A huge sale of props, costumes and artefacts from HBO series Game of Thrones saw big prices on its first day as costumes went for over $200,000, and a display figure made $40,000.
A White Walker figure (the character was portrayed by actor Ross Mullan) used at Game of Thrones exhibitions and wearing an on-screen White Walker costume opened the sale.
With no reserve or estimate, but an opening bid of $5,000, it set the tone for following lots when it closed at $40,000 (including buyer’s premium).
A 12-piece armour costume worn by Jaime Lannister (played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) realised $212,500. It went into the sale with a $20,000 opening bid.
The fearsome Lannister helmet that realised over $212,000 at sale this week. Image courtesy Heritage Auctions.
A costume worn by Rory McCann as Sandor “The Hound” Clegane made $200,000.
Two dragons eggs made $93,750 and $100,000 respectively.
Jon Snow’s “Longclaw” longsword, wielded on-screen by Kit Harington, was the most valuable weapon sold, making $75,000 from an $11,500 baseline.
The sale continues over this weekend, October 11 – 12, with 900 lots in total containing 2,000 items.
The sale was hosted by Heritage Auctions, whose executive vice president Joe Maddalena said: “I look forward to every auction held at Heritage, but the Game of Thrones auction is something I’ve been eagerly anticipating for a long, long time.
“Seldom have we held an Entertainment auction on such a grand scale, highlighted by our exhibitions in New York, London, Chicago and Dallas. It’s always a joy working with HBO, and it’s an honor to present such remarkable pieces from such an extraordinary series.”
The anticipated climax of the sale is an Iron Throne, that goes into Saturday’s sale with a $41,000 opening bid. The item is a replica made for touring exhibitions, but was cast from the original on-screen prop.
Judging by sales so far, it should well exceed that opening figure.
Game of Thrones is one of the most successful shows of the internet streaming era so far. It has a huge fan base around the world and is still producing content 15 years after it was first released.
Movie props have tended to have a better sale life than those from TV shows. TV is a younger medium, but its time is coming in the sale room. Earlier this year, a diner booth used in the Sopranos sold for over $80,000 at auction.
Heritage held one of the standout sales in the sector when they brought in over $5 million from TV props in 2023. Top items included the bar from Cheers ($675,000), 1960s Batman and Robin costumes ($615,000) and a set from the Johnny Carson show.
Market watchers will take note of whether the Iron Throne can challenge these figures and confirm the status of the Golden Age of Streaming with collectors. Fans of the show will surely hope that many of the items are bought for public display in future.
