Star Wars History Up For Auction

ORIGINAL LIGHTSABERS UP FOR AUCTIONThe legendary lightsabers brandished by STAR WARS characters LUKE SKYWALKER and DARTH VADER are up for auction alongside a bevy of memorabilia from the sci-fi saga.The iconic weapons, which go under the hammer on 29 July (05), have been valued at a staggering $140,000 (£80,000) by Los Angeles auction house Profiles in History.Other items soon to be at the centre of a bidding frenzy include Skywalker's orange X-Wing pilot jumpsuit, which is valued at $80,000 (£45,000), YODA's mask, and a Stormtrooper "blaster" weapon.The lightsaber used by Darth Vader in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is likely to fetch $60,000 (£34,000), while the Jedi Knight's weapon is estimated to reach $80,000 (£45,000) in the auction.But bidders will be disappointed if they expect the sabers to light up as they did on screen - their glowing appearance was all down to special effects.All 75 items are presently owned by Star Wars producer GARY KURTZ who created a huge prop archive with Star Wars historian JASON JOINER.