Doctor Who may be on a break until the Christmas special in December — with the last episode airing way back in May 2025 — but there is something interesting happening with the franchise. A massive auction of props and costumes from the series just ended, which saw everything from a screen-used TARDIS and a number of sonic screwdrivers to a full Dalek up for grabs. And while these auctions commanded some serious money from fans, one item in particular went for surprisingly little.
No piece of iconography is as identifiable with Doctor Who as the TARDIS. The blue phone box serves as the Doctor’s home, vehicle, and time and space machine. That’s why it’s so shocking that a screen-used TARDIS was sold for only £6,930, which equates to roughly $9,325. This particular TARDIS was used during the production of the 2022 New Year special, “Eve of the Daleks,” which saw Jodie Whittaker in the role of the Doctor. It’s not every day that a screen-used TARDIS comes along, let alone one thoroughly covered in cracks.
The Dalek, on the other hand, was a huge hit at the auction. According to its description, this Bronze Asylum Dalek was used in every episode of Doctor Who featuring the creatures since 2012. The Dalek is made of wood, resin, rubber, and metal, mounted on wheels, and looks awesome. It’s not a TARDIS, though. So how did it manage to earn the hefty sum of £53,550 ($72,060) — almost eight times as much as the TARDIS?
Granted, it’s much easier to find space in your house for a Dalek than a full-sized phone booth. That said, the Dalek was the biggest winner at the auction, earning almost five times as much as the next priciest item, a life-sized light-up Cyberman statue previously on display at the Doctor Who Experience.
Among the other items auctioned were the 10th Doctor’s (David Tennant) rehearsal sonic screwdrivers, which sold for £4,410 ($5,934), and one of the 11th Doctor’s (Matt Smith) trademark bowties, which earned £8,190 ($11,020) — also more than the TARDIS. But Matt Smith was the dreamy Doctor who wore bowties, so you can understand that one.
In total, the auction included 321 items from the production of Doctor Who. And if you’re wondering what ended up selling for the least, it was two pairs of the 12th Doctor Peter Capaldi’s pants. Who needs a guy’s used trousers? Though we’d like to meet the person who spent £567 ($763) to bring them home.
The auction was held in partnership with UK charity BBC Children in Need. According to the auction website, the proceeds from the auction “will go to helping to transform the lives of young people and empower communities across the UK.”
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