Sunday, January 28, 2007

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 7 Preview

Week 7 Preview

This part of my blog was very popular last week. I will try and get it up by Sunday each week. What is interesting is, all the bidding seems to take place Friday and Saturday as the new auctions are listed, and then nothing till the following Friday when the auctions are ending. In the 5 days in between, nothing really moves. So you have plenty of time to think and strategize.

You might also note that my pricing estimates were pretty good last week. Most notably with the Voyager hero costumes which all went under $ 1,500 as I predicted. The Romulan Senate robes also went in th $400 range as I said they would. I think bidders are being wise about the vast quantity of goods that It's a Wrap has.

This week is a Deep Space Nine week with lots of great costumes from all the key cast members. I like when It's a Wrap does this on one hand, because it adds a nice theme and if you are a fan of a particular show like I am (I am a huge DS9 fan) you get to see much of what is out there.


Sisko Commando style Uniform

The top item so far is Sisko's commando style vest and uniform. Don't ask me why they call it that, but that is the name it has gotten (probably because of Christie's, which auctioned off the Picard). This was seen on Sisko in "In the Pale Moonlight" maybe one of the best DS9 episodes, where Sisko, working with the deliciously devious Garark, brings the Romulans into the war against the Dominion. If it wasn't for the fact that I already have the Sisko Black and Grey Command uniform I won at Christie's, and my best collecting friend wants it, I would go after it. Nice piece, but not as desirable as a complete uniform I think. If it had the Jacket to go with it it would be a gem. None the less, a nice piece from my favorite Captain.


Klingon Costume

Second in the bidding so far is the best Klingon costume yet, as it has the boots. The two Klingon costumes that have sold so far had no boots. It appears that It's a Wrap wisely auctioned off the costumes without boots first, as many of us suspected. (Yeah, I actually said something nice about IAW!) Now they seem to be listing the ones that are more complete. This one has both the boots and a Klingon Comm Badge. If you are after a Klingon costume, these two items are important. I like this one and think it will display well. Considering that the two previous one went for $ 2,285 and $1,827 without boots or a comm badge, this one is probably worth about $ 3,000. If you get it around there I think you have a good deal on an iconic costume.

There is also a female Klingon costume, which is certainly rarer. I would hesitate on this one, because it has no boots. Of course, this doesn't have the big cleavage that Lursa and Betor's costume did either! But if you are inclined to a female Klingon costume, this might be it. Don't go over $ 2,000 on this one. There are certainly more, and maybe better ones to come.
















Other costumes

Well, there are costume of all the DS9 regulars, including a Garak, which strangely never showed up at Christie's. Bashir, Dax, O'Brien, Quark, Rom, Leeta, Kira, they are all here. As well as lesser known characters such as Quark and Rom's mom! DS9 fans should have fun this week. But remember: There are more where these came from. Multiples of each Star Fleet uniform are to be expected, so don't go too high!


Props

The prop selection is a bit weak this time, with only two standout pieces. The DS9 Study Model is quite impressive. This thing is 6' wide! This is one of a small number of models built in designing the station. One sold at Christie's for for $1,800 before buyer's premium, but it was an earlier version that looked nothing like the final one, you see here. These are significant pieces of Star Trek history and I think this is a great item for someone collection who can display it! If you get this under $1,000 you have stolen it! I actually think it is worth more than that because of its historical significance.

There is also a Romulan Disruptor Rifle, which is very nice, but could go high. The one at Christie's went for $2,000, but I would expect a $1,200 sale price here. Fortunately there is no reserve on this one. It is made of resin, which is important. Resin is a hard plastic that doesn't deform of degrade. There is a Romulan Disruptor Pistol also this week, but it is foam rubber. These weapons will tend to crack and the finish winds up looking crappy, so I always stay away from them unless you get them cheap.

The Cardassian Circuit Panels went for $2,600 at Christie's, but should be a third of that this time. I mention Christie's prices as the high end of the spectrum. Items are generally going for 1/3 - 1/2 of what they went for at Christie's due to the smaller population of bidders here. I think this piece looks good and will display well. If you get it under $800, I think it is a good deal.

If you are a DS9 fan, then the O'Brien and Bashir Dart Set is a great item. This is a piece we saw time and again in the show and helps define the relationship between the two DS9 crew members. A good deal at anything under $700.


OVERVIEW

Well, it should be an interesting week, though with no block buster costumes or props. DS9 fans will be happy (as I am) and should get something they like at a reasonable price. The beauty of these auctions is that there is so much stuff, you just need to be patient, and you will get what you want cheap.

Feel free to email me with questions or post a comment here! PLEASE include your email if you post a comment here if you want a response, as I don't always want to respond to individual questions on the Blog.

Good hunting!

Alec

Friday, January 26, 2007

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 6 results


Week 6

The sixth week of the Star Trek auctions on eBay from It's a Wrap Hollywood ended with 92 of the 99 lots selling for a total of $68,883.85. That was the second highest total for these auctions since they began. It also represented the highest sell through It's a Wrap has seen, as this past week they finally wised up and minimized the number of reserves. The selection was maybe the best so far, and thus the auction results were very strong.

The top item of the week was the Admiral Janeway costume seen being worn by the former Voyager Captain in both Star Trek: Nemesis and the Star Trek Experience Borg Invasion show. A beautiful piece, it sold for $5,100, the most yet for a Star trek item in these auctions. It was a stunning costume and probably one of a kind.

Satan's Robot sold for $4,628.00, which was the second highest price paid for an item so far. The robot featured in the Captain Proton holodeck scenes, this was also a rare and dynamite piece.


23 items sold for over $1,000, which is second only behind the first week. If you ignore the first week as an aberration, because everyone was feeling out the auctions, then this past week was significant. However, the rarity of an item is becoming very important as costumes are coming down in price if they are perceived as common. While last week a background player costume Voyager style costume went for $449.11, a record low, this week Voyager costumes continued to plummet as star costumes went for unheard of low prices. The Doctor's uniform went for $1,425, a Tuvok went for $1,325 , a Tom Paris went for $1,358, and a Harry Kim went for $1,225. Even the rare Tuvok dress uniform went for only $1,528. This shows that people know there are lots of these uniforms out there and they aren't that rare.

Now props continue to sell high. An Enterprise E console sold for $3,500, a hero Tricorder went for $2,560 and a Dr. Phlox faux blood draw kit went for $2,025. These were all strong prices for props. Overall, props are doing well, and getting good prices across the board. Few props sell below what they should.

There were some nice costumes this past week. One costume of note was the Commander Madden from Star Trek: Nemesis. Madden was Riker's replacement as first officer on the Enterprise when Riker takes over the Titan. It went for a strong $2,650. The corresponding "Helm Officer Branson" costume went for $1,635. What is amazing, is that a background operations costume of the same style went for $1,525! These costumes are exceptionally popular, and very attractive in person. They continue to get high prices for background costumes. In fact this background costume went higher than all the aforementioned Voyager hero costumes!

Of course, it just wouldn't be an It's a Wrap auction without some crazy reserves. The good news is this week has less reserves than any other week. But predictably, IAW set reserves on some items based on the high prices realized at Christie's. Two Phaser Rifles didn't hit reserve, and one hit $2,025! Based on the extremely high prices IAW is asking for similar rifles on their web site, one can assume the reserves were set in the $4,000-5,000 range. Prices they will never get online. Also, the Romulan Senate stools were a hot item at Christie's, selling for $800 each (not including the Buyer's Premium) in a set of six. Here the top bid was $1,036 for two, not hitting the reserve that was probably at least $ 1,600. As usual, we will see these items come back in later weeks without a reserve.


So here are some awards for the week:


Best Item of the Week: Admiral Janeway costume


Best Buy of the week: Doctor, Tuvok, Paris and Kim costumes, all under $1,500!

Worst Buy of the week: 24th Century Starfleet Carry Case $1,503. Are you KIDDING me??


Sleeper of the Week: Female Q at $560. Suzie Plaxson as the female Q in Voyager. Great price, memorable role.



5 HIGHEST PRICED ITEMS THAT SOLD


Admiral Janeway costume $ 5,100


Satan's Robot $ 4,658


Nemesis Enterprise Console $ 3,500


Nemesis Commander Madden Uniform $ 2,650


Nemesis Hero Tricorder $ 2,560



TOP 5 ITEMS NOT HITTING RESERVE



Star Trek: Nemesis Phaser Rifle $ 2,025


Cardassian Soldier Uniform $ 1,701


Star Trek: Nemesis Phaser Rifle $ 1,625


Romulan Senate Stools $ 1,036


Romulan Senate Stools and Chair $ 936


Special thanks to Aaron Carlson, who every week, compiles all the stats on that week's auctions. He does a great job, and has a nice Star Trek collection which I will be featuring in the blog real soon.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 6 Preview


Week 6 Preview

I have decided to start a new part of this blog by previewing each week's auctions and giving my feedback, and the feedback of my collector friends, on the current week's auctions. Hopefully this information will help you make good decisions on the items up for bid. In addition, it gives collectors a chance to ask questions in the comments section that I will answer to help you in your Star Trek collecting.


This week is probably the best week yet for premium Star Trek items. Lots of great props and costumes. Of course it is really bad strategy for It's a Wrap to list so much good stuff in one week. but one thing we have come to expect is for them not to really have a great strategy for the whole long term eBay auction process. But there loss is our gain (assuming the stop with the ridiculous reserves). So here is what we have:


Admiral Janeway Costume

Ok, this is the creme of the auction and already, on Saturday, at $5,100, making it the highest priced item to sell so far, as there is no reserve. I know that the bidder has set his eye on this and this item will certainly go for over $ 6,000. It is stunning and a great piece. This is the uniform that Janeway wears in Star Trek: Nemesis when she orders Picard to Romulus. There are few collectors bidding on the auctions on IAW that will go after this, but it will look good wherever it lands.


Phaser Rifles

OK, why are there two of these in one week? Does that make ANY sense? Geez, these guys constantly baffle me. That being said, these are both nice "Nemesis" style Type III Phaser rifles. One has a working flashlight and the other does not, currently reflected in the differing prices.
There are reserves on both, which, knowing IAW, is probably in the $ 4,000 range. They still think they can get what items went for at Christie's. Now at Christie's a "Hero" version of this rifle went for $ 8,000 before buyer's premium. It had the flashlight and retractable strap, which is indicative of
the "Hero" versions. A lot of 4 resin, non-hero versions went for $ 6,500, or $ 1,625 each before buyer's premium. IAW simply doesn't tell you enough about the condition and features of each prop. So based on the current market for Phaser Rifles and what they went for at Christie's, I think these are probably worth $ 4,000 each. Their provenance is without question and they appear in good shape. I am simply not sure the eBay market will bear these prices, which is more than any prop has gone for so far.


NEMESIS COSTUMES

There are two "Nemesis" costumes of note. The first is the Commander Madden uniform. Madden is the first officer taking over for Riker at the end of "Nemesis". Nice uniform with a Comm badge and rank. I would guess this one goes in the $ 2,000 range. The other is a Reman costume, which I think is gorgeous and will look great on display. Judging by recent auctions, and the fact that the Xindi costume, which is based on the Reman costume went for $1,200, I think this will go in the same price range.

In addition, there are several Romulan Senator robes (there should be a bunch...look at that scene in "Nemesis") which would be a nice get as I think they go cheap. Don't pay over $ 400 for these. There are also two nice Romulan Fleet Officer uniforms. Now these are not nearly as nice as the hero ones (The Commander Donatra one that sold at Christie's was STUNNING and I am hating myself for not winning that during the Christie's auction). The Hero versions were custom decorated, while these are just screen printed it appears. I have always liked the Romulan uniforms, all the way back to TOS.

VOYAGER UNIFORMS

This is the Nemesis/Voyager week and almost every major Voyager character has a uniform in this week's auction. There is a Seven of Nine stunt costume, a Tuvok dress uniform, a regular Tuvok, a Chakotay, a Paris, a Kim, a Doctor, a Kes and a distressed Janeway. The thing to remember about these is that there are a TON of each of these. Think of it...7 seasons for which they probably made at least 3 each season. That is over 20 copies of each! At this point in the life cycle of these auctions (remember, there are at least 6 months of auctions) I wouldn't pay over $ 1,500 for any of these, and less fo rthe Janeway and Kes. I am buying a Doctor from a friend for $ 2,000 WITH a comm badge. That should tell you where the market is. This is a long auction and I know many of us would be amazed if there aren't a lot more of these to come.


And if you are looking for something unique, look at the Captain Braxton future Starfleet uniform from Voyager.


OTHER SIGNIFICANT PROPS

The "Satan's Robot" is an awesome prop and I will tell you I am going after it in hope of snagging the Captain proton costume if it ever comes up. It is really cool, especially for fans of the Captain Proton episodes. The Dr. Chaotica costume went at a Profiles in History auction a few years ago and the Janeway "Bride of Chaotica" costume went at Christie's.

The Compression Phaser Rifle is nice, but it is rubber and I HATE rubber props. They crack and the paint flakes and in a few years they look like crap. Speaking of which, when you see Borg and Hirogen costumes BEWARE. They are made of latex which breaks down. I had a discussion with a former Hollywood model builder who said he wouldn't collect any latex costume because of the way they break down. Now, these have gone at reasonable prices it seems, but please beware of the problems and know you will have to take good care of any latex costume.

The Romulan Senate stools are beautiful, but went for INSANE prices at Christie's, so expect an absurd reserve from IAW. I doubt any of those will hit reserve.


OVERVIEW

If you search the It's a Wrap auctions as I do (click here), you should look on page 2. The second 50 items are all $ 100 or less as of Saturday night. There are some props that will go cheap and some costumes you will be able to get at good prices as they are not main characters. If you aren't a big collector, and more a fan, there are some bargains to be had there.

Feel free to email me with questions or post a comment here!

Good hunting!

Alec