Star Wars Memorabilia Owned By 'Chewbacca' Actor Peter Mayhew Returned

Star Wars memorabilia that was once owned by Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars series will no longer be auctioned.

Health problems kept Mayhew from retrieving the memorabilia from his attic when he moved, so the house’s new owners took custody. Mayhew passed away in 2019 and the abandoned memorabilia was recently put up for auction. The late actor’s wife, Angie Mayhew, got word of the potential sale and tweeted her dismay to the auctioneer and the auction house, which the auctioneer worked the situation out with the owners, and they gave the items back to the nonprofit Peter Mayhew Foundation.

“I was approached by a lovely older couple who were clearing their attic a quarter of a century after moving into their property. The contents of the attic included a bag of Star Wars memorabilia, which I thought might be of some interest to Star Wars fans. Nobody had approached us to discuss it and had they done so I would of course have talked to the vendors. The monetary value of the lot is fairly modest, but knowing how much it means to the foundation, and given that it had been in the attic for over 24 years, the vendors are quite happy to donate it to the foundation to have it permanently within their personal collection, not for profit, so that fans can access it in perpetuity.”

UPDATE: Looks like the sale of #Chewbacca memorabilia is OFF following criticism from #StarWars fans & family of the late Peter Mayhew. Items now being offered/donated to the actor’s Foundation @TheWookieeRoars. Statement below from auctioneer @angusashworth @RyedaleAuction1 pic.twitter.com/rUCcENvn5M

— Jon Kay (@jonkay01) February 10, 2023

Source: Deadline