Collector Buys Christian Bale’s Batsuit for $250,000

There may be a new Batman in town. Bloomberg reports that a fan of the caped crusader, who presumably possesses Bruce Wayne levels of wealth, just purchased Christian Bale’s Batsuit from The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). The anonymous private collector paid a whopping $250,000 (£192,000) for the iconic costume at an auction held by a UK memorabilia company called The Prop Store.

The auction also included several other Batman props, as well as iconic memorabilia from The Goonies (1985), Star Wars: Episode IV (1977), and Jaws (1975). Batman’s souped-up motorcycle, also from The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, sold for $404,706 (£312,000), while Bane’s costume sold for a slightly less impressive $124,512 (£96,000).

Altogether, the auction included 500 pieces of movie memorabilia and attracted close to 400 bidders from 27 countries. In addition to private individuals, investment firms and archivists working for both private collectors and museums participated, purchasing everything from movie props to behind-the-scenes memorabilia like scripts and directors’ chairs.

As for the Batsuit’s new owner, Prop Store chief executive Stephen Lane says it’s unlikely the collector will actually end up using it to play superhero. “These don’t get worn by anybody,” Lane tells Bloomberg. “They really end up in glass display cases.”

[h/t Bloomberg]