Han Solo Blaster to be auctioned

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All right all you Star Wars-ziens, here's your chance.
I guess this was first publicized in July with the mention that the Auction would take place in August.
Well, August is here (has been for a couple of weeks now :D )

From Barron's

Han Solo’s Blaster From the Original ‘Star Wars’ Heading to Auction
Published: Aug. 16, 2022 at 5:46 p.m. ET


Original Han Solo DL44 Heavy Blaster Courtesy of Rock Island Auction Company

The force will need to be strong for any Star Wars fan later this month if they want to land one of the sci-fi series’ greatest pieces of memorabilia.

A blaster that Harrison Ford’s Han Solo carried throughout the first Star Wars film in 1977 could fetch up to half a million dollars at an auction later this month.

The item from the 1977 classic was previously considered missing, and new prop blasters were built for The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). The replacement carried by Ford in the Return of the Jedi sold at auction for US$550,000 in 2018, according to Rock Island Auction Company, an Illinois-based auction house specializing in firearms.

For the lower-budget original film, director George Lucas, set decorator Roger Christian, and production designer John Barry decided to use small components from available surplus weapons at Bapty & Co., a London-based prop house that provided all of the prop weapons for the film, to create a “used future” weapon.

It resulted in BlasTech DL- 44 Heavy Blaster, which was used to spring Solo out of several scrapes and was strapped to his thigh at the film’s famous conclusion.

The auction house will feature BlasTech DL- 44 Heavy Blaster, accompanied by a Han Solo photograph signed by Ford, in a sale taking place from Aug. 24-26, with a presale estimate between US$300,000 and US$500,000.

The blaster “is only one of three blank-firing blasters created for Han Solo and the only one still known to survive,” Joel Kolander, a manager at Rock Island Auction Company, said in an email. “The pistol was a huge hit at San Diego’s Comic-Con [in July] and has been creating quite the buzz among fans and collectors.”


Han Solo Blaster.jpg
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"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Han Solo Blaster to be auctioned

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I could swear I saw this thing come up on a fairly recent episode of Pawn Stars. I'm also pretty sure it was the original one from ANH, and not one of the other ones. Rick ended up not buying it, but it's interesting to learn that it is now going to auction. The person that had it also owned Luke's lightsabre.
This Space for Rent

Re: Han Solo Blaster to be auctioned

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I don't begrudge anyone his/her millions (or billions, or millions of billions).
And when you have millions of billions, one million or so is merely pocket change.
But having that amount of money as disposable income has its own attendant evils.

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Han Solo Blaster to be auctioned

7
I hope whomever bought it realizes the scope on that auction blaster is probably the only surviving screen-used part of the original Hero prop. When the Hero prop blaster was returned to the Bapty & Co. Film Armoury in London, it was dismantled. It's only recently that an attempt was made to 'reassemble' the blaster. No record was kept of the original Mauser and components used. The odds that they managed to find the exact gun, flash hider, and mounting bracket are extremely low. In fact, image comparisons show the flash hider is likely a replica. The mounting bracket might be authentic. The only part that bears any resemblance to the original prop, based on markings and weathering, is the scope.

Re: Han Solo Blaster to be auctioned

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Valkrist wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 6:18 pm
Deimos wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 11:49 am $1,057,500
More than twice what it was expected to fetch.
Congrats...?

:crazy:
Oh...sorry I missed that. :oops:
Maybe if I were more into Star Wars I would have caught your meaning.
Tho' I lost all interest in the story line/arc per se decades ago, I'm always mildly fascinated by what people will spend on SW memorabilia.

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Han Solo Blaster to be auctioned

9
Ronin wrote: Thu Sep 01, 2022 7:03 am I hope whomever bought it realizes the scope on that auction blaster is probably the only surviving screen-used part of the original Hero prop. When the Hero prop blaster was returned to the Bapty & Co. Film Armoury in London, it was dismantled. It's only recently that an attempt was made to 'reassemble' the blaster. No record was kept of the original Mauser and components used. The odds that they managed to find the exact gun, flash hider, and mounting bracket are extremely low. In fact, image comparisons show the flash hider is likely a replica. The mounting bracket might be authentic. The only part that bears any resemblance to the original prop, based on markings and weathering, is the scope.
Wow...$1million+ for ... a scope. What a bargain :laugh:

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL
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