Collector Interview - Jim Williams

Jim Williams is a collector I met at the Christie's auction. Recently, Jim found my blog and emailed me, and we started chatting again. He is the first of my collecting friends to fill out an interview I created, and I present it here for you all to enjoy!

The photos are Jim, his wife, Susan and his daughter Britta.

1. How did you become a Star Trek fan?

I grew up seeing occasional syndicated TOS episodes and loved the characters of Kirk and Spock. When I was in high school and college TNG was on and I felt like it was a series that I could really embrace. Wonderfully shiny, virtuous episodes, each a gem in a self contained episode. However, little did I know that DS9 was coming and that it would suck me in like no other television series ever could. This was the show that captivated my curiosity and attention. The great story arcs, the terrific cast, and the imperfections of the federation officers made it seem much more realistic. I had finally found the Star Trek series that resonated with my soul.

2. What was the first Star Trek prop you got and when was that? (also, was it real or a replica?)

The first Star Trek items I began collecting were the 40^th anniversary costume cards. I spent several months collecting all the cards and wondered what the whole intact costumes would be like. So, when I heard of the Christie’s auction and realized that I had the chance to possibly own a bit of the franchise, I couldn’t pass up the chance.

3. Did you buy anything from the Christie's auction? Did you go to the auction of bid online?

I flew to New York and attended the Christie’s auction. The excitement, enthusiasm and lusting was palpable. The collectors I met were fantastic folks who shared their knowledge and experience. I was even lucky enough to find someone to go in on with for two of the multiple lots. This meant that on the Vedek Collection we could each get two of the four costumes in the lot and only have to pay half the total price. We also split the female Klingon lot of two costumes. This is was a great way to get a costume or two for much less than other single item lots because most individual collectors were ignoring multiple lots. My nerve-racking and adrenaline-surging purchases were: Commander Donatra from Nemesis, Dr. Beverly Crusher season one jumpsuit with rank pips and comm badge, Vedek Winn burgundy costume with the great hat, a green/grey Vedek, the Breen General Thot Pran, and, finally, a female Klingon outfit.

4. What have you gotten from the It's a Wrap auctions on eBay?

Noteworthy costumes so far are: Dmitri Valtane TWOK style Starfleet uniform, Romulan Tal Shiar, Section 31, Robert McNeill’s cadet academy jumpsuit, DS9 Starfleet Jumpsuit, Nemesis jumpsuit, and Logicians dugout banner.

While the IAW auction has received some criticism I have been very pleased. I wish shipping could occur a bit more quickly, but I genuinely feel very positive about all my interactions thus far. I find myself each week being drawn to the Ebay listings and wondering which of the listed items could be the next to grace my collection. It has definitely become an addiction, but it is one that I have few regrets about.

5. What else do you have in your collection?

My collection also includes an Andorian pistol from Christie’s, a Romulan disruptor rifle, a DS9 Starfleet rifle, and a Jem’Hadar pistol.

6. Do you collect replica props at all?

My replicas include a DS9 phaser and holster, along with several various comm badges and rank pips; all from Federation Surplus. They just can’t be beat! Brett does an amazing job.

7. Who is your favorite character and why?

It is hard to name just one favorite character so I am going with two: Gul Dukat and Chief O’Brien. Marc Alaimo is a brilliant actor who really helped carry DS9 and added so much depth to the already great scripting. Colm Meaney as O’Brien is the typical every-man: easy to relate to, hard working, and fraught with episodes designed to torment his poor soul.

8. Which is your favorite Star Trek show?

Is there any doubt by now? Certainly DS9

9. What is your Holy Grail item?

The ultimate collectible for me would be a First Contact style Admiral Ross outfit from DS9. Other wants include a Sela, Sisko, and Picard.

10. Any other thoughts on collecting?

I have no regrets buying any of the high ticket items because they have been visually fantastic, of an amazing quality, and easily recognizable. Purchases where I occasionally have had a few second thoughts have been background costumes. I have loved most of them but it is easy to get overrun with these often inexpensive but cool pieces. I would urge others to focus on pieces of meaning if they can afford them. Too many background costumes dilute the collection and make it look like a rack at the “Salvation Army” (Hi, Mark). There certainly are wonderful background outfits to go for, but use discretion. Look through the Christie’s catalog and notice that so many props and costumes are prominent and archetypal. All those items were gathered by the Okudas because they thought those items would appeal to the broadest range of collectors.

Most importantly, I have found that just like when buying art, buy what you like. You are the one who has to live with these items. I have a few costumes in my collection that I know other big collectors may have pooh-poohed, but I bought them because I loved the materials or the details, even though they aren’t “iconic.” The Enterprise Mine Guard and Tandaran Guard outfits are two examples. The mine guard is very impressive in person with it’s all-leather construction, multiple foam rubber applications, and nice boots. The Tandaran guard I liked for the design, color, patch on the sleeve, and awesome leather harness.

In preparation for the auction each week, watch the episodes these costumes and props come from, or do quick searches for them on www.trekcore.com. This is a great website with screen caps from every episode of every series. Then, once you buy your costumes and have them in your excited hands, you can look at the interior tags and search the names on Memory Alpha (the Star Trek section of Wikipedia) at http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Main_Page. This may give a great deal of information on the actor or stunt person who wore it. The information you gain will certainly give you more appreciation for the costume.

I would like thank you, Alec, for your efforts in maintaining a very well presented blog on this wonderful topic. If anyone would like to contact me regarding collecting, they may do so via email at jimmis89406@yahoo.com. I would be happy to discuss any aspects of the hobby.

If any of you will be at the Minneapolis Star Trek Convention May 4-6, let me know. It would be fun to meet up there. Thanks for letting me share my collection with you. Jim

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 19 Results

Week 19

Well, it wasn't a strong week, but there were a few nice pieces that did fairly well.

The Commander Sisko at $ 3,240 was the top item and went for a very good price. I was going to go after this for my collection, but my good buddy Grant wanted it and so I stepped aside for him. As the top is from the DS9 pilot "Emissary", this makes it a very good deal. The last Sisko was the Commando costume from "In a Pale Moonlight" that went for $ 3,100, so this is right in line with that.

That the Major Kira costume went almost as high as the Sisko costume at $ 3,206 is a testament to the loyalty of some Kira fans. These costumes have all been going over $ 3,000. The last one went for $ 3,601 and the one before that at $ 3,250, so this one went about where it should based on recent history, but way above where other character costumes, have been going.

The Lore in Pakled costume was a beauty and a very memorable costume. This was from Lore's second appearance in the season 4 episode "Brothers" (thanks to those who pointed the listing error out!). It went for $ 2,155, which is a strong price, but for such an important costume, not unusual.

The Geordi LaForge Starfleet Uniform, had fading on both sleeves from storage problems, yet it still went for a very healthy $ 2,015. I think this is a bit strong for a uniform with damage. The two piece TNG unifoms have been going high lately though, with the last background player version going over $ 2,200! So who knows?

The Dax First Contact style jumpsuit went for $ 1,891. The last one went for $ $ 2,030. Still a great deal less than the Kira's.

At $ 1,353, the DS9 Romulan Uniform was a decent enough deal, but quite the value the two previous Tal 'Shiar versions that went for $ 1,425 and $ 1,535 were I think. One had boots and they both had holsters I believe.

The Picard Riding costume is notable in that my friend Giles Aston, who many of you may know as the Picard look-alike, won this costume to add to his Picard collection of costumes.

The Klingon Over Robe at $ 910 is a good price on an interesting piece of Kllingon costuming. This can best be scene in the Klingon Council scenes in the Next Gen episode "Sins of the Father".

The Nilva Ferengi costume at $ 878 was agreat deal. These Ferengi costumes are AWESOME and they regularly go cheap. Everyone who has one of these loves them.

The Vulcan Captain Carbon Creek costume at $ 660 was an awesome deal on a beautiful costume. I am amazed it went that cheap. There is another this week, though distressed and not as nice.

Finally, the Starfleet Academy Red Squad Cadet costume was a great deal at $ 637. I keep saying these are great deals, as are teh Ferengi, and so look here for value in the future.

As far as props go:

The Medical/Engineering Scanner saw a lot of action and went for $ 2,181, which is prety healthy for a prop like this, but not unexpected as it lit up.

The gold Enterprise model from "First Contact" went for an astounding $ 1,411. What I think is odd is that this model was NOT broken up in First Contact. Look at the scene. The Enterprise is all the way on the left of the ship display and is clearly seen intact after Jean Luc breaks the models on the right side (The "C" and the "D"). I think someone paid WAY too much for this.

The Enterprise Photonic Torpedo at $ 1,375 was a steal! This is a freaking PHOTON TORPEDO!!!! I think the buyer got a great deal, but will have to pay a ton for shipping! As I mentioned in my preview, there should be four of these based on how many I have seen in Enterprise.

The Klingon mask went for $ 970 which was far less than the last one which went for $ 1,526. The others have sold for $ 578, 598 and 835. I want to get one of these for when I get a Klingon costume, but i won;t pay high for it as there should be a bunch more.

The Voyager Galley Table went for $ 799. Not sure what to make of this prop. Not particularly interesting, but very cool if you put it in your kitchen!

The Enterprise Engineering Console at $ 746 was a bit high I felt for the piece as I wasn't very impressed with this. But as I always say, what people like in props is a very personal thing.

The Nausicaan sidearm with holster was a great deal at $ 511. I predicted it would go cheap, but this was crazy low!


So here are some awards for the week:


Best Costume of the Week: While the Sisko is an important costume, the fact that the pants are wrong, leads me to give the award to the Lore in Pakled costume

Best Prop of the Week: An easy one in a week of bad props. The Medical/Engineering Scanner at$ 2,181 is clearly the cream of the crop.

Best Buy of the week: The Enterprise Photonic Torpedo at $ 1,375. A freaking Photon Torpedo at a great price!

Worst Buy of the week: The gold Enterprise model from "First Contact" at $ 1,411 and this may not even be screen used!

Sleeper of the Week: The Vulcan Captain Carbon Creek costume at $ 660. A beauty at a greta price!


And here are some prices realized:

5 HIGHEST PRICED ITEMS THAT SOLD

The Commander Sisko $ 3,240

Major Kira costume $ 3,616

Medical/Engineering Scanner $ 2,181

Lore in Pakled costume $ 2,155

Geordi LaForge Starfleet Uniform $ 2,015.


Good luck this week all!

Alec

Displaying Star Trek Costumes UPDATE

I have been asked lately about displaying Star Trek costumes, and I wrote about this in a very early post. The other day someone suggested I post this info again, so here it is, with some updates.

The way I display my costumes is the way Christie's did at their auction. They are half-forms and stands that look great.

Here are the uniforms as they are displayed in my living room.

Sisko and Nog cadet uniforms

Admiral Janeway and Kirk ST:TMP jumpsuit

Now here are what the displays look like:



It is two pieces and costs $ 15.95 for the form and $ 29.95 for the stand. Well worth it. Find them here:

http://www.advantagefixtures.com/htmldocs/halfroundforms.html

Here is how my living room looks now!


Some costumes require a mannequin, like a 7 of 9 jumpsuit or any costume that would look better when filled out. I just bought a Reman costume and am going to buy a mannequin for it. I will write more on that as soon a I get one.

Alec

Buying on a Budget

The Guardian of the Star Trek Auction, Prop and Costume Blog got this question from Jim Johnson:


"Dear Alec, I'm writing to let you know how much I appreciate and enjoy reading your Trek auction and prop blog. I was wondering if you might consider a blog post or perhaps just some advice over email regarding how a collector on a budget might be able to put together a collection. I won one of the Christie's auctions, and I've been keeping an eye on the IAW auctions on eBay, but I'm not familiar with other sources for items. Thanks for your time, and thanks for the great blog reading. Cheers, Jim Johnson"


This is a great question Jim as I have been asked this a bunch lately. and I also think the auctions recently have some good costumes on a budget.

The first question to ask if you are on a budget is "What is your budget?". We all have a budget we try and work with, but you have to determine how much you can afford to spend in a given week or month. You may have a $ 200 limit, a $ 500 limit, a $ 1,000 limit, or you may have a pool of money set aside and you are trying to make sure all your purchases fit within that limit.

So the first thing I will address is a $ 250 budget. This is the toughest price range, but potentially the most rewarding on a value basis. There have been some real steals here for interesting and inexpensive costumes and props. Now at this price point, you will not get a main character costume, but what you are looking for is that piece that appeals to you because it was for a guest star or a character that you liked or in an episode you liked. Search here and you will see the great bargains you can get!

Look at this beautiful costume Michael Ansara wears as Jeyal from the DS9 episode "The Muse". It went for a mere $ 123. And Ansara played the Klingon Kang in the Original Series, DS9 and Voyager, so there is some serious history here.

The Jaheel-Babel costume from DS9 is also beautiful, will display great, and sold for only $ 169.50.

You want props? The Reman Needle went for only $ 180.49 and is an important Nemesis prop. Almost all the rank pins went below $ 200 and a chair from engineering went for only $ 233.50!

So you can still afford great Star Trek pieces on a small budget.


Now, on a $ 500 budget you have more options. You want to buy an item every so often, and want to spend about $ 500 when you do. Well, there are a TON of great guest star costumes that regularly go between $ 200-$ 500. Aliens, civilians etc, are all available in this range. But what if you want one of your favorite character? Well, they are still available. Just look for civilian or specialty costumes.

To the right is the Enterprise Lt. Reed costume that sold last week. It was from the episode when Reed posed as a Suliban. It is an awesome costume that is quite beautiful, made from great fabric, and went for only $ 517.

These are the types of costumes you should be looking for in this price range because not only are they from a main character, but they are good looking and will display well.

The Tuvok costume last week is another example. I paid $ 515 for it because I just saw this episode and liked it. It is reminiscent of the new black and gray style costumes as well.

The last item is the Doctor/Tom Paris smoking jacket from Voyager that was on this past week and sold for $ 390. A pretty cool item and worn by two characters and a very reasonable price

Ferengi costumes, Neelix costumes and Kess costumes seem to go especially cheap. All can be had around the $ 500 mark.

Now, go back to the IAW auctions and search on completed auctions. Go here. Now look at what items have sold for. You will see there are a lot of inexpensive costumes because there are just so many items!

There are also plenty of awesome deals on Props at this price level. The Alien PADD went for $ 374 this past week. Now that is a good deal on a great prop that is very recognizable. There was also the Enterprise Lantern (use on Voyager as well I am told).

You aren't going to get a phaser or communicator at this price level, but that doesn't mean you can't get a cool piece that looks good. I think a good idea is to place bids on a few items that you think might go in this range. Because if you bid on 3 or 4 items, you may only get 1, and if you don't get any, well, they weren't in your budget range!

Ok, so if you are on a budget, there are plenty of props and costumes to get. Just know what you are looking for, examine where pieces have been going in the past (reading this blog is a great way to do that!) and be persistent and patient. $ 500 is a reasonable amount to want to spend and you can build a nice collection at this price level.

Now, let's move to the $ 1,000 level. While you can build a nice collection at the $ 500 level, you can really get some great pieces at the $ 1,000 level. In fact, I would say this is the $ 800- 1,000 level as this tends to be the range where you can find some great buys in both props and costumes.

At $ 1,000 you can get a main character costume that is either a civilian costume or a distressed Starfleet costume. Check out this Trip Tucker which went for $ 1,006. Yes it is distressed, but heck, it is an Enterprise uniform!

The Star Trek: V security commando costume went for $ 1,050 also which is a great deal.

Voyager jumpsuits and all the Starfleet cadet uniforms have been going in the $ 800 range, which I think is an awesome deal.

Enterprise uniforms, MACO uniforms and lots of Enterprise Vulcan and Klingon costumes go around $ 1,000.

Props? Well, last week the Agony Booth controls went for just under $ 1,000 and we have seen Reman pistols, most alien gun props and lots of other great props go under $ 1,000. You can build a nice collection here if you have the capital!


Well, I hope that helps a little. The key to all the above is to really read the descriptions and not over-extend yourself. Be patient and scour the lower end of the auctions each week. I am telling you, my buddies and I have been amazed at some of the deals in the $ 500 range especially and with all the stuff on the auctions, there is plenty to go around!

Good hunting!

Alec

More Fraud on eBay!

OK, this guy is probably the biggest Star Trek prop fraudster on eBay. emma198302

He has sold real props from Christie's in the past, but now he is trying to defraud collectors as he claims he has multiples of original props from Christies. This is all a lie.

Here's why:

1) He claims to have 3 or 4 of each different item from the Christie's auction, when the auctions themselves only had one, two or three of the item.

2) He uses photos that were taken at Christie's preview for the Phaser Rifle as he doesn't even have the item! He uses one photo for lot # 69 (Type 1 - EVA rifle) and another photo for lot # 64 (4-Type 3 Phaser Rifles)

3) He is selling Tricorders that he claims have sound. Tricorders NEVER had sound as that was an effect dropped in later.

4) He has been selling fake PADD's for months.

I have asked him pointed questions and he has basically blown me off. A few of my prop collecting friends have asked him questions and gotten crappy answers.

THIS GUY IS A LIAR AND A CHEAT - STAY AWAY

His completed auctions are PADDs that are obvious reproductions, yet he sells them as real with a "COA". This just goes to show you that a COA is MEANINGLESS unless it is specifically attached to a piece and is from a recognized authority. The It's a Wrap COAs are the best ones I know of as they are attached to a specific item only, have a photo of the item, and come from a source we know is selling from Paramount.

One very high profile collector bought one of these PADDs and then returned them after he said they were cheap knock offs.

PLEASE report this guy to eBay. Go to his items and go to the bottom and click on "Report This Item" and go through the process. The more of us that do it the more of a chance we have of eBay kicking this loser.

He sold one of these already. Now he claims to have more. He uses the same photo, which is Christie's lot # 207. This was the ONLY one like this sold at Christie's.

Only two of these were in the Christie's auction - Lot # 199
We believe he actually won that lot, because he sold these off previously.

Four of these were in the Christie's auction - Lot # 199
He claims he has four of them, but he sold one previously here.

This is a photo from the preview at Christie's. Plus only one of these was auctioned off. Lot # 69

He is selling Tricorders with lights and sound. Tricorders NEVER had sound. That was a special effect added in post production. He is selling three of these now.

Finally the fake PADDs he has been pawning off as real ones with a "COA" from Paramount. One of my collecting buddies bought these after buying a bunch of real props from the guy and said they were TOTAL CRAP

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 19 Preview

Week 19 Preview

A pretty mediocre selection this week, with some decent props. It may well be that we are now settling down into a routine where IAW is listing only a few really good items each week to stretch out the auctions over a longer period of time. It also gives us all more breathing room!

The highest item at the moment is the Major Kira costume at $ 2,280. This is nice as it also has the boots. These have been going high, around $ 3,500, which is way above where other character costumes, have been going. The current price indicates this trend will continue.

The Commander Sisko at $ 1,373 is nice in that the top is from the DS9 pilot "Emissary". The last Sisko was the Commando costume from "In a Pale Moonlight" that went for $ 3,100. I figure this will go between $ 3 - 4,000.

The Dax costume is sharp. My buddy Dana won the last one of these and it looks awesome on display. This is a First Contact style jumpsuit. The last one went for $ 2,030.

The Geordi LaForge Starfleet Uniform, like the previous one, has fading on the sleeves from storage problems. It went for $ 1,402 last time, but these two piece uniforms have been going high lately.

The DS9 Romulan Uniform is pretty nice. It is only at $ 600 now, but should hit $ 1,500. The last two like these were Tal 'Shiar versions that went for $ 1,425 and $ 1,535.

The Lore in Pakled costume is a great item and I think a gem. It is Lore's second appearance in the season 4 episode "Brothers", and is a great way to get a Brent Spiner costume. But I do not think this will go cheap. $ 1,500 at least.

Where are the bargains to be had?

The Nilva Ferengi costume is a beauty. These have been going at VERY reasonable prices and I would recommend them if you like the Ferengi.

Looking for a good deal? Look at the Starfleet Academy Red Squad Cadet costume. The last one went for $ 710. These are really nice costumes and if you want a Starfleet uniform, this is a good place to start.

The Vulcan Captain Carbon Creek costume is another great item and cheap at the moment. it will probably go about $ 1,000. The detailing is amazing.

As far as props go:

The Medical/Engineering Scanner is the top prop at the moment at $ 1,030. This is a beauty and could hit $ 2,000 as there aren't a lot of these!

Four Klingon masks have sold for $ 578, 598, 835 and 1,526. The current one is at $ 800 and should go higher due to all the new bidders. I don't know how many they have of these, but just remember the Klingon trial scene and how many Klingons there were!

The Enterprise Photonic Torpedo is pretty sharp. there should be four of these at least based on how many I have seen in Enterprise. It is big, so you may spend a ton in shipping. You may want to ask about that first.

The gold Enterprise model from "First Contact" is kind of unique, but it is a broken model after all! It is already at $ 355. Not sure how high you would want to go on this.

The Nausicaan sidearm with holster is a great prop and the holster is pretty cool. Few props come like this. It will probably go under $ 900 based on what previous alien firearms have been going for. There are various engineering panels and such, but nothing that truly stands out. A good week for bargain hunting so read every listing and bid wisely.

Good luck this week and good hunting!

Alec

More Photos From Last Weekend

Martin from Germany provided me with these photos of last weekend's Creation Star Trek Convention in Burbank!



This is the It's a Wrap Booth with Willie Bath from the UK, talking to Colin from IAW (who was wearing a Cardassian soldier costume). On the table you can see the two Klingon masks, a Romulan Disruptor Rifle, a Reman Rifle and a Phaser Rifle.



Dennis and Alicia in Enterprise Uniforms with Colin wearing an Archer stunt Desert uniform.



Willie Bath opening up the Enterprise Sensor Package he won from It';s a Wrap (He outbid me on that one!)

Hope you enjoy them!

Alec

Tom Spina Designs

When I was at Christie's I met a fantastic guy named Tom Spina. He owns Tom Spina Designs and is an amazing artist who does everything from props and costumes to special displays and work with latex. The last is important for Star Trek collectors with all the latex props and appliances that we are seeing from IAW. As I always say, these will degrade over time, and Tom can help you solve that. His speciality is unique display and restoration solutions for foam and latex pieces. More importantly, he is just the nicest guy and a pleasure to chat with.

Tom is the guy on the right

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 18 Results

Week 18

How is this for getting the results up fast? Under an hour after the auctions ended! Well, I have a wedding tomorrow and an event Sunday, so no time to work on it this weekend.

Well, for a poor selection this week, there were some amazing surprises, some excellent prices and some good deals.

The T'Pol Blue Civilian Jumpsuit went for a stunning $ 6,501! Now this is listed as a stunt costume as the costume tag reads Bonnie Yanagisawa who is a prolific Hollywood stunt woman. Why the high bids? Well, the winning bidder (who is a very nice guy who has bought some of the Enterprise props I have had for sale) doesn't let price get in the way of what he wants. Obviously, the under bidder felt the same way! But it is a beautiful costume, and will look great on a mannequin (much better than a hanger form as I often use). Some costume require mannequins, and this is one. So a record for an Enterprise costume!

I won the The Breen Atmosphere Armor and am very happy about getting it at $ 3,616. I am a huge DS9 fan and so this will go well in my collection. Plus it is an amazing costume that looks great. I told my buddy before the auction, that I would be happy getting this costume around $ 3,500, so all ended well.

The Dimitri Valtane costume sold for a very healthy $ 2,875. The last complete one of these went for $ 2,950, so this is a very consistent price and a good deal. These are very iconic, display well and are the goal of many a Star Trek collector! I know the winner and he is a very happy man now!

The T'pol's After Hours Wear didn't get bid up past the $ 2,749 it was at on Wednesday. Now, who the hell thought a pair of PJs was worth this, I don't know. I don't even want to know what the winner is going to do with these and I don't want to know! :-)

I also won the The Orange Feature Style Engineering Suit for $ 1,715. Now I won one of these back in December, and at the time I thought it was rare, but this is the fourth one that has sold, and the cheapest. Mine didn't have the collar, the center chest insert, or a helmet. I subsequently got a black collar from a friend who won a white one at Christie's (they came with two collars), so it is nice, but this one has better gloves, the chest insert and a helmet. So, if you want one of these at a great price, let me know!

The Feature Style Crewman Uniform set a record for this type of uniform at $ 1,625. It does have the original belt, which the previous ones, that all sold in the $800-900 range, did not.

I said that the The Commander Tucker costume should go about $ 1,000 and it went for $ 1,006!

The Archer Away Team Jacket though distressed went for a reasonable $ 1,370. Both good deals I think. Note that I am often asked how to buy on a budget, and I think if you can live with a distressed piece (some people prefer them as having seen real "action") then there are a load of great deals in the $ 800-1,000 range.

I said I liked the Dr. Phlox Cold Weather Costume and it really jumped in the last minute from about $ 250 to $ 1,250.29. I think a lot of people had their eye on this one. Still a great deal for a nice costume with lots of accessories.

Finally, there were some beautiful civilian clothes, and I admit, the week wasn't as bad as I first thought if you look at the quality of the civilian and non-uniform character wear. I won the Tuvok Civilian Outfit because it was a beautiful piece and very reasonable at $ 515. The Reed as a Suliban costume is beautiful as well and went for only $ 517. Also the Doctor/Tom Paris Smoking Jacket was a steal at $ 390. What beautiful fabric! Dana, you will look good lounging about in this with your pipe!

So I think if you want a nice costume of your favorite character on a budget, look at the low priced costumes each week and really look at the photos and close ups.


As far as props go:

I liked the Enterprise Agony Booth Controls which ended at $ 920 and would have bid fo r them if I hadn't gotten cleaned out with my 3 previous purchases! These are very cool and will look great if displayed right. (put them on the wall next to your gym!)

The Glass Bajoran Panel sold at $ 759 and I think this was a smoking deal. If you looked at the photos, especially of the close ups, you saw how beautiful the piece is. I really wanted to go after this, but had pretty much blown the week's budget on 3 costumes already! The winner will find this is an absolutely beautiful piece and I congratulate them.


The Enterprise Dr. Soong's Lesson PADD went for a reasonable $ 739. This is the type of prop you should be looking for if you are budget minded, as it has great historical significance in the Star Trek universe and sold at a reasonable price.

The Enterprise Lantern went for $ 539, which is about right. A nice prop that will look good just about anywhere. Hopefully it works too!

The Voyager Non-Humanoid Creature at $ 510 was reasonable for such a prop.

The Alien PADD went for $ 373 which was a smoking deal! A great buy for someone who was bidding smart.



So here are some awards for the week:


Best Costume of the Week: The Breen Atmosphere Armor. Yeah I won this, so I am giving myself the award, but it is still very cool!

Best Prop of the Week: I really liked the Bajoran Glass Panel. Beautiful work and the winner got a gem.

Best Buy of the week: Travis Mayweather Desert Wear. $717.53....a steal! It comes with a pip and the Enterprise Shoulder Patch!!!

Worst Buy of the week: Tough call with a stunt suit going for $ 6,501, but still, T'pol's After Hours Wear at $ 2,749 is ridiculous.

Sleeper of the Week: The Bajoran Glass Panel at $ 759. This should have gone over $ 1,000 as it is simply beautiful. This is the first ever double award winner! (and the first time I have used a photo in both the preview and the results as it is worth seeing it again).


And here are some prices realized:

5 HIGHEST PRICED ITEMS THAT SOLD

T'Pol Blue Civilian Jumpsuit $ 6,501

The Breen Atmosphere Armor $ 3,616

Dimitri Valtane costume $ 2,875

T'pol's After Hours Wear $ 2,749

Romulan System Display Screen $ 1,775

The Team at It's a Wrap

I mentioned in my previous posts about the Star Trek convention that I got to know the IAW staff and spend time chatting with them. So I thought I would share a bit on each of them so you can get an idea of who the team is and what they do.

Colin is the project manager who is a big fan of Star Trek and was hired by IAW specifically to run the IAW auctions with Paramount. A sharp guy, Colin has a really good sense of product mix, merchandising and seems laid back enough so that he is probably a great guy to work with.

Holly is the assistant project manager. She and Colin will choose the costumes to use that week and then write the descriptions. She also will answer many of the questions that IAW gets each week (and they get a lot).

Tami is in charge of putting all the costumes together. Basically she runs around the warehouse and finds the costumes that are auctioned off. Her focus is not choosing what is auctioned, but rather putting the costumes together. She will try and find the pieces of a costume if the costume is not complete. She does grunt work according to her, (but with a smile).

Brian is the second in command trekker according to him!. A friend of Colin's from way back and big Star Trek fan (Voyager is his fav), he will see the costume and then identify where it is from with Colin. If they need to research the piece on Trekcore of Memory Alpha, he is the guy who does that. He pulls the costumes after Colin and Holly determine what they want any given week.

Alicia is the main photographer. She does a great job prepping the costumes, and then photographs them against the Next Gen star field backdrop.

Dennis is the Warehouse Manager, he not only takes care of photoshoping the photos and uploading the items for the auction, but he takes care of the physical warehouse.

Gilbert, who is the Shipping Associate, was not at the show (probably too busy shipping the hundreds of packages!). He prepares the items for shipment, prints the COA's and corresponds with the shipping providers.

Many of you know Dominic who was also too busy to be at the show (someone had to run the show while everyone else was dressed up in Star Trek costumes selling me stuff!). He is the General Manager of the entire company, including the 2 retail stores and 2 warehouses. He is in charge of running all operations, including the Star Trek auction. He is the person that handles the funds collection, and of course customer service (which he works very hard at).

Last, but certainly not least, is Tiara is the owner of It's a Wrap. You won't see her involved in the auctions or the store per se as she is always running around doing the deals to get more stock in their two stores. She's the big picture person and CEO.

Thanks to all the IAW staff for chatting with me and filling me in. They are great folk and I hope you all cut them some slack if things are a bit slow with your shipments. There is a lot to do there and they don't have the most efficient tools to work with. (I am working on them to get a better technology solution in place!).

Alec

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 18 Preview

Week 18 Preview

This is absolutely the worst selection we have seen so far. There are half a dozen decent costumes and very few props of interest, so i am going to make this a short one.

The highest item now, amazingly, is T'pol's After Hours Wear which is currently at $ 2,749. OK, this is insane, and I don't even want to think of WHY someone would pay such an insane price for pajamas. But that is a ridiculous price for PJs.

The Dimitri Valtane costume is the second complete Maroon movie costume. These are highly sought after, and this should go well over $ 3,000 as it is already at $ 2,325. I think everyone would like one of these as they are so iconic. How many are there at the warehouse? Well, IAW isn't saying and so we will have to wait and see. But there are probably a dozen or so based on how many we have seen in the movies.

The Breen Atmosphere Armor is quite beautiful. There are at least four sets of Breen armor that were made. Check out the below photo. The Breen commander's armor is different. He is the one seen on the left. This armor was sold at Christie's. The one currently offered is the the one on the left in the background. You can see the photos here.
















These are really nice costumes and I think will go in the $ 3,500 range, but it could easily hit $ 4,000. I wish it had a gun as well for that nice holster!

The Feature Style Crewman Uniform has been seen before and they have gone in the $ 900 range pretty constantly. This one has a belt though, and so is more desirable. Still, it is much more than one might expect.

The Orange Feature Style Engineering Suit has been seen before, but not with that Orange head gear. We have been trying to place it but can't seem to. If you have any idea, please let me know. The best we can tell, it might be used in Spock's funeral scene in ST: TWOK. The last crewman on the right has something in his hand, but even using my DVD, I can't see if this is it. Either way, this is the fourth one we have seen and the previous three have all gone around $ 2,500.

The Commander Tucker costume is distressed so should go at a reasonable price. It is at $ 510 now and so should go about $ 1,000. Similarly, the Archer Away Team Jacket is also distressed and should sell around the same price.

The T'Pol Blue Civilian Jumpsuit is a stunt costume, but it doesn't say so in the description. Rather it indicates the costume tag reads Bonnie Yanagisawa who is a prolific Hollywood stunt woman. It is a nice costume and will display well. And this is a nice way to get a character costume at a reasonable price.

I also like the Dr. Phlox Cold Weather Costume. It is at $ 255 now and should go around $ 1,000. But keep an eye out for this as it could be a sleeper.

Finally, I really like the Tuvok Civilian Outfit. I saw this episode of Voyager recently and really liked it. It is well designed and made with some beautiful fabrics. I think it will look great in someone's collection.


As far as props go:

UGH! What a lousy week for props.

The Glass Bajoran Panel is rather nice and already at $ 586. It is big at 2'x5' and pretty sharp. It will certainly be the highest selling prop.

I like the Enterprise Agony Booth Controls which are pretty darn cool and already at $ 450. There have been a lot of these type of panels from Enterprise, which is not surprising since Enterprise was the most recent show. That being said, these items tend to go pretty high. $ 1,000 is not unrealistic for these.

The next best prop is Voyager Non-Humanoid Creature. It would be pretty cool if it was complete, but this looks like a cool way to scare your little sister!

The Enterprise Lantern is pretty nice. I wish that the description noted if this actually worked or not! I am told this was actually used in Voyager as well.

Both the Alien PADD and the Enterprise Dr. Soong's Lesson PADD are under $ 200 now and should go in the $ 700-900 range. I think that is pretty good and you should look to these if you are looking for reasonable props. The Soong PADD is especially cool because of its historical significance.

Well, that is all for now.

Good luck this week and good hunting!

Alec

A Question.........

"Since before your sun burned hot in space, and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

OK, I got one two weeks ago, but I do so love saying that. The Guardian of the Star Trek Auction, Prop and Costume Blog got this question from Branden.

"Hi Alec,

Not to sure how to post a comment on the blog, just a question. Would you know where or how I can obtain rank pips? I have looked everywhere and sadly I can't go pay IAW a visit at their store.

Wanted to ask you and see what you would suggest.

Branden"


Branden:

First of all, as far as commenting on the blog, just go to the bottom of any post and click on "comments".

Second, It's a Wrap doesn't sell any Star Trek items out of their store. And even if they did, there may not be any rank pips for sale, as they will most likely put them on uniforms to sell them more complete.

That being said, I highly recommend you get some of Brett Jones replicas if you need pips. Brett runs Federation Surplus, and he makes the absolute best replicas in the industry. I just got a set from him and they are fantastic. He offers the traditional pin style as used on the show, or he offers a magnetic style so you don't have to poke holes in your valuable costumes. All of Brett's stuff is amazing and well worth the price.

Alec

Star Trek Convention PART II

Prop Collectors

The best part of the Creation Star Trek convention this past weekend was that I met 6 amazing prop collectors during the show. It was kind of funny, as I kept being introduced to collectors by other collectors! Ultimately though, it was not what I bought from IAW that made this such a great weekend, but who I met.

On Friday, I met Martin from Germany (eBay handle: Filmwelt_Berlin). Those of us who went to Christie's remember him as he won a lot of stuff, including the Enterprise Shuttle Pod full size set. A few months ago I emailed him and we have been corresponding ever since. Martin was very gracious to let me win the Admiral Janeway costume a few months ago (which he wanted to) and we email each other regularly. It was good to finally meet him in person!

Standing around the IAW booth, I met Willie Bath, who is a well known collector from the UK, Willie in turn introduced me to Ken Friedman, a long time collector and dealer, with an impressive collection. Both guys were fantastic folk and we spent a great deal of time all weekend chatting. Ken is actually a dealer, selling props and autographs full time. He had a booth at the show and will again in Vegas. Willie is from the UK and has outbid me on a few items on IAW in the past (some of which he actually picked up from IAW at the event).

One of the things I don't like about many prop collectors is the level of secrecy that they maintain. While I understand it sometimes, as many just don't want people to know what they have, I prefer exchanging information and networking. For me, the social element of collecting is very important. Both Willie and Ken are very outgoing and love sharing stories and information.. While Willie has only been collecting for about 5 years, Ken has been collecting for over 20 and had a great perspective on the market for Star Trek uniforms over the past 10 years. He was telling me how before Christie's, costumes from all the new shows would go for $ 10-25,000 because you simply couldn't get them, and that Christie's and IAW have dramatically changed that. Good news for all of us new collectors, but bad news for collectors who paid high years ago for main character stuff. I learned a ton from both of these guys and they helped make the show that much more rewarding.

Friday afternoon, my good buddy Jason White (www.moviepropking.com) called me as one of his collecting buddies was going to be at the show and he wanted me to meet him. Now, this collector is one of those who is very private and so I am going to call him "Mr. X". He has what has to be the best collection of Star Trek props anywhere. He had great contacts in Paramount and has been collecting for years. We went to dinner Friday night and he shared stories with me and gave me a ton of information. A truly nice guy, I understand why he doesn't like the limelight and I respect that. But even with the very private collectors like Mr. X, if they like you and you come well referenced, they love sharing stories about their collections and the hobby. His insights were really great and I learned so much, it was like an education in Star Trek props. On Saturday he brought a part of his collection and showed me about 40 amazing Star Trek props from Phasers to Tricorders to the first mobile holo-emitter. It was educational and much appreciated.

Then Saturday, Brett Jones, who is the genius behind Federation Surplus (the best Star Trek replica prop guy in the business) introduced me to his buddy John Castillo. I was just leaving the parking lot to go meet Brett for lunch, when Brett calls me and asks me to meet John as he had a ST: TMP bio-buckle that Brett was going to borrow for reference material. John was practically standing in front of me on the sidewalk and so I got to meet and chat with him at length. What was funny was that John knew who I was because he reads my blog every day! John lives up near Fresno, so he had to leave that night, but before he did I helped him pick out a great ST: TMP costume from IAW as John really wanted one. A beautiful costume, it had a mint bio-monitor buckle and pants with built in shoes. It looked pretty sharp and John got a great deal.

The last guy I need to mention is Brett Jones of Federation Surplus. Now replicas are a point of contention for many prop collectors who are worried about the hacks who sell fakes as "Screen used". And while there are a ton of them out there, Brett is very clear that he is making replicas and you will never find him passing stuff off as real, screen used or production made. He has an incredible passion for what he does (he does Federation Surplus full time) and is an absolutely insane perfectionist. I visited his shop and he went through his process with me and how he identifies fakes and the differences between good and bad repros. He gave me two Next Gen comm badges and some pips for my Sisko uniform, and he recently cast the admiral's pin from my Janeway Admiral uniform and I have to tell you, he did an unbelievable job. There is simply NO ONE in the business who does better work than him. If you need Comm badges for your uniforms, want a Phaser or Tricorder, or just about anything, Brett is the man. Plus he is one of the nicest, funniest guys I know. We went to dinner with his lovely girlfriend Toni, and we all had a great time (although she must have been bored listening to us geeks talk about Star Trek all night!).

Overall, I haven't had this much fun since Christie's weekend. I made 4 new prop collecting friends, got to meet Martin from Germany, hang out with Brett and see his shop, and just have a great time doing what I love. I hope you all make an effort to come to the Vegas con in August, as I know many of us will be there and I have already spoken to Creation about doing a panel on Star Trek Prop and Costume Collecting with IAW and a few long time collectors Some of us have even discussed buying a booth to sell some of what we have for sale, and if you are interested in being a part of that, let me know. Either way I am looking forward to seeing everyone at Vegas. (find out more about the Vegas show here.)

Also, my apologies to the two adorable little kids, Kendra and Karson (pictured above), brother and Sister, who were dressed up in classic Star Trek uniforms, as I had taken photos of them, and unfortunately the photos disappeared with my camera! Fortunately, their Dad supplied me with one today.

Alec