StarTrek.com Publishes Article on eBay Auctions

I am a regular contributor to StarTrek.com and got to write an article on the eBay auctions that was published yesterday.  I republish it here.

http://www.startrek.com/article/star-trek-props-costumes-at-auction-on-ebay

Star Trek Props & Costumes At Auction On eBay

By Alec Peters
January 30, 2013

So you want to take the plunge and buy your first screen-used Star Trek prop or costume? Well, now is your chance, as one of the biggest collections of real screen-used props and costumes, from StarTrek.com contributor and well-known Star Trek archivist Alec Peters, is up for sale on eBay. Alec tells the story of how he came to decide to sell his collection here. I have been a Star Trek fan for as long as the show has been on the air. 

In 2006, I attended the famous 2006 Christie's Star Trek Auction, and there bought my first two costumes in what would become one of the larger Star Trek screen-used prop and costume collections in the country. I won a Captain Kirk costume and a Captain Sisko costume. My two favorite captains. After that I started buying more props and costumes in the eBay auctions sponsored by Paramount and my collection grew and grew. It quickly eclipsed my meager retirement account as my single largest asset. In addition, I started writing www.Startrekprops.com, the most popular website for collectors of Star Trek props and costumes, and I have been writing the blog for six years now. 

Martok's Computer

In 2008, I started Propworx, a company dedicated to selling TV and movie screen used props and costumes, and was fortunate enough to handle the auctions for some big-name properties. I sold the collections of Star Trek legends Mike and Denise Okuda and Doug Drexler. My love for Star Trek and preserving the history of the show was even tapped by CBS, and I now assist in preserving and cataloging the extensive CBS collection that is part of the Star Trek exhibit that travels the world.

Cardassian Computer

And while my collection has brought me new friends, new experiences and even a new business, it is still an asset and worth a lot of money. Now, one of the reasons I was able to spend so much money on these wonderful items, is because I am single and have no kids. But over the past three years I have become very close to my best friend Damaris and her two little six-year-old boys. She is a single mom, and like many, struggles to make ends meet. I love the boys and treat them as my own and visit them every 5-6 weeks (I live in California and they live in Orlando). And so I decided recently that I would sell a big part of my collection and buy them all a home. We found a great townhome a mile from the boys’ school and it is being built now and they will move in in April.

Damaris, Justin and Ethan in the new home as it is being built.

So I went through my collection in November and decided what of the 100+ props and costumes I own, I wanted to sell. I am paying cash for the house and so I started by selling almost everything that wasn't Star Trek in my collection. I then went through my Star Trek list and set aside about 50% of the collection to sell. This would still leave me with a core collection that I could be proud of, but also raise enough money to buy the house.

The toughest part was deciding to sell my Deep Space Nine props and costumes. I have one of the most-complete collections of items from this show and one of every costume from each alien race in DS9. I decided to sell my Klingon, Breen, Jem Hadar and Romulan costumes, along with pistols and rifles from each of these races. I had all of these on display in my house in Atlanta, but being that I live in a small apartment in California now, I can't display any of them! So it made sense to move them to new homes… possibly even yours.

Klingon Costume

It isn't often collectors get the chance to bid on so many rare props and costumes. All the props and costumes are in amazing condition and come from the most-trusted sources, so you know they are in fact direct from Paramount and are real screen-used props and costumes. The prices will vary from a couple hundred dollars for some of the hand props to several thousand for some of the better costumes. But where else will you find the Klingon assassin's knife from the TNG episode "Firstborn" or Sisko's briefcase from "Homefront" or Beverly Crusher's naval costume from Star Trek Generations? Plus, since I am not closing on the house til April 1, I am giving buyers 60 days to pay, so you can manage your budget better.

Generations Crusher Naval Costume 

I still have a wonderful collection of costumes, including one from each of the five captains, as well as Garak, Carol Marcus, Tasha Yar, Kor and, recently, Trelane's hero costume from "The Squire of Gothos." I have almost every Starfleet phaser and phaser rifle and the most-complete Klingon disruptor collection out there. So I have a lot of items to love and display. And more importantly, my favorite family will have a new home.  Life is good.

Klingon Bat'Leth     You can bid on the collection on eBay here:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/linnear/m.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1

The first week ends tonight (Wednesday) and more items launch today as well.

Alec