Lucasfilm Darth Vader's Hero Lightsaber was among the items for auction on day one of Propstore's Los Angeles Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction on Sept. 4 The item marks the first time in the history ofStar Warsmemorabilia that a verifiably screen-used Vader Hero Lightsaber has ever been available for sale The record-breaking sale speaks to the continuing love for and legacy of the iconic film franchise The first day of an auction celebrating some of the most unforgettable props from television and film history resulted in a record-breaking buy for one luckyStar Warsfan. The first day ofPropstore's Los Angeles Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auctionwas held on Thursday, Sept. 4. The event featured 433 rare and remarkable film and television lots totalling in $14,302,417 of sales (including buyer's premium). Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The biggest sale of the day came with the much-anticipated sale of Darth Vader's Hero Lightsaber. The duelling lightsaber was used in climactic battles in bothThe Empire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi. The listing of the rare screen-used prop from theStar Warsuniverse marks the first time a verifiably screen-used Vader Hero Lightsaber has ever been available for sale. After a pre-sale estimate of $1 million to $3 million, the piece of cinema history sold for $3,654,000, making it the highest-pricedStar Warsitem ever sold at auction. No information has been made public about who purchased the one-of-a-kind prop. In 1995,James Earl Jones, who famously voiced Vader in countlessStar Warsprojects throughout his career, toldConan O'Brienit took him only two and a half hours to record Vader's dialogue for the firstStar Warsmovie,making just $7,000for his contribution at the time. When it came time to makeThe Empire Strikes Back, Jones considered doing something a little different with the villain, but Lucas reminded Jones that if something's not broken, you don't fix it. "He said, 'We don't know what we did right, so let's just try what we did.' Naturally, I wanted to make Darth Vader more interesting, more subtle, more psychologically oriented," Jones told theAFIof Lucas. "And he said, 'No, no. What we're finding out is you need to keep his voice on a very narrow band of inflection because he ain't human, really.' " "If he gets too expressive, he seems too human," Jones told O'Brien. That would explain why Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) believed Vader was "more machine now than man." Courtesy of Propstore Brandon Alinger, Propstore COO, commented on the first day of the auction, calling the sale a "landmark moment." "Today's result marks a landmark moment not just for Propstore, but for the entire world of film collecting. To see aStar Warslightsaber – the symbol of one of cinema's greatest sagas – become the highest-valued piece of the franchise ever sold at auction is incredibly special. It speaks to the enduring cultural power ofStar Warsand the passion of fans and collectors who see these artifacts as touchstones of modern mythology," he shared. The Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction continues with more than 600 additional lots available for bidding Sept. 5 and 6. Interested participants can place bidsonlineor by telephone. Read the original article onPeople