No Recession for Nerdy Collectors

It seems there just might be one market not getting crushed by the economy—sci-fi memorabilia. This week, a light saber used by Mark Hamill in The Empire Strikes Back was sold for $240,000 at an auction held by Calabasas, Calif., collector’s hub Profiles in History. Other shiny but altogether useless objects sold include C-3PO’s helmet from Return of the Jedi, which sold for $120,000; Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine suit from X-Men, $90,000; Marlon Brando’s Jor-El costume from Superman, $72,000; and a mini flying saucer from Forbidden Planet, $78,000. In all, the one-day sale grossed $3.5 million for more than 500 items. Bill Gates was not available for comment.