Darth Vader helmet among treasures in $10m auction

LOS ANGELES - Darth Vader's helmet from The Empire Strikes Back is among a vast collection of coveted Hollywood treasures going under the hammer next month, with experts predicting the helmet could fetch nearly $500,000.

The combination of mask and helmet is only one of a handful of those worn by actor David Prowse, who played Luke Skywalker's nemesis and - spoiler alert - father on-screen in the 1980 Star Wars blockbuster movie, making them the "holy grail" of science fiction artifacts.

"The catalog estimate is $250,000-$450,000, and you never know what something will go for until it crosses the block. It could well exceed that," said Zach Pogemiller of auctioneer Profiles in History.