Andy Goulding comes from a family of film buffs and was brought up to appreciate classic cinema. War movies, horror films and musicals – he loved them all. As a child he collected film-related toys and memorabilia, but 15 years ago he realised that he could buy objects of far greater interest and value: the actual props used in his favourite films.

This turning point came when he met Stephen Lane, founder of Propstore (www.propstore.com), the Brit who helped to create a market here for film props as collectables – long after the pursuit had taken off in the US. Lane’s earlier sign-making business had brought him into contact with the crews of film production companies, and through them he began to acquire props no longer needed by the film-makers but which were of endless fascination for fans.

In the years since, Lane has been a valuable source of props for Goulding, although he has also bought online and at auctions.

A 34-year-old design engineer who owns a Hertfordshire-based laser etching and engraving company, Goulding now has about 80 props, including costumes, weaponry, masks, helmets and some bizarre bits and pieces – such as a fake beetle used in the banquet scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and an animatronic baby snake used in “that cheesy horror movie, Anaconda”.

About 70 per cent of his props come from the Star Wars trilogy, which he “grew up with” and for which he has a particular passion. “My first really big purchase, in 1994, was a rebel blaster pistol used in that thrilling opening scene of the first Star Wars movie. That set me on my path. I bought it for £3,000 – a huge expense for me at the time – but now it’s worth at least £10,000.”

A few years ago he swapped his £500 Star Wars pinball machine (not a prop) for the four fibreglass-and-plaster stones used in the 1997 Bruce Willis film, The Fifth Element, which were then owned by Stephen Lane. “The stones were pivotal to the film’s plot, so I really wanted them,” says Goulding. “Today they are worth a minimum of £5,000. I don’t think Stephen would agree to another swap like that  . . .”

One of his favourite items is the Ewok mask from Return of the Jedi (1883) which he bought two years ago for £5,000. Eighteen months ago he paid £1,000 for the prosthetic mask worn by the evil Emperor in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – he’s now auctioning it for 10 times that amount at the Profiles in History specialist auction house in Beverley Hills.

“Creature masks are very sought-after these days. Someone recently paid £23,000 for a Greedo mask, used in a couple of the Star Wars films, at the same auction house,” he explains.

He reckons he has spent “a good £50,000” on his props since he began collecting at the start of the 1990s, and that the whole lot would fetch between £250,000 and £500,000 in today’s market.

“It’s incredible how this area is booming. It’s certainly been more profitable for me than my property investments, and a lot better than stocks and shares. I think the market in movie props is being driven by City money – people of my age with plenty of disposable income, jumping on the bandwagon. They’ve seen objects from the movies they loved as kids fetching huge sums at auction and realised they can invest in something which not only provides a good return, but is fun. I mean, which City slicker wouldn’t want to have Christopher Reeve’s original Superman suit displayed in his sitting room?”

Goulding has shown considerable enterprise in pursuing his passion. He had heard that after the first Star Wars film was shot in the Sahara Desert in 1976, some of the props were abandoned there. So in 1998 he journeyed to Tunisia and hired local guides to help him track down the exact location of the filming. To his delight he found not only the “skeleton” of the alien creature which C-3PO walks past in one memorable scene, but also the childhood home of Luke Skywalker. Both made of fibreglass, they had been well preserved by the extreme aridity. He carted it home and sold it piecemeal for £5,000. “The holiday more than paid for itself,” he says.

He hopes to open a private museum so that others can enjoy his collection. “These things are iconic items of pop culture, ingrained in our psyche. A lot of talent goes into creating them. I see them as modern artworks – the Picassos of the future.”