More often than not, when a Hollywood movie is a success, collectors go mad for merchandise. And costumes worn during filming tend to sell for crazy prices — even if they appeared on screen for a matter of moments.
This article looks at five of the most expensive movie costumes ever sold at auction. With Halloween just around the corner, this may serve as outfit inspiration (although you may need to remortgage your house to splurge on these fancy dress items)…
Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ jacket
Michael Jackson’s Thriller is one of the most iconic — and scary — music videos of all time. In it, he first terrifies his girlfriend by turning into a werecat, then leads a troupe of rhythmically gifted zombies in a perfectly choreographed dance routine. The voiceover, performed by horror movie legend Vincent Price, adds to the general spookiness, but perhaps the thing it’s most remembered for is MJ’s jacket.
In 2011, the red leather garment sold for $1.8 million at auction, making it one of the priciest pieces of pop memorabilia in history. Imagine losing it on the way home from the auction house? That really would be terrifying.
Judy Garland’s Dorothy Costume
The Wizard Of Oz is considered a Hollywood masterpiece, but it’s not without controversy. Make-up and prosthetics left the actors who played the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Wicked Witch Of The West hospitalised; Toto the dog was paid more than the Munchkins, and 17-year-old Judy Garland developed a drug addiction that ultimately killed her after the directors prescribed amphetamines to keep her weight down and then barbiturates to help her sleep.
Thankfully, on-set conditions have improved since the 1930s. And the movie still retains cult status, reflected by the fact that Garland’s blue and white gingham dress sold for $1.56 million in 2015. A year previously, the Cowardly Lion’s costume sold for an incredible $3.077 million.
Steve McQueen’s Le Mans Racing Suit
You could probably categorise this outfit as ‘fast fashion’. In 2011, The Hinchman Nomex racing suit worn by Steve McQueen in Le Mans sold for just under $1 million. Its previous owner was a guy called Timothy Davies, who won the costume in a studio-sponsored giveaway… when he was 12 years old! That was worth a stamped addressed envelope.
Star Wars TIE Fighter Helmet
Star Wars fans love their memorabilia. So if an original film prop becomes available they’re willing to part with galactic sums of money to secure it.
That was certainly the case when a TIE Fighter helmet went on sale in 2016. The headgear was worn in several scenes in Star Wars IV: A New Hope, including the final battle to destroy the Death Star. One of only 12 helmets used on-screen, it sold for £216,000 ($280,320), shattering its estimate of £70,000. As the great philosopher Yoda might have put it: “Rather expensive, this helmet is.”
Chewbacca Headpiece
Chewbacca is quite possibly the most impersonated movie character who can’t speak a human language. He’s certainly the most loved, and as a result any memorabilia relating to the eight-feet-tall dog creature attracts a pretty penny.
In 2012, a Chewbacca headpiece used in the original Star Wars trilogy sold for $172,200. It had a full-head cowl complete with a front jaw, nose, teeth and tongue. The item also included signed photographs from Peter Mayhew, who originally played Chewbacca. Presumably the autograph just said: “RAWRGWAWGGR!”
Got a movie collectible or another luxury item you’d like to raise funds against? Almagrove has 30 years of experience in the industry. Contact us to find out more.