasts distinctive features, including a yellow-tinted visor and a thick foam liner custom-fitted to the interior. Only two helmets with this original liner are known to exist in private collections, making this piece extremely rare and highly sought-after.”
The COO of Propstore, Brandon Alinger—also the author of Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy, which he wrote with the participation of the Lucasfilm Archives—is understandably excited about the upcoming sale.
“Rebel Pilot helmets are one of the most sought-after artifacts from the original Star Wars trilogy,” he said in the release. “Only a handful of original helmets exist in private collections, and this helmet—with such exceptional provenance—is a superb helmet. These helmets were made in far smaller numbers than Imperial helmets such as stormtroopers and many were discarded at the end of production. The survival of this piece, unrestored and linked directly to The Empire Strikes Back, makes it a true treasure for collectors.”
You can keep updated on exactly when the Rebel Pilot helmet will be hitting the block by signing up for Propstore updates here.
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