Christie's Auction House gets Star Trek Props

circletimessquare writes "A New York Times reporter was granted access to the trove of 40 years of Star Trek props that Christie's, the auction house, is cataloguing for auction in October. 'The stuff of "Star Trek' — uniforms, communicators and other props, including pointy rubber ears — has boldly gone to a place where the intrepid crew never took the Enterprise: the Bronx.' For an opening bid of $1,000 to $1,500, you can own an original tribble. 'It's an Auction, Jim, but Not as We Know It.'"

"For an opening bid... you can own..."

[EmbeddedJanitor]

Somebody needs to read autioneering 101. You don't get to own something by making an opening bid no more than you get karma for making a first post!

Re:"For an opening bid... you can own..."

[bcat24]

But you made a first post and got karma!

Re:"For an opening bid... you can own..."

[__aaclcg7560]

Fascinating!

Re:"For an opening bid... you can own..."

[WilliamSChips]

Correlation does not imply causality.

as the guy who wrote those words

[circletimessquare]

all i have to say is calm down, it's just editorial shorthand. you're not helping in the great noble fight against poor communication, you're just revealing yourself to be mentally brittle. read the words again: it's simply a way to introduce the concept of the range of cash you need to buy an original tribble. no one is expecting me to capture the nuances of the financial mechanics of auctions in a brief editorial blurb... or at least no one should be

not that i expect this comment to quell the great grammar nazi jihad, but i have to defend myself

Re:as the guy who wrote those words

[1u3hr]

to buy an original tribble

Actually, having read TFA, it's not, but from one of the sequel series. Despite the impression they try to give, there are hardly any props from TOS. These were all thrown out, stolen, or sold decades ago. They highlight a model of the Enterprise -- but made from a kit for one of the movies. Except for its provenance, the same as thousands hanging from geeks' bedroom ceilings.

Re:as the guy who wrote those words

[Xtifr]

Yup, the original tribbles were scattered up and down the west coast, and probably further. And if any survived, they're probably impossible to authenticate today. They were cheaply made and all-too-easy to copy. I had a real one when I was a kid--got it from David Gerrold, the author of the episode. He had a bunch of 'em. A couple of years later, you could buy cheap copies at any SF convention. Which, to a twelve-year-old, were just about as good. And my real one is long since gone (as are my fakes)

Re:as the guy who wrote those words

[exp(pi*sqrt(163))]

no one is expecting me to capture the nuances of the financial mechanics

Editorial shorthand. Pronounced L-I-E-S.

Re:"For an opening bid... you can own..."

[thisisnotreal]

"Somebody needs to read autioneering 101. You don't get to own something by making an opening bid no more than you get karma for making a first post! "

what can it mean?
see what shatner himself says about it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKPGH6YqpbQ [youtube.com]

and even if that meant something then what could this mean? iz the market flooded with fake vulcan ears? don't believe me? check this out: X http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-118997738 1292772054 [google.com]

Not interested

[linuxgurugamer]

While having been a trekkie for years, I feel that I can spend my money in better ways elsewhere. However, I predict that the auction will bring more than they expect, because there are lots of trekkies who feel differently than I do.

Re:Not interested

[WilliamSChips]

Cue "Trekkies responsible for pedophilia" troll in 3...2...1...

Re:Not interested

[hackstraw]

While having been a trekkie for years, I feel that I can spend my money in better ways elsewhere.

Sure, there are always better ways to spend money than having memorabilia and a piece of history in your house, but if you (or better I :) have disposable income to spend on trivial kinds of stuff like this, its really cool. There are people that have original copies of the Declaration of Independence, Mozart scores, all kinds of stuff that, well, you can't buy at Wal-mart, and frankly few people have one/few o

Re:Not interested

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

"While having been a trekkie for years, I feel that I can spend my money in better ways elsewhere."

There are plenty of people out there that would like to own a little piece of history. Somewhere I have an autographed photo of Mark Leonard. He passed away a few years ago, I doubt I'll give it up.

Keep it real Christie's

[Anonymous Coward]

They get props from me too.

Re:Keep it real Christie's

[ackthpt]

They get props from me too.

Just wait until you find they only accept PayPal and major Credit Cards, no Google Checkout! ;-)

no props for you!

Re:Keep it real Christie's

[G-funk]

Of course. Only a fairly serious nerd would (apparently wrongly) trust in his ability to use his PC for child porn without going to FPMITA prison. And nerds, as a whole, tend to like star trek. Ergo, those with an amount of child porn worth arresting, like star trek.

Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor not an auctioneer!

[Anonymous Coward]

It had to be said ...

He's sold, Jim!

[CurtMonash]

That works too.

Links to Stories with Required Registration

[BrianWCarver]

Links to stories with required registration should be BANNED on Slashdot.

Can't we make that a policy?

Re:Links to Stories with Required Registration

[scwizard]

(Score:2, Troll)

Awesome job :P
Oh ya, and seconded. Bugmenot.com helps, but I still think /. should avoid it.

Re:Links to Stories with Required Registration

[BrianWCarver]

The anonymous coward below misses the point. I know how to get around the registration. I just don't want to bothered to have to do so. Slashdot could save us all that effort by 1) having the editors change reg-links with non-reg links or better: 2) simply rejecting reg-linked stories and indicating to people that is the policy. Future submissions would automatically fix this, and some sites who want Slashdot traffic to their ads might even think twice about having us all remember yet another stupid username/password combination.

I also don't see how my comment above should be moderated "Troll". I'm genuinely sick of this on Slashdot and would like to see it changed. So, I said so.

Better idea...

[patio11]

... just wait until the dupe links to the open version.

Re:Links to Stories with Required Registration

[Molochi]

Slashdot has some kind of deal with NYT I think. I guess it's working for them. That and the HUGE AD boobietrap that covered my computer sceen when my mouse pointer touched the MS VISIO 2005 banner at the top of this page. Anyways bugmenot worked for the article. Or you could google "christies startrek" and go strait to the auction page. OOOH, Picard's "flute" is on the block! http://www.christies.com/special_sites/startrek/ov erview.asp [christies.com]

Resikkan flute

[Bob Cat - NYMPHS]

They are idiots if they think that flute will go for $1k.

I will bet the price will be closer to $25k.

Re:Resikkan flute

[elrous0]

They obviously have no clue as to its significance, or its central role in one of the greatest Trek episodes ever.

-Eric

Re:Links to Stories with Required Registration

[AbRASiON]

I agree completely.

Yes, but will they ban Google Checkout?

[ScentCone]

I mean, they've got a total monopoly on these items! We shouldn't have to use PayChristies, it's just not fair [slashdot.org]!

No, thanks...

[Stormwatch]

I already have some legit Star Trek props. I bought them from a guy named Harry Mudd.

Re:No, thanks...

[Brent Spiner]

Pointy ears? Pshh. I've got, uh, silver face paint and an Inte... er "emotion chip." Any bidders?
No seriously, I need the cash, email me.

Nope, not a repost...

[flabbergast]

but I thought it'd be nice to look back to the announcement of the auction that was posted here before [slashdot.org]

Re:Nope, not a repost...

[snowgirl]

Oh come on, that dupe is at least a month old. By that time, it hardly counts as a dupe. Slashdot dupes so often, it only counts as a dupe anymore if they're both on the same front page! ;)

I want the dilithium crystals...

[DreadfulGrape]

... I'll need them to run Windows Vista.

Sorry

[hey!]

... I'll need them to run Windows Vista.

Um, you don't need dilithium crystals to run Windows Vista. It runs on a quantum singularities emitted by Bill Gates' bank account. You're thinking of OS/2 Warp.

Funniest paragraph from the NYT article

[Dekortage]

"Ms. Elkies was not a major 'Star Trek' fan before she started to organize the sale. She got her baptism in 'Star Trek' mania when she went to a convention in Germany in May. "The funny part was, I couldn't always tell if it was German or Klingon that they were speaking," she said."

Wait...

[Burb]

Are you telling me that German and Klingon are different?

too dumb to be sent to Germany....

[fantomas]

"The funny part was, I couldn't always tell if it was German or Klingon that they were speaking"

Yeah, pretty disturbing... Sounds like Ms. Elkes could be a liability to her company if that was an official trip she was on. I'd say sad rather than funny. Tell Ms. Elkes the little books with the pretty pictures in the airport shops for ten dollars are called "phrasebooks" and she ought to buy the "German" one next time she's in Germany. Learning a few words on the plane ride over might win her more friends. M

Re:too dumb to be sent to Germany....

[Dekortage]

I agree, but think of this too: it means Klingon is so well developed that it sounds like real language... I guess it might actually be one [kli.org].

Re:too dumb to be sent to Germany....

[sgtrock]

Whooooosh!

Re:too dumb to be sent to Germany....

[owlnation]

Though, her confusion is understandable. I'm not sure if either language has a word for sorry. At least I don't know if Klingon has such a word. German doesn't, Germans have to use the English word pronounced in a germanic way on the rare occasions that they feel an apology is absolutely necessary and unavoidable. Otherwise the German words in place of sorry seem to be "Vorsicht!" or "Tut!".

My guess is that Klingon is equally as friendly...

She needs an American Universal Translator

[hey!]

She needs the goodl old American Universal Translator.

Elikes (cupping hands to form a megaphone): IS THAT GERMAN YOU'RE SPEAKING OR KLINGON?

tribbles

[disturbedite]

if i bid on a tribble, is it for one or more than anticipated?

Re:tribbles

[WedgeTalon]

well, you see, that's the trouble with tribbles...

Re:tribbles

[OakDragon]

At a grand each, you'll be a quadrillionaire in no time.

Itemized list?

[morethanapapercert]

The NYT article, NYT slideshow and the Christies official page only show "highlights" and already I see several items I'd lust after but could never afford. Nonetheless, there are one or two items I am particularly interested in that are not mentioned. Specifically, the 6 foot and 4 foot long detailed models of the 1701-D built by I.L.M and Greg Jein respectively. Those are the two used in all the close-up, opening sequence and stock shots from ST:TNG. I would also like to see the 1701-D's warp core, if it

Re:Itemized list?

[tomlouie]

http://www.christies.com/CatSubDetail.asp?catalog_ name=Catalogues&wich=1&category_name=Pop+and+Film+ Memorabilia&CatID=1087 [christies.com]

$90 US for the two volume catalog, not per volume. The price for slating your curiousity just went down 50%!

Tribble purchases

[ZorbaTHut]

Alternatively, for 99 cents at Wal-Mart, you can get an entire bag full of imitation baby tribbles.

(Look for "cotton balls").

If I had the money..

[Vskye]

I'd definately go with the Klingon Captain's chair. Functional, yet totally expensive. ;)

Re:If I had the money..

[Eudial]

I'd definately go with the Klingon Captain's chair. Functional, yet totally expensive. ;)

It is the quintessential computer chair.

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

ST:TOS went to the Bronx..

[Anonymous Coward]

[...] gone to a place where the intrepid crew never took the Enterprise: the Bronx.

Season 1 episode 28: Kirk and Spock go back in time to NYC to undo historical damage done by McCoy while he was crazy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_City_on_the_Edge_ of_Forever [wikipedia.org]

Great episode btw - how could any trekkie forget it? Yeah sure the *enterprise* didn't go to the Bronx, but still...

Re:ST:TOS went to the Bronx..

[jdbartlett]

And who could ever forget Spock's accident with a mechanical rice picker.

Re:ST:TOS went to the Bronx..

[whitehatlurker]

Bravo! I was going to mention that as well.

In case the young folk missed it - here is a synopsis [startrek.com].

Re:ST:TOS went to the Bronx..

[PMuse]

Star Trek geek god skewers article summary with knowledge of arcane trivia, earns +5 informative moderation. Impressive, even by /. standards. To bad he posted AC.

Re:ST:TOS went to the Bronx..

[Dissonant]

This may be the greatest /. post ever made.

How could anyone resist

[Beryllium Sphere(tm)]

buying a communicator, one of the TOS flip-open models, opening it up, and installing a cellphone?

Re:How could anyone resist

[Adam9]

Check out this [gizmodo.com] or this [sonamobile.com]

If only...

[BrynM]

If only Cyrano Jones [wikipedia.org] could go back to the past and peddle his tribbles through auctions! He would have made a fortune. What planet was that portal [wikipedia.org] on again?

I want...

[Trickster Coyote]

I want one of those styrofoam boulders that they used in every other episode.

Three thousand quatloos

[lildogie]

that the booty will have to be destroyed.

don't make a booboo on slashdot

[crossmr]

"has boldly gone to a place where the intrepid crew never took the Enterprise: the Bronx"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_Front_(Enterpri se_episode) [wikipedia.org] they must have missed this episode.

Re:don't make a booboo on slashdot

[istewart]

They should consider themselves lucky, then.

You realize..

[kahrytan]

  This auction makes the beginning of the end of 'Star Trek' forever? It is getting rid of everything in the warehouse. It is a sad sad day.

Re:You realize..

[CaptnMArk]

Well, at least until the real Enterprise is built.

Braintrust Representative

[Digital_Mercenary]

I bid 30,000 quotloos the humans will exceed expectations!

Craftsmanship

[Tablizer]

I've seen some of the early props near the Vegas Trek ride. They were not very well done because they knew that TV resolution was not sufficient to show the details. Custom-built replicas are usually much nicer. Example link:

http://www.xscapesprops.com/Star_Trek_Props_Page1. htm [xscapesprops.com]
     

Re:Craftsmanship

[hey!]

Classic typo from the linked page:

The Phase Pistol used in Enterprise was laser scanned from the original. The resulting replica pieces (made by art asylum) were so well made, the producers for Enterprise decided to use the AA Phase Pistols as props. They were refinished, with quality paints, for filming and effectively, these Phase Pistols became the real props, and as such they are cannon.

So if they laser canned a phaser rifle, would the result be a naval gun emplacement?

Paypal

[wilson316]

Can I use paypal for this?

Re:Paypal

[waynegs]

Yes, but not google checkout!

No, the cat does not "got my tongue."

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

Thank you for participating in our quiz.

You got 5 out of 5 correct. WOW!!!!
The average number of correct answers for this quiz is: 4

Eat it, chumps!

BTW, that purple jumpsuit from Voyager might fetch a lot more if it were actually worn by Jeri Lynn Ryan...if ya know what ahm sayin'...

Well, the ENTERPRISE never went to the Bronx....

[MS-06FZ]

But the characters visited New York City a few times... City on the Edge of Forever, Assignment: Earth, and (I guess) Miri as well...

</trek geek>

red tunics

[lililalancia]

Wonder how popular the red Tunics will be... 'It's worse than that, he's dead Jim'

SPOCK'S BRAIN!!!

[knight37]

I didn't see the most coveted item on their list... SPOCK'S BRAIN!!!!!!!

Bah... Who needs original tribbles?

[JamesGecko]

My Mom still has two or three that her roommate sewed for her in college after seeing that episode. They even make little squeeking noises.