Most expensive Star Wars memorabilia (off-screen item)

The most expensive piece of Star Wars memorabilia sold at auction is a piece of poster artwork created by illustrator Tom Jung (USA) in 1977. The half-sheet poster was used as the key art for the original release of Episode IV: A New Hope, appearing in print adverts, posters and flyers produced throughout May and June 1977. The artwork was sold for $3.875 m (£2.9 m) on 11 Dec 2025, by Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, USA.

The artwork was painted onto a board that measures 21 x 34 in (53.3 x 86.3 cm). Tom Jung built the composition up in layers, using acrylic paints and airbrushes. The semi-transparent image of Darth Vader was painted onto the background layer and then the other elements were painted separately before being added to the main image and the joins airbrushed away.

The artwork – which was the first glimpse most people got of the Star Wars universe – was for many years in the collection of Gary Kurtz (1940–2018), the producer of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. It was put up for auction by his family.