Christopher Reeve's Superman has hit the auction block again. A screen-used Superman III costume sold for $53,550 in Propstore's two-day Planet Hollywood auction, which wrapped on July 2nd, and it topped every other lot in the catalog.
The lot (number 585, per the Propstore listing) is the blue knit tunic and tights Reeve wore in the 1983 film, paired with a replica cape, belt, and boots made to match his originals.
Bidding opened at $10,000 against a $20,000-$40,000 estimate, and 11 bids later it landed at $53,550 including the buyer's premium.
The authentication details are the fun part for us memorabilia nerds. The tunic carries its original Bermans & Nathans costumer label reading "Christopher Reeve Normal 18628 Superman 3," the tights still have the sewn-closed hip openings from Reeve's cable-flying harness, and the fabric came from a custom Austrian weave on a machine that no longer exists.
So why did the top lot of the catalog stop at $53,550 when complete Reeve costumes have sold for six figures in the past? Because only the tunic and tights are screen-used. Full ensembles are a different animal: Propstore sold a complete Superman-era Reeve costume, displayed on a Stuart Freeborn lifecast mannequin, for £312,500 (about $350,000) back in November of 2022.
You may see a "$413,000 costume" and a "$350,000 ensemble" reported side by side as separate results, but they're from the same November 2022 lot, along with some wonky currency conversion. It was ONE sale.
And the market has kept climbing. Propstore auctioned the screen-matched "Evil Superman" costume from Superman III in April 2025 with a $200,000-$400,000 estimate, and this past December, Sotheby's ran a complete Reeve costume as a standalone "Man of Steel" sale estimated at $600,000-$800,000. Other Reeve suits live in the Smithsonian and London's Young V&A, permanently off the market.
Taking all of that into account, $53,550 for a tunic and tights with replica accessories is a healthy result, and it beat its own estimate. Even with the replicas capping the ceiling, the screen-used pieces still carried it to the top of the catalog.
Superman III (1983), directed by Richard Lester and co-starring Richard Pryor, gave us the corrupted "Evil Superman" arc, which is why THAT darkened suit pulled the bigger estimate in 2025. Say what you want about the movie, the junkyard fight between the two Supermen still holds up.
With more Planet Hollywood restaurant collections heading to Propstore, expect more finds like this to surface.
Between the 2022 sale, the Sotheby's showcase, and this result, Reeve memorabilia may just be one of the safest bets in the space, especially for Superman fans.
What's the ONE piece of superhero memorabilia you'd blow your budget on? I would love a screen-used cape worn by Reeve… Finding someplace to put it on display is a whole different story…
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