'Star Wars' draws fans, bids to eBay
In a charity auction that ended over the weekend on the leading online auction site, "Star Wars" fans bid more than $120,000 total for 15 different props and models offered by "Star Wars" creator George Lucas' Lucasfilm. Money raised from the auction, which was a part of eBay's Auction for America, will benefit the September 11th Children's Fund.
The items in the auction that garnered the most attention were the two authentic movie props. One buyer bid more than $45,000 for a lightsaber that was used in "Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace," while another bid more than $35,000 for a Stormtrooper helmet that was used in "The Empire Strikes Back."
eBay launched Auction for America in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to benefit the families of victims. The company and its partners have waived their normal fees for Auction for America items, and all money bid in the auctions goes to various charities.
The auction company set a goal for itself of raising $100 million in 100 days, but the auction has been far off of that pace. --Troy Wolverton, Special to ZDNet News