When you really look at how much people value the props for old shows such as Star Trek you get a feeling that people are either out of their minds or are diehard fans…who are still out of their minds to pay any kind of money for the items that were used on the show. When one really gets a good look at them they might notice that they appear to be repurposed items that have had pieces glued onto them and modified in a way that looks futuristic and therefore appears rather impressive. From the communicators to the weapons to the sets, Star Trek props were seen to be highly prized by quite a few fans and it’s said that the UCLA Drama department had the bridge setup for a while. But what usually ends up happening to any props that can’t be repurposed or otherwise broken down, sold, or used again is that they’re destroyed since they’re no good any longer and there’s reason to keep them around. Some pieces might go to museums, some to private collectors, and others might even go to various other locations where someone is willing to pay to display them, but often the props from Star Trek, if they’re still around, are going to be seen collecting dust in someone’s home or business as display pieces that are also seen as investments that some people believe they can liquidate if and when it’s necessary.
When you hear that some pieces go for tens of thousands of dollars to the right collector it only sounds a little bit crazy, since finding those ‘right collectors’ is something that a person would be wise to do if the need ever comes along. Otherwise, the props are nice to look at but are essentially useless since the only thing that is unique about them is that they were used in the actual show. The only thing is, if there’s no certificate of authenticity that goes with it then anyone could create a model of the items that were featured on the show right down to every exact detail if they were being meticulous about it. In fact, if a person knew how to craft these items and had a keen eye for detail they could likely fool quite a few people into thinking that any items they made were realistic, and the only ones that would be able to tell the difference would be those that were even more attentive to detail if that’s possible. Seriously, there are some folks that know the exact dimensions and overall look of every prop on the original show and would be able to spot a phony from a mile away, or so some of them might say. This is why the idea of collecting Star Trek props gets a little dicey since, without any certificate of authenticity or the ability to speak to the people that actually made the props, it’s very likely that people could pass off counterfeits and make a lot of money if Trekkies didn’t know what to look for.
The really funny thing about this though is that this is why Trekkie’s are kind of regarded as odd by a lot of people when it comes to their favorite show, and it’s because a lot of them know the minute details about the props and the items used on the show that many people don’t. This means that they can spot a forgery simply because it doesn’t have the same shine, the exact same form, or is perhaps a little bit off in how it looks as opposed to the real prop. Again, there are people out there that are this meticulous, and a few that can even tell what age and wear might do to a prop after so long. It’s a lot to get into, and some folks make a habit of doing this as a hobby, which is mind-numbing, but I’m not one to judge considering my own fondness for replicas from various movies and pop culture icons that have caught my fancy. But the originals aren’t necessarily easy to come by when it comes to collecting them, and a lot of props have been used so extensively on so many different sets that they’ve been tossed since they were no longer any good. There are still collectors that would love to have them since yes, there are folks out there that would love to have Spock’s original ears or an original insignia from the show. Hey, if William Shatner can sell his kidney stones for charity, then there’s not a lot of limits on how nutty things can get when it comes to collectors. Pretty much anyone can make a worthwhile Star Trek prop if they’re motivated, but making it look like an original is something that might be a little risky.
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