It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 32 Results

Week 32 Results

Well, the San Diego at Comic Con was amazing as always. I got to hang out with my good buddy Jeff Young and I met Lee, Shannon and Steve from the Motion Picture Prop Company forum. I also saw JJ Abrahms talk about the new Star Trek film and just had a blast. I also got to watch the auctions end in West Coast time.

So, this week, the Spock Class A Starfleet Uniform hit an amazing $ 13,100 and it wasn't even a complete Nimoy! If the ever willing to spend a lot of $ buyer maharanidiva had bothered to read the description, she would have seen that the costume top wasn't a Nimoy! Now, with a Nimoy top, you can at least justify the price in that it is a complete star costume. With the non-Nimoy shirt, this is the worst buy of the week. s at $ 3,750 and will go higher. What should be noted is that the shirt is NOT Nimoy's. Cool none the less, but I wouldn't pay high as I like having a costume that is 100% the actor's.

The DS9 IKS Neghvar model sold for $ 7,500 and was reasonable for such a large, though incomplete, model. I would track down the model builder and have him finish this one off, as only the bottom was finished.

The Lt. j.g. Janice Rand Officer's uniform sold for $ 5,227 and that was pretty strong. My good buddy Andy lost out on this one, but he does have the Reliant model to make him feel better! The winning bidder was a new one, who has previously won two other movie uniforms. This is the second highest selling Maroon after the Cartwright.

The DS9 Luthor Sloan uniform and costume is at $ 4,335 sold way strong. Now, it did have a comm badge and a rare commando vest, plus a shirt from the episode. However, this sold in Captain's territory, and I think it won't hold its value here. We have seen Captain's go in the $ 3,500-4,500 range and I don't think other characters can hold up at these prices on the secondary market. Sloan is a VERY popular character though and this is a great costume, so I don't think it is a bad deal.

The Major Kira as a Breen costume went for $ 4,049, which is about where we expected it to go. My good buddy Jason won this and I know he was pretty fired up to get one. He owns an original Breen Rifle as well. I have one of these, having won the first one auctioned by IAW and I can tell you they are awesome!

The Star Trek VII Captain's Uniform - female went for $ 3,440 and was fairly priced there. It had Admiral gold piping on it, but no belt. This was an interesting costume in that it has a resin captain rank, but was used as an Admiral in Star Trek: Generations.

The Cardassian costume at $ 3,049 went VERY strong considering that the Garak from a few weeks ago went for $ 2,950. These are beautiful costumes, but I think this was very strong. A previous one went for $ 1,235.

The Councilor Troi casual uniform went for $ 2,607 and was one of the more recognizable Troi costumes. A fair price for an important costume I think. A little boring maybe, but memorable.

The Star Trek: TMP Decker class D jumpsuit went for $ 2,205. A Decker Class A went for $ 2,750, so this one was reasonable.

A TNG Starfleet Command Red Uniform went for $ 2,025. Now I have no idea what is going on with TNG uniforms as they have been going all over the place. An Operations Gold went for $ 710, so go figure.

An Enterprise Starfleet engineering Red Uniform went high at $ 1,925, considering that a Lt. Reed went for $ 1,681 in Week 27. This was a first time winner, which probably explains the high price.


As far as props go:

The Enterprise Hero Communicator at $ 7,400 was way more than expected. It is the only one IAW has, and this too was purchased by maharanidiva, who currently tops all IAW buyers with over $ 118,000 in purchases. She has no problem spending strong to get what she wants, and she keeps setting records with her purchases. I hope I never have to bid against her!

The Captain Picard electronic computer monitor at $ 3,329 and Enterprise E computer console at $ 3,050 both went to the same bidder. Both went about where one might expect.

The Starfleet Six Chair Lot went for $ 2,303, which was surprising, as chairs haven't been going this strong. These are from the Enterprise A though and someone obviously knew it.

I was pretty excited to win the Enterprise Hypospray kit at $ 1,803. This has two resin and metal hyposprays in a beautiful metal case, like many of the Enterprise medical supplies we see.

I really liked the Enterprise Captain Archer Water Polo ball and bag. A very cool prop that has significant meaning for Archer. I think teh price was a bit strong, but certainly justifiable. The bag looks great and this will make an awesome display.

Finally, the Enterprise Shuttle Bay Tether Launcher is a prop we have seen on film and is pretty cool. My buddy Jason Stevens won this and I think it is a beauty. At $ 1,581, a reasonable price.



THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:

Best Costume of the Week: The Major Kira as a Breen costume at $ 4,049 is a beauty

Best Prop of the Week: The Enterprise Hero Communicator was very expensive at $ 7,400, but still the best prop.

Best Buy of the week: The William Shatner Class B uniform top was a steal at $ 1,158

Worst Buy of the week: The Spock Class A Starfleet Uniform at $ 13,100 was an awful deal for an incomplete costume.

Sleeper of the Week: The Lt. Ilia Class A Starfleet Uniform at $ 860 was an amazing buy.


5 HIGHEST PRICED ITEMS THAT SOLD

Star Trek: TMP Spock Class A Starfleet Uniform $ 13,100

Star Trek: DS9 IKS Neghvar model $ 7,500

Star Trek: Enterprise Hero Communicator $ 7,400

Star Trek: Generations Lt. j.g. Janice Rand Officer's uniform $ 5,227

Star Trek: DS9 Luthor Sloan uniform $ 4,335


Well, that is all for now. Thanks to Aaron for the stats and Jorg for everything he does on the Star Trek Prop, Costume and Auction Forum.


Alec

Bad dealer alert - Costume Junkie

Many of you know that I detest fraud and dishonesty in this hobby. As someone with a well read blog (as well as being an attorney by training), I believe I have a duty to help protect you all from the unscrupulous types that prey on good natured collectors like most Star Trek collectors are.

I have to warn you all against doing business with Edward Pugia, who goes under the eBay handle CostumeJunkie. This past week he joined the Star Trek Prop, Costume and Auction Forum. From the beginning I felt uneasy, and I asked him kindly to not try and use the forum to run his business. He returned a rather rude response and when I accepted him on the forum, the first thing he did was to post two Borg costumes for sale!

Well, if that wasn't bad enough, he deceptively listed the costumes by not disclosing their deteriorating condition and then used photos that WERE NOT of the costume and claimed they were. The costume in question had previously been purchased by Dana Hammontree, a long time prop collector and well known in prop collecting circles., Dan had to return the costume to It's a Wrap because the costume was falling apart and pieces were flaking off. It also had a bad latex foam smell. Edward Pugia then bought the costume and failed to disclose any of this and used photos of another costume he bought from IAW to sell it. Finally, when called on this he was rude and unapologetic. Sound like deceiving people must be standard practice for this guy.

Costume Junkie has now been banned from the Star Trek Prop, Costume and Auction Forum and I strongly suggest you all stay away from him. He has lied about his web site traffic and the amount of money he spends with IAW. I have spoken to several long time prop collectors and they have all said that they know of problems that collectors have had with him. The guy is not only untrustworthy, but a liar.

Please don't do business with him!

Alec

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 32 Preview

Hey all! I am in San Diego at Comic Con, and so my preview is short as I have too much to do here along with working! Yeah, I may be out of the office, but we are in crunch time with fantasy football season coming, so I am putting in 6 hour days on work, trying to see some of the Con and hanging with my friends.

I will say I met Lee, the owner of the Motion Picture Prop Company forum, which is the best general prop collecting forum on the Internet. If you like movie props in general, check it out. Lee has to be the nicest guy I have met in the prop world. I also met Shannon, who is on the Star Trek Prop, Costume and Auction Forum and Jeff Young, who is one of my first prop collecting buddies. Jeff and I saw the Paramount previews yesterday and got to see JJ Abrahms introduce Zachary Quinto, Skylar of Heroes, as the new Spock in the new Star Trek movie. Leonard Nimoy was also introduced as he will be playing Spock as well!.

Anyway, on to this week. I am only going to cover the top 10 items due to time limitations.


The DS9 IKS Neghvar model shot up this AM and is at $ 4,650 now. Despite not having its top modeled, as they only photographed this from below, this is pretty damn cool. I think it will go in the $ 6,000-8,000 range.

The Enterprise Hero Communicator is at $ 4,350 now and will easily top $ 5,000. A strong price, but this is the only one IAW has. I think it is funny that they found this in the bottom of some random duffle bag. We saw the hero Enterprise scanner go for a crazy amount, so nothing will surprise me here.

The Spock Class A Starfleet Uniform is at $ 3,750 and will go higher. What should be noted is that the shirt is NOT Nimoy's. Cool none the less, but I wouldn't pay high as I like having a costume that is 100% the actor's.

The DS9 Luthor Sloan uniform and costume is at $ 2,752 is pretty strong and will easily top $ 3,000. As I mentioned in an answer to a post on the Forum, two factors will drive Sloan up: 1) The costume has a comm badge and a RARE commando vest, plus a shirt from the episode. Lot of cool stuff here. Plus it is the very good looking and popular black and gray. 2) Sloan is a VERY popular character. Think Garak.

The Major Kira as a Breen costume will go between $ 3,500 and $ 4,500 I think. I won the last Breen costume at $ 3,616 and this one was used by Major Kira. Whether that is good or bad I don't know. Female costumes usually go less than male ones but this was used by a major character.

There are two Maroons this week:

The Star Trek VII Captain's Uniform - female has Admiral gold piping on it, but sadly, no belt! This is an interesting costume in that it has a resin captain rank, but was used as an Admiral in Star Trek: Generations. Could be a good deal here.

The Lt. j.g. Janice Rand Officer's uniform is from Start Trek VI. There has been a lot of interest in this one and it is nice. I see this easily over $ 3,000.

The Star Trek: TMP Decker class D jumpsuit is at $ 1,325 and could top $ 2,000. A nice Decker Class A went for $ 2,750, so this one could go that high, but I think around $ 2,000-2,300 is more likely.

The Captain Picard electronic computer monitor is at $ 1,076. According to Jorg, "Monitors of this kind were only seen in Picard's ready room and quarters aboard the Enterprise-E in Star Trek: Insurrection." I think it is a $ 2,000 item and worth it.

The Cardassian costume is only at $ 1,005 now and could be a great deal. This is a beautiful costum as mine came this past week (worn by Garak). I highly recommend these and think it will go around $ 2,000 and be worth every penny.

Well, sorry to make this short, but good luck today!

Alec

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 31 Results

Week 31 Results

This was a big prop week with 8 of the top 10 sales being props. There were a few great costumes, but not many.

The complete Enterprise MACO costume with assault kit was the top item this week, selling for more than $ 1,000 over the previous high of $ 2,950 for this item at $ 4,176. Not bad considering everything you get with it.

The Klingon uniform went VERY high at $ 3,341.99. These costume usually go in the $ 1,500-2,500 range. This was a movie version, but still this went very high for one without boots.

The Enterprise Starfleet Jumpsuit went for $ 1,512, which is a bit high, these usually going in the $ 1,000-1,2000 range. New bidders certainly have driven up this price. Not bad though, when you consider what you get.

The T'Pol Civilian Costume went for a reasonable $ 1,500, so I hope this means the T'Pol costume hysteria has died down!

The Garak "In the Pale Moonlight" costume was a great deal. A nice costume, with a good pedigree. Garak has some serious fans, and it is always fun to see them win one of these. And interestingly, two of the winners of these have been women. Hmmmmm.

The Commander Reed uniform Jumpsuit at $ 1,225 was an INSANE deal on a main character costume.

The Sciences Blue Starfleet Uniform Jumpsuit went for $ 1,148 and the Red Command Starfleet Uniform Jumpsuit went for $ 1,175, showing where these prices have settled.

As far as props go:

The Voyager Tricorder went about where one would expect at $ 3,750. Not bad for the first good resin Tricorder we have seen so far. It should be noted it went to a fairly new bidder.

The DS9 TR-116 Assassin's Rifle was a surprise at $ 2,716. The only example IAW found according to Colin, it is cool, but that was a bit more than I would have thought it would go for.

The TNG Exocomp is awesome and went for a healthy $ 2,706. I hope there is another, because I would love to have one of these. We don't often see props that are this substantial and important. I think this was a fair price for this prop.

The Romulan Disruptor Pistol at $ 1,822 was a beauty. A great pistol resin pistol prop, these look awesome on display and I think one like this will hold its value.

The Travel Isolinear Storage Assembly went for $ 1,604 and this was over $ 200 less than the first time it was listed. (It is a re-list from week 12, so the previous buyer must have not gone through with the purchase). A nice prop that will look great on display, I think it was a good buy.

The Klingon Disruptor Pistol from Enterprise was rubber, but very nice. At $ 1,581 it was about where it should have gone and came with a holster. As I mentioned in the preview, even though this was rubber, it should hold up well as the rubber used by the prop shop that made Enterprise props is very hard and durable.

Worst Buy of the Week was certainly the Cluster of Dilithium Crystals at $ 1,525. There was a lot of talk on this on the Star Trek prop, Costume and Auction Forum, and not good! These have been going in the $ 200-300 range and this price is insane.


I am the proud winner of the Romulan Senate Model at $ 1,525. This model is awesome as it was featured in the Star Trek:Nemesis Special Edition DVD featurette on the Romulans. My good buddy Jason wanted it to, and he graciously backed off. This will go great with the rest of my Romulan collection and I think it is an important piece of Star Trek prop history.

The Xindi Computer Interface Panel went strong at $ 1,400 to my buddy Grant. It was very sharp, and will display very well when properly displayed, but I think this was a bit strong.

I recommended the Enterprise Field Rate 2 PADD up to $ 1,200 and was still a good deal at the $ 1,255 it went for. I have a similar one and highly recommend these as they are substantial props that look great in your collection.

The Xindi Rifle was a good deal at $ 1,225 as these are stunning. My buddy Jason got it and will surely be pleased. Though rubber, these are the Enterprise hard rubber ones, and the one I saw at Burbank showed no signs of degradation.

Jason also won the Klingon Assassin Gun Case from Star Trek VI at the same price. Also a good deal I think because it was a key prop.

Finally, the Hero Suliban Energy Pistol went for $ 1,225 and was a fantastic deal. This shoudl have gone for close to $ 2,000, so I am surprised to see it go so cheap. Fortunately, my buddy Grant won this prop as well, so he doesn't feel so bad for over-paying on the Xindo Console!


THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:

Best Costume of the Week: The complete Enterprise MACO costume with assault kit.

Best Prop of the Week: The TNG Exocomp was a beauty!

Best Buy of the week: , The Hero Suliban Energy Pistol at $ 1,225 was a great deal!

Worst Buy of the week: The Cluster of Dilithium Crystals at $ 1,525 was ridiculous.

Sleeper of the Week: The Commander Reed uniform Jumpsuit at $ 1,225


5 HIGHEST PRICED ITEMS THAT SOLD

Star Trek: Enterprise MACO costume with assault kit $ 4,176

Star Trek: Voyager Tricorder $ 3,750

Star Trek Mov ie Klingon uniform $ 3,341.99

Star Trek: DS9 TR-116 Assassin's Rifle $ 2,716

Star Trek: TNG Exocomp $ 2,706


Well, that is all for now. Thanks to Aaron for the stats and Jorg for everything he does on the Star Trek Prop, Costume and Auction Forum.


Alec

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 31 Preview

Week 31 Preview

There aren't a lot of great costumes this week.

The complete Enterprise MACO costume with assault kit is beautiful. We have seen these before and I really like this one. I would go after it, but it is a Holy Grail for a buddy, so I am stepping aside for him. None the less, this is a great set and should go around $ 3,000.

The Klingon uniform is actually the movie style, which is identifiable by the triangular shoulders rather than the square ones from the DS9 versions. This is beautiful and it should go around $ 2,000-2,500. These are well worth it as I have one and love it. They are stunning in person.

The T'Pol Civilian Costume is nice and there seem to be a lot of her civilian wear around. And fortunately they have been going at more reasonable prices than her uniforms.

There is a Sciences Blue Starfleet Uniform Jumpsuit and a Red Command Starfleet Uniform Jumpsuit. These typically go around $ 800-1,200 and are a good deal at that price.

There is a Commander Reed uniform Jumpsuit. The last one went for $ 1,680, which I think is a good deal for a main character costume.

There is an Enterprise Klingon Uniform that should go around $ 1,000. These are not as iconic as the 24th centery style, but interesting and more unique.

I like the Romulan Tal SHiar Uniform. The belts and bandoleers on these are really cool and this one should look great on display. I also like this one more than the broad shouldered ones.

Finally, I really like the Bashir Battle of Britain holosuite costume as it really speaks to this character and his relationship with Miles. Sure, it isn't a Starfleet uniform, but cool none the less.


As far as props go:

There are a lot of good props this week, and some of them have already gotten pretty expensive.

The Xindi Computer Interface Panel is going quite high! I am not sure why as it isn't especially interesting or recognizable, but who knows what drives people sometimes. It is at $ 1,400 already which is quite surprising!

There is a Voyager Tricorder that is very nice. It is not the light-up version and it is a bit rough, but I think this goes in the $ 2,500-3,000 range as we haven't seen any like these. It is only at $ 1,025 now, but this will be the subject of lots of last minute bidding I think.

The Enterprise Button panel lot is at $ 985 and this is a surprise as well. These aren't particularly impressive, but there are 3 of them.

I love the TNG Exocomp! This is a beauty and such a memorable prop. Only at $ 676, this is a $ 2,000 prop easy, but I am surprised at the lack of early interest. Sure the feet are broken, but this is probably repairable. I will tell you this is probably the best prop this week.

The Hero Suliban Energy Pistol is a beauty. It is from the pilot epsiode of Enterpise and they went to a different gun after that episode, so this is rare. It is a beauty and should go close to $ 2,000.

The Field Rate 2 PADD we have seen twice before. The first sold for $ 1,225 and the second $ 889. I own a different version of this type and I love it. Not a light up type, but these look awesome on display! I highly recommend it up to $ 1,200. It is at $ 535 right now.

The 24th Century Starfleet Electronic PADD is nice. We are seeing lots of these and they have been going all over the board. I wouldn't pay over $ 1,500 for one of these.

The Travel Isolinear Storage Assembly is a re-list from week 12, so the previous buyer must have not gone through with the purchase. This is a great prop. It sold for $ 1,825 before and i like this up to $ 2,000.

The Romulan Disruptor Pistol is a beauty. I own one of these and they are just awesome. I highly recommend this prop as it will look great on display. Mine is stunning and gets lots of attention.

The Klingon D'K Tahg and Sheath is rubber but quite nice. These are pretty popular and make great conversation pieces. The sheath will have to be repaired, but under $ 1,000 this is a good deal.

I love the Xindi Rifle. These are truly stunning and the three previous ones have gone between $ 900 and $ 1,000. I highly recommend this. I saw one in person at the Burbank show and I wish I had bought it!

There is a huge Na'kuhl control console. We are seeing lots of these and they aren't going very high. Last week's went for $ 742 which is CHEAP for such a big piece of furniture. BUY THIS!!

The Klingon Disruptor Pistol is beautiful. We have seen a few of these and even though they are rubber, they should hold up well as the rubber used by the prop shop that made Enterprise props is very hard and durable. And the paint job on this is amazing.

Finally, I love the Klingon Assassin Gun Case from Star Trek VI. Very recognizable and should look awesome on display. It doesn't open, but cool none the less. Probably goes around $ 800.

Well, that is all for now. For this week's Errors and Additions by Jorg, check out the Star Trek Prop, Costume and Auction Forum.

Good hunting!

Alec

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 30 Results

This was a great week for outstanding costumes! I both got blown away when I lost one of my Holy Grails (The Demora Sulu) and got one of my favorite costumes to date (the Carol Marcus). There were great deals and beautiful costumes and some steals on Star Trek: The Motion Picture costumes!

The Captain Kirk E.V. Suit hit a record $ 12,600, a big surprise since there was no helmet. The helmet is simply missing according to Colin who looked high and low. I totally missed this as I thought it would go in the $ 8-9,000 range, and I don't understand why this goes for more than the Spock did which included the helmet.

The Ensign Demora Sulu uniform was a surpise at $ 4,404. But I think this was the highest Maroon (outside of the Admiral Cartwright) because it was complete and from a key character (and Sulu's daughter!). I was outbid on this even though I really wanted it, because I was caught off guard by the high price. A great buy indeed!

The other Maroon was the Lt. Castillo Uniform from "Yesterday's Enterprise". This was a tough one because it was pieced together, but none the less very nice. It went for $ 3,800 which was strong as well. These are becoming very popular if the amount of discussion on the Star Trek Prop, Costume and Auction Forum is any indication. It will be interesting to see how many more pop up.

The Lt. Comm. La Forge uniform went for a very strong $ 3,676, and included a foam Phaser and holster (one piece) and the belt from "Yesterday's Enterprise". It also had pips on the collar. I am surprised this went that high, but the additions certainly helped.

The Data Distressed uniform jacket at $ 3,051 was a shocker and I think way overpriced. Granted it was from a well known episode, but still, it is just a jacket and has a big hole in it!

The Star Trek V Spock Commando Stunt Uniform went for a very strong $ 2,616. This was a combination of stunt and Nimoy costumes and came with two undershirts. Sadly, no belt or boots.

The Star Trek V Captain Kirk Commando Uniform went for half that at $ 1,231. Now this was totally a stunt costume. But at this price a great deal I think for a Kirk costume.

The White Radiological Suit was really nice and complete. It went for a reasonable $ 2,550 considering all that the costume entailed. I hope there are more of these because I would like one.

The Orange Radiological Suit is much rarer, and was a steal at only $ 860, less than half of what they have been going for!

The Chakotay Dress Unform went for a decent $ 2,226. These are nice and certainly rare as there were very few made of each, maybe even only one or two copies. This one even had the Maquis provisional rank strip.

The Bashir Starfleet Dress Uniform went for a very cheap $ 1,450. A great deal for all the reasons above.
The Star Trek IV Spock Whale tank Swimwear went for $ 2,092. Strong for a swimsuit, but important none the less and such a great scene in Star Trek IV.

The Doctor Crusher Uniform went for a reasonable $ 2,000 which was way less than last times $ 3,250. I think main character costumes like this one at this price are very reasonable.

I was totally fired up to win the Carol Marcus costume. It is gorgeous and was something I wanted at Christie's, but my buddy Andy wanted it badly and so when this one popped up last week, I was very happy to snag it. I paid what I consider a very reasonable $ 1,905. I think this is an important and very recognizable costume and came complete with shoes even.

The TNG Admiral Uniform went for $ 1,715, which was a lot for an Admiral's uniform, but not surprising in that it was the nicest one we have seen. I think this was quite reasonable considering how nice it was.

The Ensign Ro Uniform was a great deal at only $ 1,651. If I had known it would go this cheap I would have bid on it as this is on my list of costume I want. These display very well and the color is striking.

The Worf and Alexander Mok'Bara costumes and Bat'Leth at $ 1,228 was an awesome deal and I think people overlooked this one (thus it gets my Sleeper of the Week). Two costumes, including a Bat'Leth all for $ 1,228.


Star Trek: The Motion Picture Uniforms

The Tan Class D Uniform Jumpsuit went for $ 785 and was well worth it a sthis wa sthe nicest TMP costume this week. These look great on display and are made of a very heavy fabric so are pretty durable. It went much cheaper than I guessed, and so I think the buyer scored here!

The Gray Class D Starbase Uniform Jumpsuit went insanely cheap at $ 405, but it appeared faded and so this might be why.

The Brown Class D Earthbase Uniform Jumpsuit went for only $ 600! I love these costumes and now wish I had bid on them as at this level they are all great deals! Quite beautiful.

The Brown Class C Uniform went cheap at $ 666! I am not sure if the bottom has fallen out of TMP background costumes or what, but these were all great deals!


As far as the props go...

The Borg phaser was beautiful and quite an impressive prop. There was a lot of action around it and my buddy Adrian won it to go with his very impressive collection! I loved this prop and think it is easily one of the nicest weapons we have seen so far in these auctions.

The First Contact Starfleet Mark III Type 1 Phaser Rifle "EVA" Rifle was a rubber stunt version and at $ 2,250 a fair deal for a very desirable and rare version of the beloved Phaser Rifle. It went stronger than I thought, but I can't fault the buyer as this is the hardest version to find.

Captain Picard's Smashed Phaser Rifle went for a strong $ 2,009. A bunch of my buddies liked this one as it was clearly from the final scenes in Nemesis aboard the Scimitar when Picard cracks it.

The Medical Scanner which, according to the famous Jorg, actually is and engineering tool created for Voyager went for a decent $ 1,828. It is a beautiful light up prop, which are always worth more.

The Nemesis Phaser Rifle went for $ 1,625, which was where I thought it would as it was a bit broken. I think it was a fair price and if easily repaired, a great deal. These are really beautiful props.

The Silver 24th Century Carry Case went for $ 1,307. These are popular items as I think they display well, and you can put all your other Star Trek props in them!

The 24th Century Starfleet PADD came back down to Earth after one of these went for over $ 3,000 last week, and went for a very reasonable $ 1,300.

The Nemesis Reman Rifle went for $ 1,275, almost exactly where I said it would! (It went for $ 1,300). A good deal as this one had two lights that worked.

My buddy Jason won the Shinzon metal Dagger and Sheath at $ 1,026, which I think was a pretty good deal. A nice piece that will display great and is instantly recognizable.


THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:

Best Costume of the Week: The Ensign Demora Sulu uniform was complete and a great costume!

Best Prop of the Week: The Borg phaser was stunning and sold strong at $ 2,700

Best Buy of the week: The Orange Radiological Suit at $ 860 was a steal!

Worst Buy of the week: None this week! A few went higher than I would have thought, but none really out of whack.

Sleeper of the Week: The Worf and Alexander Mok'Bara costumes and Bat'Leth at $ 1,228 was an awesome deal on THREE items, including a Bat' Leth that usually goes for $ 1,000.


5 HIGHEST PRICED ITEMS THAT SOLD

Star Trek: TMP Captain Kirk E.V. Suit at $ 12,600

Star Trek: Generations Ensign Demora Sulu uniform at $ 4,404

Star Trek: TNG Lt. Castillo Uniform at $ 3,800

Star Trek: TNG Lt. Comm. La Forge uniform at $ 3,676

Star Trek: TNG Data Distressed uniform jacket at $ 3,051


Make sure you check out the Star Trek Prop, Costume and Auction Forums, the best way to make sure you get the best info on the IAW auctions!

Alec

Re-defining your collection - Part II

What is your collecting philosophy?

Why do you buy a particular costume or prop? What factors go into that decision? Well, here are my thoughts on how to build a collection.

1. Buy something that really lights your fire.

For me, sticking to either a theme or my Top 10 list is really important. I try not to buy stuff that I don’t LOVE. I really have to emphasize that. If you don’t just love the item, don’t buy it. Eventually you will tire of it and want to sell it. It will take up valuable real estate and be a burden. Every time I go downstairs and see my Klingon costume I just think “Holy ?@&#* ! I own a Klingon costume!” It is beautiful and I would never part with it. On the other hand, I bought a few items that I really wasn’t in love with and now I want to sell them.

2. Buy Quality

I try and buy quality. Top to bottom, my collection is strong. Sure, I bought a few costumes for the girlfriend, and a cheap background costume now and then, but those are not on display. Now, you may not have a big budget, but try and buy one nice prop rather than two or three mediocre ones. Don’t rush to buy something. Be a freaking panther, lurking in the weeds, ready to pounce when that perfect item comes up for you. Patience grasshopper. My Mom taught me always to buy quality. You never regret that.

3. Display your collection

OK, this may be personal taste, but every main collection I have (Star Trek, Major Matt Mason toys, books) is on display. I have had half a dozen people come to my house just to see my Major Matt Mason (it’s a 60’s space toy) collection because it is not only the best in the country, but because it is so well displayed. I take great pride in displaying my collections and I HATE having stuff in drawers or closets. I want to see the stuff every day! If you do this, you will find you cherish your collections more and then bring you greater enjoyment. Trust me, I love seeing my stuff around the house and office.

4. Be Social with your hobby!

For me, collecting is a social hobby. Unlike many collectors who hoard their stuff and don’t share it, I love making my collection a means to be social. That is why I started this blog and the Star Trek Prop, Costume and Auction Forum. I can’t tell you how many people have emailed me telling me how much they enjoy having a medium to share their hobby. And presenting at the Vegas Star Trek convention and having a booth there for everyone to share in, is so much fun for me, and makes the hobby so much more enjoyable. Don’t be one of those secretive prop hoarding collectors who are like Grinch! Discover the meaning of Star Trek through sharing your passion! (OK, that is way corny, but you get the picture!).

Well, I hope you enjoyed this article. I want to thank EVERYONE who has written me or thanked me for starting this blog and the forum, and who has made this all so much fun for me. You are all the best and I am happy to count myself as a member of this great Star Trek prop and costume collecting community!

Alec

Re-defining your collection

Now that we have completed almost 7 months of auctions, with at least 5 more coming, many of us have had to look at our collections and our collecting strategy and re-evaluate it. Early on we didn’t have a good grasp of what was going to be offered. We were just coming down from the Christie’s high, we didn’t know what was left for IAW to auction, and we didn’t even know what would strike our fancy.

So when that first week of auctions happened, we were really flying blind. We didn’t think of how many of a particular costume there might be, or how patient we should be. Would there only be 6 months of auctions as IAW originally advertised? Would Christie’s prices be the norm, or would prices decline significantly over time?

Plus, for new collectors such as myself (I won 2 items at Christie’s, and wound up with 3 more from other bidders selling me their winnings) a collecting strategy wasn’t something we necessarily thought of. If you saw something you liked, you bid on it!

Well now, many of us have bought a bunch of items and we like some stuff more than others. We have seen a tremendous selection from IAW and we know what to expect. We are planning on at least another 5 months, and many of us (myself not included!) have wives questioning our sanity and at the very least, where we are going to put stuff!

So I think there are a few good questions you should ask yourself as you continue to build your collection.

What is your theme or themes?

Do you have one? Do you just buy random stuff you like, or do you have specific collecting interests?

For me, I collect both costumes and props. Some people may collect one or the other. I like the costume much more as they are so recognizable and people just gawk at them. For my costumes I have a few themes I am collecting.

1. The Captains

This was my most important (and expensive!) theme. I am collecting one uniform from each Captain. I now have four (Kirk, Picard, Sisko and Janeway) and I need an Archer. I really like unique costumes too. So the Janeway is her Admiral Uniform from “Nemesis”, Picard’s is the one he wore on Veridian III in “Generations” while fighting Soran with Kirk (he only used this style in this part of the movie and never again, so it is very rare), the Sisko is the Black and Gray, which is my favorite uniform for him, and the Kirk, well, hell, I was lucky to GET a Kirk! It’s his jumpsuit he wears at the end of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, so it is pretty unique too. For Archer I really want a Mirror Universe. So, each costume has some special meaning to me

2. DS9

I love Deep Space Nine. Sisko is my favorite Captain, Garak my all-time favorite Star Trek character and DS9 is my favorite show. So I collect costumes from this show. I have not only Sisko’s, but a Breen uniform, a Klingon uniform, Garak’s Cardassian Armor (eliminating my need to buy Cardassian armor separately) and 3 Nog uniforms (a cadet, ensign and a dress uniform). I need a regular Garak costume and a Weyoun. After I collect one of each alien (I need a DS9 Romulan) I will start on one of each main character, most likely their black and grays.

3. Phaser Rifles

While I want to collect all Star Trek Weapons, I am focusing now on Phaser rifles. I have a Mark III, Type 2, a Type 3 (rubber stunt) and a Compression Phaser from Voyager. I need a Mark III, Type 1 (EVA) and a resin Type 3. I also need the TNG/DS9 style Phaser Rifle, which are hard to find. IAW has none and Christie’s only had one resin one. I am also going to have Brett at Federation Surplus build one of the TOS Phaser Rifle replicas for me.

4. The Romulans

This really happened by a very fortuitous accident. I happened to see IAW at the Burbank Star Trek Convention and saw a Romulan Officer’s Uniform and bought it along with a Reman Uniform. I loved the Officer’s uniform and had wanted the Commander Donatra that my good friend Jim got at Christie’s, so this was a must have. The Reman I wanted ever since I saw at IAW when they had a display in their store. So I bought these two. Then, one of the IAW employees was wearing a Romulan Senator’s robes and they were BEAUTIFUL and so I bought them before I left. I now have the three on display in a row at my house and they look awesome together. I have always loved the Romulans but HATED the Next Gen uniforms. Nemesis changed all that.

Since then I have expanded my collection with props, having won a Romulan Pistol, Valdore’s communicator (From Enterprise), and a Reman Rifle.

So, with those as my major themes, I also have some costumes that don’t fit, and a few more themes are developing. I am after select original cast movie costumes and Enterprise costumes (mostly Mirror Universe). Will those be just nice additions or start of a theme? I don’t know. Only time will tell.

Now you don’t need a theme, but I can tell you that a collection is always more impressive if it tells a story. If it is more than a random collection of stuff you like it will be more impressive on display. You will find you enjoy it more and guests are way more impressed as well. There is nothing wrong either with your theme being “My favorite characters”. Or “Props I thought were cool”, themes that mean something to you alone. If you follow this practice, write out your lists of these, you will find yourself not buying things you don’t really love.

Tomorrow’s question: What is your collecting philosophy?

Alec

Costumes for Sale w/ IAW COA

As I refocus my collection, a few of the costumes I bought the first two months of the auction no longer have a place in my collection. So I am offering them up for sale for basically what I paid for them. You can email me at alecpeters@bellsouth.net. Both were bought from IAW, and so have IAW Certificates of Authenticity.

Special Services Costume from Star Trek III & IV with original belt. $ 1,395

Movie version crewman jumpsuit (female) with reproduction belt. $ 895

Errors & Additions - IAW Week 30

Thanks to Jorg, our resident Star Trek guru for this info:

STAR TREK: TNG “DATA DISTRESSED STARFLEET JACKET”

This uniform was worn by Data in "The most toys" when Kivas Fajo dissolves it so that Data would wear his costume.

STAR TREK: VOY “DISTRESSED ENSIGN KIM STARFLEET UNIFORM”

This uniform was worn by Kim in "Scorpion I", the wound being caused by Species 8472.

STAR TREK: TNG “LT. RICHARD CASTILLO” FROM “YESTERDAY’S ENTERPRISE”

The shirt is definitely not part of the costume because in "Yesterday's Enterprise", none of the crewmembers of the Enterprise-C wore a turtleneck shirt under their maroon uniforms. By 2344, those shirts were no longer part of the uniform.

STAR TREK: DS9 “LT. BASHIR STARFLEET DRESS UNIFORM”

Worn by Bashir in "Rejoined".

STAR TREK: “24TH CENTURY DERMAL REGENERATOR”

See more re-uses of this prop here at ex-astris were It's a wrap! got the appearances from. Giving credit would be nice one of these days...

STAR TREK: X-LARGE CONSOLE DOME

Ferengi domes with such gold, blue and red trimmings were never seen in TNG but are from Nunk's Ferengi Marauder in "Inside Man" instead.

STAR TREK: ENT “ENSIGN MAYWEATHER COLD WEATHER COSTUME” FROM “THE SEVENTH”

While the costume was created for "The seventh" it took two more years till it was seen completely in "Terra Prime". The breathing mask is from the latter episode as well.

STAR TREK: TNG “MEDICAL SCANNER”

This prop was never seen in TNG but only looks similar to the medical scanner at the top of thisInstead, this is an engineering tool created for Voyager and seen in such episodes as "Body and soul", "One small step", "Memorial", "Collective", "Good shepherd", "Infinite regress", "Nightingale" and "Renaissance Man" and was never seen used as a medical device.

STAR TREK: TNG “ADMIRAL STARFLEET UNIFORM”

Female Admiral uniforms like this one were worn by Admirals Shanti, Brand, Rossa and Brackett in TNG Seasons 4+5.

STAR TREK: VOY “CHAKOTAY STARFLEET DRESS UNIFORM"

Worn by Chakotay in "Course: Oblivion".

STAR TREK: DS9 “MAIHAR’DU COSTUME” FROM “FERENGI LOVE SONGS”

Also seen in "The emperor's new cloak" and "The dogs of war".

STAR TREK: “24TH CENTURY MEDICAL DEVICE”

Never seen on DS9. This was seen in "Message in a bottle" aboard the USS Prometheus.

STAR TREK: DS9 “CARDASSIAN CHILD COSTUME” FROM “TRIBUNAL” - FEMALE

Incorrect. As can be seen here, the three Cardassian children in "Tribunal" wore completely different outfits. This is instead the costume worn by Gul Madred's daughter Jil Orra in the TNG episode "Chain of command II".

STAR TREK: DS9 “TRILL COSTUME” FROM “EQUILIBRIUM” - MALE

Worn by Nick Dimitri as a Trill guard in a flashback, see here.

STAR TREK: VOY “THE DOCTOR STUNT COSTUME” FROM “LIVING WITNESS”

Wrong. J.R. Quinonez is not a stunt-man but Robert Picardo's stand-in and an occasional extra (see his page here at Memory Alpha). In some scenes, when more then one Doctor or the Doctor and Lewis Zimmerman were seen at the same time, he doubled for Picardo. This costume is not from "Living witness", as the Doctor only wore his regular uniform (and the evil android Doctor wore a slightly modified Starfleet uniform) and never changed costume on the Nyrian-Vaskan homeworld. This costume is worn by one of the many EMHs that have to work as dilithium miners seen at the very end of "Author, author", when several EMHs were seen on screen at the same time, so it was necessary for Quinonez to double Picardo.

STAR TREK: VOY “ABADDON COSTUME” FROM “ALICE”

Many pieces of this costume are missing, the long fur coat, the large ring around the collar, the leather-brestbelt-thingy with the metal pendant...


IAW needs to hire Jorg. Then there descriptiosn would be spot on. This is best expressed by Phillip from the Star Trek Prop, Costume and Auction Forum:

We are the Jorg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships (models). We will add your biological (costume) and technological (prop) distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us (collectors).

:-)

Alec

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 30 Preview

Wow, 30 weeks of auctions! And still my house isn't in foreclosure! All I can say is thank God I am not married and have no kids, or I wouldn't have amassed a quarter of what I have.

Now this is a VERY good week. There are a ton of great costumes and props. Two key Maroons in one week and some great Next Gen character costumes. Great props too!

The Captain Kirk E.V. Suit is not as interesting or desirable as the Spock Space Suit that was offered in the early months. Not having a helmet really hurts this or it would have certainly been the highest selling item yet. Maybe there is another that has a helmet? No clue, but if so, you would think that it would have been in Christie's. I think this goes in the $ 8-9,000 range.

The first of two mostly complete Maroons is the Lt. Castillo Uniform from "Yesterday's Enterprise". It is nice, though the undershirt is not correct as they didn't wear them in this episode (I HATE THAT!). This is already at $ 1,775 and should easily top $ 3,000, where the other Maroons have gone.

The Ensign Demora Sulu uniform is the other Maroon and is nice in that it is complete. This too should top $ 3,000 and maybe close to $ 3,500 as she is a better character than the ones that have sold for $ 2,900-3,000 so far.

The Lt. Comm. La Forge uniform includes a foam Phaser and holster (one piece) and the belt from "Yesterday's Enterprise". It also has pips on the collar. Not bad, and should top $ 2,000.

The Doctor Crusher Uniform is like one that previously sold for a very strong $ 3,250. This one shouldn't go as high, but is nice and that fact that it has the lab coat is nice.

The White Radiological Suit is like the cadet one we saw two weeks ago that went for $ 2,850. I will admit i RELALY like these and want one, though I am not bidding on one this week. (Other priorities).

The Orange Radiological Suit is much rarer, though without boots. I have one of these and though I like it, I must say that not having boots isn't as cool as having a complete one. None the less, they are COOL and look great with the black collar!

The Starfleet Crewman Jumpsuit is one we have seen a few times. There is a female one as well. These go for $ 900 or so. Nice additions to your collection if you want an original cast movie uniform.

The Worf and Alexander Mok'Bara costumes and Bat'Leth is a really nice set and I like how IAW has put these items together. I think it would make a great display.

There is both Chakotay and a Bashir Starfleet Dress Uniforms. Both will look great on display and should go in the $ 1,500-2,000 range. I would highly recommend these as there are WAY fewer of these than of standard uniforms.

There is a nice Ensign Ro Uniform. We have seen this before and last time it went at $ 1,820. Ro is a popular character and I won't be surprised if this goes over $ 2,000.

The TNG Admiral Uniform is one we haven't seen before. Quite beautiful, and it could go cheap as last week's did. I like this one, but my buddy wants it so I am out!

The T'Pol on Vulcan Costume is interesting, and her civilian costumes are affordable lately, so this could be a good buy.

The Carol Marcus costume is a beauty. My buddy Andy won the one at Christie's but that didn't have pants or shoes. A nice costume, but I think the Maroons will overshadow this this week. This will probably go around $ 1,800-2,000.

There is a Federation Security Council Guard that is like the movie security guard costumes we have seen before, but without the helmet. This will probably go under $ 1,500 and be well worth it.

If you want a Kirk, then the Star Trek V Captain Kirk Commando Uniform might be for you. It is a stunt, but none the less, it is a Kirk! These will probably go very reasonable. Previous ones have sold for $ 1,925 and $ 2,325, but both those came with belts, which this one does not. So I think this will go around $ 1,600-1,800.

There is also a Spock Commando Stunt Uniform so you can have a set.

I love the Boothby Costume from "The Fight". Ray Walston was so good in this role, and his costume from the other Voyager episode he was in went previously for $ 700.

The DS9 Klingon Child Costume is very nice and has boots too. If you have a kid, they would look great in this and I think it goes under $ 1,000.

A Large Lot of Female Augments Costumes is actually 5 costumes with 3 pairs of boots. Buying lots like this is always an excellent way to get cheap costumes. Split this with a friend and you will have a good deal.

The Wesley Crusher Costume Lot is pretty popular it seems. I hated this Wesley costume. Heck, I hated Wesley until later in the show! But these are very popular. Don't ask me what they are going to go for, I have no clue!

Star Trek: The Motion Picture Uniforms

The Brown Class D Earthbase Uniform Jumpsuit is very nice and in good shape. I really like these and they are made very well, of thick fabric as all these movie costumes were. They display very well and will look great in yoru collection. They hang very well on the Advantage Fixtures forms.

The Tan Class D Uniform Jumpsuit is a female version, but beautiful and well preserved. These should go in the $ 1,000-1,300 range.

There is a Brown Class C Uniform too, which we have seen a lot of and is very nice. Should look great on display.

The Gray Class D Starbase Uniform Jumpsuit seems to be discolored. Be careful here. I know a few people have been disappointed with discolored costumes. Call IAW up to get the skinny.

As far as the props go...

The 24th Century Starfleet PADD is already at $ 1,025 and if last week is any indication, it will go well over $ 2,000. I think there is a temporary inflation on these, so don't over-pay.

According to the famous Jorg, the Medical Scanner is actually an engineering tool created for Voyager and seen in such episodes as "Body and soul", "One small step", "Memorial", "Collective", "Good shepherd", "Infinite regress", "Nightingale" and "Renaissance Man" and was never seen used as a medical device.

The First Contact Starfleet Mark III Type 1 Phaser Rifle is also known as the EVA Rifle. This is a rubber stunt version, but very cool none the less. Should go in the $ 1,500 range.

The Nemesis Phaser Rifle is a bit broken, so you may get this cheap. Usually these go in the $ 2,000-2,300 range. This one should go about $ 1,600-1,800.

The Borg phaser is a gem. I think this may be the best prop of the week. Easily a $ 2,000 prop, this is a beauty that could go high.

The Enterprise Vosk, Na'Kuhl Headquarters Console is huge and used on several sets. Looks like both DS9 and Insurrection as a Son'a one as well. These consoles tend to go at reasonable prices because they are so large and expensive to ship. Plus you need a place to put them!

Captain Picard's Smashed Phaser Rifle has gotten a lot of interest because it is recognizable and can be screen-matched. If you like this type of prop, this is a good one.

The Shinzon Rubber Stunt Knife is nice, but rubber knives don't do it for me! I mean it HAS to be metal!

The Nemesis Reman Rifle is a beauty because it is reason and has two working lights. These go for around $ 1,300.

The Quark's bar Pitcher and glass set is going to go high. Everyone loves Quark, and his stuff does well. I would love to serve my friends Iced Tea from this!

There is also a Shinzon metal Dagger and Sheath which is nice in that it is metal. Watch this one as it will go strong.

The Smashed Gold Enterprise A model is from First Contact. We have seen a lot of these, but Picard did NOT break the "A" in the scene. Look at Trekcore to see for yourself.

The Silver 24th Century Carry Case is nice and these tend to be popular as they display well and dont go real high.

The Romulan PADD is a bit beat up, but should go cheap. They have gone between $ 490 and $ 795 previously, so not a bad deal.

If you are a Ferengi fan, than you need Latinum! This lot has three different sizes of Latinum (Slip, strip and Brick maybe?) for all your greedy little needs.


And for you Klingon fans...

If you are a Klingon fan, there are a few choice pieces this week.

The Klingon Set Dressing is interesting, and looks like a sculpture. So I think this would look good on display anywhere.

There is also a Klingon Banner that will look great hanging in someone's room. According to Jorg: "First of all: it was never seen in any Star Trek TV show and it's upside down. It's the Klingon banner seen under the judge's cabin from the courtroom set in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country".

There is also a Klingon Rura Penthe Mask and Lamp from Star Trek VI. I like these and I think they will go at a reasonable price.

Finally, there is a Klingon Belt for a Klingon costume.


As always, bid wisely, pace your purchases and good hunting!

Alec