“ Game of Thrones ” fans flocked to bid on hundreds of costumes, props and other items from the series at an auction that raised more than $21 million.
From Thursday through Saturday, Heritage Auctions in Dallas featured more than 900 lots, including armor, swords and guns, jewelry and several other notable items from the HBO series.
The top-selling item was precisely what the show’s characters competed for throughout its eight seasons: the Iron Throne . After a six-minute bidding war, the throne sold for $1.49 million.
The replica was made of plastic and molded from the original screen-used version, then finished with metallic paint and jewel embellishments. In the series, the throne was forged with dragon breath that melted the swords of a thousand defeated opponents and became a symbol of the struggle for power throughout the series.
Heritage Auctions said in a statement Sunday that the event raised $21.1 million from more than 4,500 bidders. The auction was Heritage’s second-biggest entertainment event, just shy of the record set by a Debbie Reynolds sale held in 2011.
Heritage Executive Vice President Joe Maddalena said in a statement that he knew the auction would have an impact.
“These are extraordinary treasures created by Emmy Award-winning costume and prop designers, who worked tirelessly to adapt George R.R. Martin’s wonderful novels,” Maddalena said. “People wanted a bit of that ‘Game of Thrones’ magic.”
Beyond the coveted Iron Throne, there were more than 30 other lots fetching six-figure prices.
Jon Snow’s signature sword, Longclaw, wielded on screen by Kit Harington, sold for $400,000 and his Night’s Watch ensemble, which includes a heavy cloak, sold for $337,500. Both items sparked prolonged bidding wars.
Opening bids ranged from $500 to $20,000, but several items sold for thousands of dollars more. This was the case for several capes and dresses worn by Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen and Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister. A gray suede ensemble worn by Daenerys sold for $112,500, exactly $100,000 more than its opening bid, and the red velvet dress worn by Cersei in her final appearance on the series sold for $137,500, up $122,500 from its opening bid.
Armor also proved popular, especially when it included highly sought-after weapons. Jaime Lannister’s black leather armor set sold for $275,000, and his Kingsguard armor (including his iconic Oathkeeper longsword) sold for $212,500. The Kingsguard armor worn by the character Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane sold for $212,500.
In an interview when the auction was announced in September, Jay Roewe, HBO’s senior vice president of global incentives and production planning, said the sale speaks to the series’ permanence five years after its finale.
“‘Game of Thrones’ was an epochal moment in our culture. It was an epochal moment in high-end television. It was an epochal moment in terms of HBO,” he said. “It has impacted the culture.”
