fans came out in droves to bid on from the series in an auction that raked in over $21 million.
From Thursday through Saturday, the Heritage Auctions event in Dallas featured over 900 lots including suits of armor, swords and weapons, jewelry and several other items of significance from the HBO series.
The top-dollar item was the very thing the characters in the series vied for throughout its eight-season run: 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 off with metallic paint and jewel embellishments. In the series, the throne was forged with dragon breath that melted the swords of a thousand vanquished challengers and became a symbol of the struggle for power throughout the show's run.
Heritage Auctions said in a statement Sunday that the event brought in $21.1 million from more than 4,500 bidders. The auction marked Heritage鈥檚 second-best entertainment event, just shy of the record set by a Debbie Reynolds sale it held in 2011.
Heritage Executive Vice President Joe Maddalena said in a statement he knew the auction would resonate.
鈥淭hese are extraordinary treasures made by Emmy-winning costume designers and prop makers, who worked tirelessly to adapt George R.R. Martin鈥檚 wonderful novels,鈥� Maddalena said. "People wanted a piece of that 鈥楪ame of Thrones鈥� magic.鈥�
Beyond the coveted Iron Throne, over 30 other lots commanded six-figure price tags.
Jon Snow鈥檚 signature sword, Longclaw, wielded onscreen by , sold for $400,000 and his night's watch ensemble, featuring a heavy cape, went for $337,500. Both items kicked off prolonged bidding wars.
Starting bids ranged from $500 to $20,000, but several items went for thousands of dollars more. Such was the case for several cloaks and dresses worn by as and as Cersei Lannister. A gray suede ensemble worn by Daenerys sold for $112,500, exactly $100,000 over its starting bid, and the red velvet dress Cersei wears in her final appearance on the show went for $137,500, which was $122,500 over its starting bid.
Suits of armor also proved popular, especially when they included sought-after weapons. Jaime Lannister鈥檚 black-leather armor ensemble fetched $275,000 and his Kingsguard armor 鈥� including his iconic Oathkeeper longsword 鈥� went for $212,500. Queensguard armor worn by the character Gregor 鈥楾he Mountain鈥� Clegane sold for $212,500.
In an interview when the auction was announced in September, Jay Roewe, HBO鈥檚 senior vice president of global incentives and production planning, said the sale speaks to the series' staying power .
鈥溾�楪ame of Thrones鈥� was a zeitgeist moment in our culture. It was a zeitgeist moment in high-end television. It was a zeitgeist moment in terms of HBO,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 impacted the culture.鈥�
Kaitlyn Huamani, The Associated Press
