A bizarre denim outfit bought for a fiver in a clothes sale decades ago sparked an international auction bidding battle thanks to its blockbuster movie credentials at the Normansfield Theatre on May 28.

Hansons Auctioneers were hosting their May Antiques and Collectors Auction and the quirky attire became one of the afternoon's highlights.

The short baggy dungarees, were bought in the late 1970s by a woman out shopping with a friend in Camden for around £5. She had no idea they were anything special but thought they might make a fun fancy-dress outfit. 

However, labels inside the outfit revealed it had been made for actor Joe Kaye who played a Lutrillian in the first Star Wars film in 1977.

The label in the outfit bearing the name of Joe Kaye and the film, Star Wars. Credit Hansons

The denim outfit went under the hammer at Hansons London on May 28 with a guide price of £800-£1,200 and sold for a whopping £9,0000. With buyer's premium and VAT, the total price paid by a private American online bidder was £12,456.   

Chris Kirkham, associate director at Hanson London, said: "We knew interest was strong as bids started to flood in ahead of auction day. Nevertheless, we were still dazzled by the result. Those denim dungarees really did skyrocket.

"I'm thrilled for our client as she only had the item valued as an afterthought. She brought them along to one of our Walk-In Wednesday valuation days at the Normansfield Theatre in Teddington. They'd been in her wardrobe for 40 years. She had no idea it might be valuable or sought after. It just goes to show how important it is to have get items checked out if you have an inkling they might be worth something."

The seller, from south London added: "I'm not sure why the outfit took my eye. I found it at a theatrical clothing sale in Camden. I just remember seeing rails and rails of clothing. I noticed the name on the label had the initials JK - the same as mine. I thought I could wear it to a fancy-dress party or something.

"I had no idea the dungarees were of any significance when I bought them. Fairly recently, when I became more tech savvy, I decided to do some research and discovered more. The label in the jacket says 'Joe Kaye, colonel 10545 Star Wars.

"Joe was an actor who i'd read portrayed a Lutrillian in the first Star Wars film, Episode IV A New Hope. The outfit's been in my wardrobe for more than 40 years. It travelled around with me whenever I moved."

Star Wars, the worldwide phenomenon with legions of fans all over the world, debuted its first film in 1977. The instant hit made $1.5 million (£1.2m) in theatres, a number unheard of at the time. The film went on to make more than $775 million (£627m) worldwide.

A Lutrillian in Star Wars

Free antique, jewellery and collectables valuations are offered every Wednesday, 10am-4pm, at the Normansfield Theatre, 2A Langdon Park, Teddington, TW11 9PS with entires also welcome for Hansons London monthly sales.

To find out more, email: [email protected] or [email protected].