Rare CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND Alien Mask Up for Auction – And It’s Equal Parts Creepy and Cool
If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a piece of extraterrestrial cinema history, now’s your chance, just don’t expect it to phone home.
Propstore has launched a new auction featuring an incredible lineup of film memorabilia, and one item in particular is drawing attention: An original alien mask from Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. One of the eerily sweet “Gray” aliens that descended at Devil’s Tower in the film’s unforgettable final act.
This rare piece is part of Propstore’s sale of items from Planet Hollywood’s vast memorabilia collection. The auction kicks off May 21 and runs through June 11, and the catalog is packed with movie treasures that also includes Gremlins puppets, Ghostbusters miniatures, and Spock ears from Star Trek. But the Close Encounters alien, complete with “functional eye mechanisms,” is the standout.
According to Propstore’s listing, the production team crafted multiple alien masks during filming, including prototypes, static versions for wide shots, and mechanical masks capable of limited movement. This particular piece is one of the mechanical versions used for close-ups, and it’s got a bit of engineering under the hood.
It comes from the collection of Roy Arbogast, the Oscar-nominated special mechanical effects artist and longtime Spielberg collaborator. The listing explains:
“It features a foam latex-backed slip latex skin dressed over a fiberglass underskull and painted gray-brown on the exterior. The interior is inset with wide cast resin eyes painted with blue irises and black pupils. The eyes are designed to move from side-to-side via cables installed along the interior.”
Arbogast’s filmography is filled with classic films including Escape from New York, The Thing, They Live, and Return of the Jedi.
Some “sympathetic restoration” has been done over the years to keep it display-ready, though the listing makes it clear the piece is fragile and not meant for wearing. So, maybe don’t go scaring the neighbors in your driveway.
The starting bid is $2,500.
