A nice little surprise

The Star Trek Prop, Costume & Auction Forum is simply the best Star Trek forum out there. No immature rants, no flame wars, just mature and intelligent discussion of the props & costumes from the show we all love so much. My interactions with forum members go outside of the forum. Many of us talk on the phone regularly, we meet up at conventions, and generally hang out and support each other whenever we can.

Carolan, one of the forum's more prolific posters, recently sent me a nice little present. Knowing I am a huge fan of Kor, the first Klingon we ever saw in TOS's "Errand of Marcy" and played so well by John Colicos, Carolan found this great Kor toy and sent it to me. That's the kind of cool gesture we have all come to expect from one another on the forum.

THANKS Carolan!

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 74 Results

68th week of IAW auctions (auctions ending May 16th)

While this is the 68th week of auctions, It is titled Week 74 to be consistent with the Star Trek Auctions Archive.

Sorry for the delay on this post, but I have been traveling and been buried with a new project, which I will be telling you all about soon.

This week had some nice items, though was very prop heavy. The auctions have been a bit weak lately, but we can;t always expect great stuff every week. Plus, it gives those of us who are not Warren Buffet breathing room! My bank account needs a break!

Only two good costumes this week...

The Borg Drone Costume was a TNG style Borg and reasonably priced at $ 1,875. I almost bid on this, but the shoes didn't quite do it for me. They were a bit beat up. But these are nice costumes, and pretty iconic. The First Contact and later style are less desirable IMHO. since they are made of foam and latex and break down easily.

The Vulcan Priest Costume went strong at $ 809, but certainly worth it for a beautiful costume. There are so many of these that they have been going cheap. But they are beautifully made and look great on display, so a good buy I think. This one was especially nice compared to ones we have seen lately.


As far as props go:

The Captain Archer Spaceship Model went for an absolutely INSANE $ 10,827. I was speaking with the winner before the auction, and I knew he wanted it, but this is seriously over paying. It is a nice piece though and a very important part of Captain Archer's past. At Christie's this item went for $ 3,800 ($ 4,560 with Buyer's Premium).

The Enterprise Sensor Array was an absolutely spectacular prop. It went for a very strong $ 3,450, but this prop was actually worth it. Look at all the photos, there are a bunch of very intricate circuit boards that are removable, and having handled one, I can tell you they are amazing pieces of work.

The Nemesis Hero Phaser Rifle went for a healthy $ 3,000. It was pretty beat up, and the scope was broken off. I handled this one at Vegas (where it was on sale for $ 2,000) and it will take a lot of work to get this presentable. Still, it is cool and from a memorable scene in the movie.

The Rounded Borg Interface Panel from Voyager was cool, and will be a nice conversation piece in someone's living room! It went for a healthy $ 1,525.

That was the same price the very cool, light up TNG Scanner went for. I liked this one, and I think most prop collectors love anything that lights up! At $ 1,525 I think it was reasonably priced.

We have seen the Nemesis Shinzon Blood Draw Knife before. So now we know they made at least two of these. This is pretty cool as it actually shows you how a stunt is done. At $ 1,353, a pretty good deal.
Finally, the Dabo Chips and Concept Art was a nice pairing. Now, I do think this was a bit high. A set of Dabo Chips has been going for $ 500 or so, and that means the buyer paid $ 350 for a photocopy of a piece of art. Pretty high in my book. But cool none the less. The Reman Disruptor Rifle went for a very reasonable $ 735. I have one and love these. The paint job is amazing.

THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:

Best Costume of the Week:The Borg Drone Costume at $ 1,875 was very cool!

Best Prop of the Week: The Enterprise Sensor Array was spectacular!

Best Buy of the week: The Blank Faced PADD was a huge one and at $ 434 a great deal. Get a graphic from Rick Sternbach (who sells on eBay) and you have a beauty!

Worst Buy of the week: The Captain Archer Spaceship Model at $ 10,827 was WAY too high.

Sleeper of the Week: The John Eaves original art in the "Precursor to the Prime Directive" lot was awesome. Getting original John Eaves art at $ 300 or so a piece is a good deal in my book.

HIGHEST PRICED ITEM THAT SOLD

Star Trek: Enterprise Captain Archer Spaceship Model at $ 10,827

Star Trek: Enterprise Sensor Array at $ 3,450

Star Trek: Nemesis Hero Phaser Rifle at $ 3,000.

Star Trek: TNG Borg Drone Costume at $ 1,875.

Star Trek: Voayger Rounded Borg Interface Panel and the TNG Scanner both went for $ 1,525


Alec

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 73 Results

67th week of IAW auctions (auctions ending May 9th)

While this is the 67th week of auctions, It is titled Week 73 to be consistent with the Star Trek Auctions Archive.

There wasn't a great selection this week, so this will be a bit shorter than usual. I thought the selection was weak, and the fact that the highest price item was only $ 1,500 proves that point. Sadly, Week 74 is hardly better. We may be seeing the dregs of the auctions for a bit.

The Captain Picard stunt uniform went for a very reasonable $ 1,524. It was a stunt and so I think this was a good deal. It is still Command Red and these go for more, and this is certainly better than a background players version, though it will be on teh small side, since Patrick isn't as tall as say, Riker (or me for that matter!).

The Enterprise Operations Red Uniform went for $ 1,025. In the range of where a background costume could go, though on the high side. None the less, it is reasonable. I really think these uniforms shine in Command Gold. They really "pop" with that color combination. The red and green don't show as well against the navy blue jumpsuit.

The Nemesis Style Starfleet Dress Uniform at $ 855 was a great deal. These are such great uniforms that look so good. I want one, but have been waiting in hopes of a main character (as my buddy Dana has. We are going to have to arm wrestle for one). At this price, I think they are a real steal.

The TNG Starfleet Command Red Uniform Jumpsuit was a female version and went for a reasonable $ 799. There continue to be many of these and they are at a reasonable price.

Darrin from the Star Trek Prop Forum got himself a great deal on a black and gray Starfleet Uniform at only $ 647! Quite a steal. It was a female gold operations and looks awesome.

As far as props go:

The Romulan Disruptor Rifle went for $ 1,200, which is in the range of where these go. They are big and solid and very cool. A good catch that will look good on display.


The Klingon Pain Stick at $ 1,161 was pretty awesome. I backed off of this for a friend, and am happy he won it, as it is a beauty. These are pretty intricate too and I think will look great in someone's Klingon display.


The Starfleet Medical Travel Kit at $ 929 was OK. Need to clean it up, as it was missing an appliqué, and it needs a medical Tricorder for the side. Not one of the better ones we have seen, but OK at this price.

The NX Beta Cockpit Gauge Panel was alright, but nothing special. At $ 805 it was a bit rich, as I think there are plenty of these, but not too far off.

I won the Cardassian Disruptor Rifle at $ 766. I actually have been holding out for a resin one, but I had a low bid of $ 888 in on this one. I didn't think I would win, but I think the broken off handles helped. I will simply glue those back, and this will be a great piece. I am amazed I got it so cheap.

Finally, the Son'a Eneregy Pistol from Insurrection went for a reasonable $ 610. This looks like a good one.


THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:

Best Costume of the Week:The Captain Picard stunt uniform at $ 1,524 was the best costume in a weak selection.

Best Prop of the Week: The Klingon Pain Stick at $ 1,161 was very cool.

Best Buy of the week: The Star Trek III Genesis Planet Microorganism Lot for $ 538. Two big slugs in this lot, so that is only $ 269 a slug!

Worst Buy of the week: None! Good job everyone!

Sleeper of the Week: Any of the great Starfleet Uniforms that went between $ 406 & $ 515!


HIGHEST PRICED ITEM THAT SOLD

Star Trek: TNG Captain Picard stunt uniform at $ 1,524.

Star Trek: TNG Romulan Disruptor Rifle at $ 1,200.

Star Trek: TNG Klingon Pain Stick at $ 1,161.

Star Trek: Enterprise Operations Red Uniform at $ 1,025.

Star Trek: TNG Starfleet Medical Travel Kit at $ 929.


Alec

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 71/72 Results

66th week of IAW auctions (auctions ending May 2nd)

While this is the 66th week of auctions, It is titled Week 71/72 to be consistent with the Star Trek Auctions Archive.

Because Burt's archive denotes weeks by when they start, not end, they wound up with two different weeks for auctions ending May 2nd as some auctions started April 22nd and some started April 25th.

The highest selling costume this week was ironically a background Class D Jumpsuit from TMP, which went for a very strong $ 2,025. Now this one had the built in boots, which we don't see often, and so I think it is a great costume, but a bit overpriced at over $ 2K.

I won the DS9 Romulan Representative Velal Uniform at $ 1,801 and was very happy about it. Many thanks to my buddy Jim Williams who backed off for me on this. It was the last DS9 alien race costume I needed. My home theater (in process) will now have a Starfleet, Klingon and Romulan on one side and a Breen, Jem Hadar and Cardassian on the other!

This was a good one also because the auction ad said it was the last complete Romulan IAW has. Now that is surprising as we haven't seen that many Romulans, and there were a ton used in the show!

The Dr. Bashir Future Starfleet Uniform at $ 1,500 was a very good deal. My buddy Dana won this and I think he really scored. I love this style and this is from the DS9 episode "The Visitor".

The Captain Kirk movie shirt went for a strong $ 1,480. Hard to say if this is over priced or not, but it is a Kirk.

The Command Red TNG Two Piece Uniform went for a reasonable $ 1,200. The two piece are a bit more in demand, and so this was not out of bounds.

The Klingon Boots went for $ 1,125 which was reasonable when you consider how hard these are to come by. I would have paid $ 1,500 easy to get a pair if I needed them (I fortunately got a pair when I bought my Klingon costume from IAW).

The Khan's Woman Costume went for a strong $ 1,050. First of all, I would certainly never tell one of Khan's crew women they belonged to ANYONE, even Khan! She would kick your ass in a heartbeat! But these costumes are memorable and the mask/headpiece is cool.

The Ensign Mayweather Desert Uniform went CHEAP at $ 960! I like these a ton and the buyer really scored here.


Two Buy It Nows worth mention:

The Enterprise Hoshi Sato uniform went for a cheap $ 1,400. I almost jumped on this, but it just didn't fit in my collection. A great deal.

A Nemesis Geordi LaForge Starfleet uniform went for an insane $ 1,200. What was IAW thinking? I missed this, but would have jumped on it. A $ 2,000 costume for sure.


As far as props go:


Well, we had two Star Trek models this week to top off the prop selection. The almost infamous V'Ger Spock Mind Meld Model was sold previously, but would up being up for sale again and went for a very strong $ 4,072. OK, let me be honest, I HATE this model. I mean, it isn't even V'Ger. it is a piece of V'Ger as seen through Spock's mind. It is ugly and HUGE. I mean what the hell do you do with this? UGH.

On the other hand, the DS9 Pup Probe from the episode "Forsaken" was very cool. At $ 2,200 I think it was a good catch. Models are highly sought after and there just aren't a ton to be had.

An Enterprise Bridge Tactical Console went for $ 1,314. I think this one sold before, and was a re-list.

At $ 1,177 the Starfleet Phaser Rifle (a Type 3b to be accurate) was a bit more than most rubber rifles go for, but reasonable for a good example. I had one of these and sold it for $ 800, but the IAW provenance is certainly worth a couple hundred bucks.

The Medical Scanning Device went for a strong $ 993.

The Art Asylum Enterprise Phase Pistol had a starting bid at $ 800 and didn't sell! That is interesting and tells you what people think about this toy being sold as a prop. It is still a toy. Now I still think there is value here. It is like any other found item a show uses as a prop. But at the end of the day, it is the COA that has value.


THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:

Best Costume of the Week: Have to give myself this one for the Romulan Representative Velal Uniform at $ 1,801, which was a good deal on a beautiful Romulan costume.

Best Prop of the Week: The DS9 Pup Probe at $ 2,200 was a good deal on a great model!

Best Buy of the week: The Ensign Mayweather Desert Uniform was an awesome deal at $ 960!

Worst Buy of the week: At $ 4,072, the V'Ger Spock Mind Meld Model was way too high for a rather unattractive model.

Sleeper of the Week: The Ferengi Air Filter Mask at $ 256 was a really beautiful prop and cheap!


HIGHEST PRICED ITEM THAT SOLD

Star Trek: TMP V'Ger Spock Mind Meld Model at $ 4,072.

Star Trek: DS9 Pup Probe at $ 2,200.

Star Trek: TMP Class D Jumpsuit at $ 2,025.

Star Trek: DS9 Romulan Representative Velal Uniform at $ 1,801

Star Trek: DS9 Dr. Bashir Future Starfleet Uniform at $ 1,500


Alec

What happens in Vegas.....

If you don't know, the biggest Star Trek convention of the year is always the Creation Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Hilton, which this year happens August 6-10. Of course the Las Vegas Hilton is home to the Star Trek Experience, and so it is a fitting home. The Star Trek Prop, Costume and Auction Forum group will once again be there with a display of Star Trek props and costumes, and we would love to meet any of you that are coming.

General admission tickets are $ 119, and I think you get your money's worth as that is less than $ 30 a day. With all the star, dealers and such, it will be the best Star Trek event you attend all year. There are also packages that get you better seats for the star talks.

There are, of course, autograph sessions, and you can buy your tickets online. What is even cooler (as I don't collect autographs) is the ability to have your photograph taken with the stars. I bought a ticket for a photo with Shatner and Nimoy as well as DS9 stars Avery Brooks, Penny Johnson and Ciroc Lofton last year. The Shatner/Nimoy wasn't much fun, they don't even acknowledge you are there! But the "Sisko Family" was AWESOME! Each of them shook my hand and said hi, they had huge smiles on their faces and they were just so much fun.


As always, there is more information on the Star Trek Prop, Costume and Auction Forum.

See you in Vegas!

Alec

Cool Item of the Week - Week 70

Each week, the members of the Star Trek Prop, Costume & Auction Forum nominate and vote on what is the coolest item of that week. The winner gets the world famous "Cool Item of the Week" award!

This week:

51 forum members voted and the Ro Laren Starfleet Uniform, with the rare removable jacket won over the Doctor's Mobile Emitter!

The Klingon "Death Sting"

Back in September, I wrote two articles about a Klingon Death Sting that was on eBay. This is the Disruptor that was made for Star Trek: The Motion Picture and never actually seen on screen (You can barely see the top of it poking out of the top of the first officer's holster). It was later used in Star Trek V and TNG.

Here is the history. When the auction ad went up on eBay, it caught my eye. I have never seen one of these. I didn't even know about this version of the Klingon Disruptor. The auction of course claimed it was real and from a "friend" who worked on Star Trek. So I started digging for info on this. I always say "Everyone who is selling a prop has a friend who worked on Star Trek!". So I assumed it was fake.

So I called the two people I knew who knew about these. Brett Jones of Federation Surplus and the late Darrell Hyde, a replica prop builder who actually has a cast off an original. I spent about 4 hours on the phone, first with Brett and then Daryl. Both Brett and Daryl felt it was a fake. Both pointed to the different paint job as the key indicator and the fact it didn't quite match any photos from known versions.

Now the problem was that few photos of these exist, and what we had looked nothing like the one at auction. Here are the photos we did have:

The above was a Profiles in History auction for a Death Sting. Now this one looks a lot like the eBay auction. The colors are obviously totally different and this one has a solid rear. Darrell claimed he has seen others like this.

So here is one like in the auction, in a publicity photo for Star Trek V. Charles Cooper, who played General Kord, is holding one. The side tubes are missing, but it matches up to the Profiles version.

A real Death Sting that Darrell knew of. It is different from the one in the Profiles auction. The handle is smaller and has Klingon writing on the side. Also, the side tube was smaller and the details on the top of the eBay version were absent.

Finally, there is a Death Sting on page 127 of The Art of Star Trek (A book every Trek collector MUST have!) and it shows a Death Sting that was converted to be an alien weapon. This looks like the one above. Slim tubes and Klingon writing on the handle, which is different from the one in the eBay auction.

So according to Darrel, the Profiles version was the original type, and then it was re-worked and recast for TNG, when it was used several times. A new, slimmer handle with different detailing was made, and the top detailing was removed.

I asked questions of the seller, but got no responses. I asked for who his "friend" was...nothing. I asked for more photos...nothing. Well, that is pretty typical when someone is trying to pull a fast one.

So, we honestly thought the eBay auction was fake. But I felt the holster was real since I have one and it matched well, And besides, I needed a Death Sting replica since I could never own a real one and so I put in a $ 355 bid because a real holster would easily be worth that.

Well, when I received it, it turned out to be injection molded plastic and vacu-formed plastic. That made no sense to me. If it was a fake, it should be either resin or entirely vacu-formed plastic. This one has original injection molded parts from an M-16 toy, like the originals, but the handle was vacu-formed, like the TMP props often were. Well, it wouldn't make sense to make a fake like that.

So I called Brett and Darrell and explained the situation. We spent about 5 hours talking about it. I took a ton of photos and emailed them both. We all agreed this was weird. Brett felt that it might be real, but there was no way to tell. Why the wrong color? But he agreed that is not usual for a replica to be made from original parts like this. Darrell said it was inconclusive. He felt it was too different from the versions we knew about, but also agreed the injection molded parts were weird. It was a mystery. But the Holster did in fact match up well with my real one, so I felt I did well whatever the case.

Well, about two weeks later Darrell found the below photo that he had gotten years ago. It was from 1979 and showed a guy who worked at the prop house (ILM I think) and it was almost an exact match for mine! Mystery solved. More over, a couple months later I was at the Sci Fi Museum in Seattle, and Paul Allen has one on display that matches mine almost exactly! Same color and construction.


One of the problems was that we just didn't know what these things should look like! There is so little known about props from that movie. But now we know a bit more. And the Paul Allen Death Sting really sealed the deal.

So we have 3 versions.

1) TMP Version: Gray and black. Injection Molded toy parts and vacu-formed plastic

2) Movie version: Brown and black, solid resin. Recast from the TMP originals with the back filled in.

3) TNG version: Brown and black, solid resin. Recast from a movie version. Re-worked with slimmer handle, side tubes and no detailing on top.

Now, certain people have pointed out that I shouldn't write about it being a fake and then bid on it. You know, that is probably right. I bid on it feeling it was a fake, but feeling the holster might be real. So I put in a bid of $ 355. But I agree, that that could look shady being that it turned out to be real. So in the future, I won't be writing about the authenticity of an item I am bidding on. I don't want anyone to feel I am using my blog inappropriately.

Interestingly, Don, one of our forum members, had a very similar story of how he acquired a Star Trek 5 Assault Phaser. He too bid on an auction for one that claimed it was real, but the auction looked shady, bad photos, crappy description, no replies to his emails. So he bid $ 500 because he figured it was worth a shot, and when he got it it was a real fiberglass movie version! (he also was the under-bidder on the above Death Sting!

So, I hope you all enjoyed the story. I for one, loved the process of trying to figure out if it was real or fake. Brett and Darrell and I spent hours trying to figure out what the deal was, and it was a cool process to go through.

Alec

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 70 Results

65th week of IAW auctions (auctions ending April 22nd)

While this is the 65th week of auctions, It is titled Week 70 to be consistent with the Star Trek Auctions Archive. There was no Week 69, so there have been 5 weeks off since these auctions began.

This was a bit of a light week, but there were a few gems.

The Ensign Ro Starfleet Uniform went for $ 2,605 and was worth every penny. I was outbid on this one, but it did go to a Forum member. This was a great piece as it is from the very memorable scene when Ro and Picard beam down to the planet where the Bajoran refugees are. Ro gives the jacket of her costume to a little girl. We rarely see this costume pulled apart like that, and so this is a rare variant costume. Plus, Ro was a beloved and under-used character.

The Jadzia Dax Starfleet Uniform at $ 2,375 was nice as these look great on display. Terry Farrel was about 5'10" so this are long and trim. My buddy Dana had his on display and it looked fantastic, so this buyer did well, though he did pay a bit more than expected. These go for around $ 1,800 usually. Still a decent price.

The Data Starfleet Generations Uniform at $ 1,900 was OK, but it had no undershirt, which was a shame. Being that this was used by Data for a short period of time, and only at the end of the movie, it is a rare Data costume. I have the Picard version like this and love the rarity of it. I think the price was right, but the winner will need to display it with an undershirt to really look good.

The distressed Commander Sisko Starfleet Uniform at $ 1,283 was a very good deal. Yes, it is distressed, but this is a Captain's costume that went for less than $ 1,300! A steal in my book. We have seen this before with Archer costumes, and if you budget is limited, then you need to look at distressed versions as they go cheap!

The Motion Picture Class D Starfleet Lt. uniform went for $ 1,247. However, it was actually a Class A, not a "D", which is a jumpsuit. I screwed up my BidNip and so I lost this beauty. I had meant to bid $ 1,600 as I think this one is worth it. It has rank braid, which is rare, and it just looks awesome! I keep saying that

The Class D Sciences Jumpsuit went for $ 1,225. Now, this was in fact a Class D. Another great example of TMP costumes and it was in great shape with built in boots, which I think makes all the difference.

Finally, the stunt Major Kira Bajoran Militia Uniform went for a reasonable $ 915.

As far as props go:

The Voyager Doctor's Mobile Emitter was a key prop and went for a reasonable $ 2,551. This was the one and only version IAW had and so it was in high demand. The paint job seemed a little off, but that doesn't take away from a really great prop.

The Enterprise E Computer Console at $ 2,351 was about right. Everyone seems to love these, and who can resist having a piece of the Enterprise Bridge in your house! I hope we see more of them!

The Starfleet EVA Phaser Rifle at $ 1,426 is a personal fav of mine, and I am acquiring one of the hero versions of this. None the less, the rubber stunt ones like this are still very cool and priced right I think. The rubber is pretty hard and these will hold up well. Some people don't like this version, but I do. Plus we have only seen these in one movie!


The Klingon Negh'var Test Model went pretty high at $ 885. These were simple test models, and so have no detail. So interesting, but a bit high I think.

The Defiant Sciences Station Scope at $ 836 was a steal. I am bummed I didn't go for this. I mean, having one of these mounted on your desk at work? How cool would that be? I think the last one like this went for about $ 1,700, so this was less than half that! It is clearly the best buy of the week!

The Reman Starship Corridor Model at $ 812 was a good deal on a very cool piece. I think everyone should own one of these models! They really help you understand the process shows go through to bring sets to life. My Romulan Senate Model is one of my favorite pieces, so when you see models like this, jump at them!

The Enterprise Dr. Phlox Medical Injector w/ Case was a steal at $ 777. A beautiful prop with a nice case for display.


THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:

Best Costume of the Week: The Ensign Ro Starfleet Uniform at $ 2,605 was very cool.

Best Prop of the Week: The Voyager Doctor's Mobile Emitter at $ 2,551 was awesome.

Best Buy of the week: The Defiant Sciences Station Scope at $ 836. COOL!

Worst Buy of the week: None! Good job everyone!

Sleeper of the Week: The Enterprise Dr. Phlox Medical Injector w/ Case was a steal at $ 777. A beautiful prop with a nice case for display.

HIGHEST PRICED ITEM THAT SOLD

Star Trek: TNG Ensign Ro Starfleet Uniform at $ 2,605

Star Trek: Voyager Doctor's Mobile Emitter at $ 2,551

Star Trek: DS9 Jadzia Dax Starfleet Uniform at $ 2,375

Star Trek: Enterprise E Computer Console at $ 2,351

Star Trek: Generations Data Starfleet Generations Uniform at $ 1,900.


Alec

Satan's Robot & friend

So my neighbor has a 5 year old son named William, and one day when he and his dad were playing outside, he saw my Star Trek: Voyager Satan's Robot from Captain Proton. Of course he ran up to it and asked if it was real. OK, try explaining that to a 5 year old! Well, his Dad tells me William can't stop talking about the Robot.

Now they are moving away, so the other day I took some photos of William and the Robot, because I know no one will believe him in Florida when he goes to school and tells his friends his neighbor had a 7' tall robot!

Alec