Hertfordshire company puts rare £150k Star Wars pilot helmet up for auction

Propstore is putting a number of items that were used in the Star Wars movie franchise under the hammer this year.

Included within the lots, the company is taking to a live action event in Los Angeles, is a Rebel Pilot helmet custom-made for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

It was designed by Oscar-winning costume designer John Mollo – who was integral in developing Darth Vader, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker’s iconic looks. Propstore says the helmet remains in unrestored, original condition.

This helmet was worn during the film’s Hoth battle sequence when Rebel snowspeeder pilots gear up to take on Imperial walkers.

Propstore is advising interested parties to check out its distinctive yellow-tinted visor and a thick foam liner custom-fitted to the interior. A spokesperson added: “Only two helmets with this original liner are known to exist in private collections, making this piece extremely rare and highly sought-after.”

Propstore is expecting the helmet to fetch between £150,000-£300,000 and this is the first time the piece has come to market in more than 25 years after being in a private collection, and prior to that, it originated from Patricia Carr, who served as the assistant production manager on the original trilogy.

Propstore, based in Rickmansworth, has previously sold Star Wars items for £578,000 and £284,000. It has put this rare helmet up for grabs to tie in with The Empire Strikes Back 45th anniversary. More details on the auction can be found online here.

Brandon Alinger, COO of Propstore, and author of Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy (created in collaboration with the Lucasfilm Archives), commented on the upcoming event: "Rebel Pilot helmets are one of the most sought-after artifacts from the original Star Wars trilogy. 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."