Well, I was pretty clear in my last post that the zero feedback bidder (or bidders) are causing havoc for IAW and all of us real bidders. They are driving up prices, winning items that they will never pay for, and causing aggravation for us all.
The Solution
Before I get to the problem, the solution is SIMPLE. IAW, go to the "Selecting Buyer Requirements" page and read that. All you need to do is require bidders to have a PayPal account. If you do this, the fraudulent bidder will not be able to have more than one fake account to bid on your items, and after one week, you can ban him from bidding and he will not be able to sign up again.
What is the downside? Well, every bidder who doesn't have a PayPal account (a very tiny # I am sure) will have to sign up for one to bid. Maybe a few refuse to do so, but no one should be paying IAW other than through PayPal anyway. I mean, who writes checks anymore? You don't have to USE the PayPal account to pay, but you simply need to have an account. It is one more piece that ties you to your eBay ID by requiring a credit card or bank account.
(Frankly eBay should REQUIRE this, as I have been saying for years. But they are too greedy to care about cleaning up fraud for real and simply enable shill bidding).
The Problem
Well, we have seen now, how devastating the fake bidder (and I do think it is one person) can be. This fake bidder has won 13 of the top 19 selling items over the last 3 weeks! Now if that doesn't motivate IAW to require a PayPal account, I don't know will. Now it is interesting that the fake bidder didn't bid up any of the other 6 items in the top 19.
Why do I say it is one bidder? Every one of those zero feedback bidders has a similar name. It usually has something to do with the lot being bid on and a number. They are all registered around the same time.
Some have suggested that this is shill bidding by IAW but I seriously doubt that. Both Dominic and Colin are great guys and decent folk. They wouldn't do this and they don't need to!!!! They are getting great prices for the premium stuff as it is. And why WIN their own auctions? Makes no sense. If you wanted to drive your own auctions up, there are better ways to do it. Whoever is doing this is doing so to be vindictive, pure and simple.
So, how does this affect legitimate pricing?
Now, here is what you need to pay attention to. If the zero feedback bidder wins an item and you are the under bidder, the actual legitimate winning bid is NOT your high bid, but ONE BID INCREMENT above the 3rd bidder.
example:
$ 1,525 winning bid (zero feedback)
$ 1,500 your top bid
$ 1,000 next highest bid
The zero feedback fraudulent bidder's bids should be eliminated, meaning you would have beaten the $ 1,000 bidder with a winning bid of $ 1,025 (the next bid increment). So, you should tell IAW you want the item at $ 1,025, the fair result.
This is why I say the guy who won the Nemesis Starfleet uniform jumpsuit was SCREWED with a $ 2,375 high bid. The under bidder AND the third bidder had zero feedback and the 4th bidder was at $ 926.07. So he SHOULD HAVE won this at $ 951.07 (next bid increment).
I will be talking with IAW and hopefully have them take the steps they need to today. Note that if they do make the change to require a PayPal account, it will not affect this week's auctions, only auctions yet to be listed. So, we may have to deal with this again this Friday.
OK, that is all for now, but email me if you need to, and please read the thread on the Star Trek Prop, Costume & Auction Forum.
Alec
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 36 Results
Week 36 Results
Week 36 had about 100 items, but the bid news this week is that the zero feedback bidders who are fraudulently driving up prices are becoming a REAL problem. A lot of expensive lots were won by bidders with zero feedback and 5 of the top 6 items were to fake bidders! . What is very interesting is that every one of those zero feedback bidders has a similar name. It usually has something to do with the lot being bid on and a number. This will become a big issue the next few weeks as bidders are getting tired of this and feel thet are being manipulated.
I will be posting an article on just this topic tomorrow, so please stay tuned. Also, I will post part two of this wrap up Tuesday as there is a lot to cover, and this fake bidder (I think it is one person) is causing a lot of headache I have to deal with.
The Saavik Maroon Uniform lot went for $ 6,400 to a bidder with ZERO FEEDBACK vulcangoddess79. So I am going to assume we will see this again as this wasn't a legit bidder. The winning bid SHOULD HAVE been $ 6,101, as the 3rd bidder was at $ 6,001, and with a $ 100 bid increment, $ 6,101 would have been the winning bid.
That being said, the lot has multiple items, but the jacket was NOT Saavik's. This is the same situation that happened with the Admiral Cartwright costume. There is little to do here, as the tags from the Maroons were constantly removed it seems, and so there is no way to know who wore what. Thus, this is as close to Saavik's uniform as you are likely to get.
I can't stress enough how damaging the zero feedback bidders are to this process as they are undermining faith in the process.
The Star Trek: TMP Spock Class D uniform went for $ 6,200 to a legitimate bidder. I guess it is sad that I have to qualify the purchase as such. What is interesting is that this is the one that sold for $ 6,100 in week 21. Obviously that bidder didn't follow through. Another sold for $ 7,810 in week 26, though that one had an unattached bio-buckle. The constant re-selling isn't good for IAW.
The Enterprise Hoshi Sato Starfleet Uniform went for $ 3,675. It is amazing that Hoshi costumes continue to go for such high prices. This is captain's territory, and three Hoshi's have now gone high, the other two going for $ 2,703 and $ 3,606. HOWEVER, this is another ZERO FEEDBACK bidder, so this too is an invalid sale. The bidder is startrekjunkie999 . Zero feedback and this is the only item bid on.
We have seen the Enterprise MACO complete uniform before, but not a female one. Once again, this one went high. But a ZERO FEEDBACK bidder ( maco1701nx ) was the winner at $ 3,051, so I expect this one back up soon as well. The 3rd highest bidder was at $ 2,500, so this SHOULD HAVE sold for $ 2,550 to the under-bidder (2nd highest bidder).
There was another Star Trek: Enterprise Terran Empire two-piece female uniform which went for $ 2,825 which also went to a ZERO FEEDBACK bidder, dirtyharry767. The last one went to my buddy Grant for $ 1,900. This would have gone for $ 1,525 if there was no fake bidder as the 3rd highest bidder was at $ 1,500, and so the
underbidder would have won at $ 1,525.
The Klingon costume with full head mask was a good idea by IAW as they probably have a lot of these masks. This was a fair auction, with no zero feedback bidder, and I think at $ 2,480 a good deal. The mask alone is a $ 500-800 item. And the costumes generally go for $ 2,500.
The guy who won the Nemesis Starfleet uniform jumpsuit was SCREWED with a $ 2,375 high bid. The under bidder AND the third bidder had zero feedback and the 4th bidder was at $ 926.07. So he SHOULD HAVE won this at $ 951.07 (next bid increment).
If I were this bidder, I would refuse to pay this winning bid. You were bid up by a fraud. Considering that IAW was selling these at $ 1,000 at Vegas, I think that is what they should sell for.
The TNG Command Red Starfleet Uniform at $ 2,025 was about twice what these went for in Vegas. It was a legitimate sale though.
The Feature Style Crewman's Uniform Jumpsuit went for $ 1,825 while the named character "Dax" version of this went for only $ 710 and had all the same parts! That made no sense. The Dax costume was a great deal!
Tuesday night I will review some of the background costumes and the prices we are seeing.
As far as props go:
The Porthos Submerged Stand-In Dog went for a hefty $ 2,750 but was a very cool prop. I got to see this in Vegas and the winner will be happy with it. Another ZERO FEEDBACK bidder, so this should have gone for $ 2,550 to the under-bidder.
The pair of Romulan stools went for $ 1,635, which is the highest these have gone for so far. They are cool, and I think IAW may have more. The fact these went so high, shows that there are new bidders driving certain prices up.
The Dr. Soong Lesson PADD went for $ 1,525 to the same ZERO FEEDBACK bidder who won the MACO costume. This would have gone to the under bidder for $ 1,075 if not for the zero feedback bidder.
The DS9 Starfleet "Projection Data" PADD also was sold to a ZERO FEEDBACK bidder, guitarheo99865. This should have sold to $ 659.
Finally, the rubber Tricorder and Holster went for $ 860, which I think was a pretty good deal. Yes, it is rubber, but still, a cool piece.
THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:
Best Costume of the Week:The Saavik Maroon Uniform lot went for $ 6,400
Best Prop of the Week: The Porthos Submerged Stand-In Dog at $ 2,750 was pretty cool.
Best Buy of the week: The Crewman Dax uniform at $ 710 was a steal!!!!!
Worst Buy of the week: The Nemesis Starfleet uniform jumpsuit at $ 2,375 bid up by a zero feedback bidder. These were $ 800-1,000 in Vegas at the IAW booth.
Sleeper of the Week: Nemesis Starfleet Dress uniform at $ 898 was a great deal on a beautiful costume.
5 HIGHEST PRICED ITEMS THAT SOLD (Is this even valid anymore?)
Star Trek: TMP: Saavik Maroon Uniform lot $ 6,400 ZERO FEEDBACK BIDDER
Star Trek: TMP Spock Class D: $ 6,200
Star Trek: Enterprise Hoshi Sato Starfleet Uniform $ 3,675 ZERO FEEDBACK BIDDER
Star Trek: Enterprise MACO complete uniform $ 3,051 ZERO FEEDBACK BIDDER
Star Trek: Enterprise Terran Empire two-piece female uniform $ 2,825 ZERO FEEDBACK BIDDER
More info on the zero feedback bidders tomorrow!
Alec
Week 36 had about 100 items, but the bid news this week is that the zero feedback bidders who are fraudulently driving up prices are becoming a REAL problem. A lot of expensive lots were won by bidders with zero feedback and 5 of the top 6 items were to fake bidders! . What is very interesting is that every one of those zero feedback bidders has a similar name. It usually has something to do with the lot being bid on and a number. This will become a big issue the next few weeks as bidders are getting tired of this and feel thet are being manipulated.
I will be posting an article on just this topic tomorrow, so please stay tuned. Also, I will post part two of this wrap up Tuesday as there is a lot to cover, and this fake bidder (I think it is one person) is causing a lot of headache I have to deal with.
The Saavik Maroon Uniform lot went for $ 6,400 to a bidder with ZERO FEEDBACK vulcangoddess79. So I am going to assume we will see this again as this wasn't a legit bidder. The winning bid SHOULD HAVE been $ 6,101, as the 3rd bidder was at $ 6,001, and with a $ 100 bid increment, $ 6,101 would have been the winning bid.That being said, the lot has multiple items, but the jacket was NOT Saavik's. This is the same situation that happened with the Admiral Cartwright costume. There is little to do here, as the tags from the Maroons were constantly removed it seems, and so there is no way to know who wore what. Thus, this is as close to Saavik's uniform as you are likely to get.
I can't stress enough how damaging the zero feedback bidders are to this process as they are undermining faith in the process.
The Star Trek: TMP Spock Class D uniform went for $ 6,200 to a legitimate bidder. I guess it is sad that I have to qualify the purchase as such. What is interesting is that this is the one that sold for $ 6,100 in week 21. Obviously that bidder didn't follow through. Another sold for $ 7,810 in week 26, though that one had an unattached bio-buckle. The constant re-selling isn't good for IAW.The Enterprise Hoshi Sato Starfleet Uniform went for $ 3,675. It is amazing that Hoshi costumes continue to go for such high prices. This is captain's territory, and three Hoshi's have now gone high, the other two going for $ 2,703 and $ 3,606. HOWEVER, this is another ZERO FEEDBACK bidder, so this too is an invalid sale. The bidder is startrekjunkie999 . Zero feedback and this is the only item bid on.
We have seen the Enterprise MACO complete uniform before, but not a female one. Once again, this one went high. But a ZERO FEEDBACK bidder ( maco1701nx ) was the winner at $ 3,051, so I expect this one back up soon as well. The 3rd highest bidder was at $ 2,500, so this SHOULD HAVE sold for $ 2,550 to the under-bidder (2nd highest bidder).
There was another Star Trek: Enterprise Terran Empire two-piece female uniform which went for $ 2,825 which also went to a ZERO FEEDBACK bidder, dirtyharry767. The last one went to my buddy Grant for $ 1,900. This would have gone for $ 1,525 if there was no fake bidder as the 3rd highest bidder was at $ 1,500, and so the
underbidder would have won at $ 1,525.The Klingon costume with full head mask was a good idea by IAW as they probably have a lot of these masks. This was a fair auction, with no zero feedback bidder, and I think at $ 2,480 a good deal. The mask alone is a $ 500-800 item. And the costumes generally go for $ 2,500.
The guy who won the Nemesis Starfleet uniform jumpsuit was SCREWED with a $ 2,375 high bid. The under bidder AND the third bidder had zero feedback and the 4th bidder was at $ 926.07. So he SHOULD HAVE won this at $ 951.07 (next bid increment).
If I were this bidder, I would refuse to pay this winning bid. You were bid up by a fraud. Considering that IAW was selling these at $ 1,000 at Vegas, I think that is what they should sell for.
The TNG Command Red Starfleet Uniform at $ 2,025 was about twice what these went for in Vegas. It was a legitimate sale though.
The Feature Style Crewman's Uniform Jumpsuit went for $ 1,825 while the named character "Dax" version of this went for only $ 710 and had all the same parts! That made no sense. The Dax costume was a great deal!
Tuesday night I will review some of the background costumes and the prices we are seeing.
As far as props go:
The Porthos Submerged Stand-In Dog went for a hefty $ 2,750 but was a very cool prop. I got to see this in Vegas and the winner will be happy with it. Another ZERO FEEDBACK bidder, so this should have gone for $ 2,550 to the under-bidder.The pair of Romulan stools went for $ 1,635, which is the highest these have gone for so far. They are cool, and I think IAW may have more. The fact these went so high, shows that there are new bidders driving certain prices up.
The Dr. Soong Lesson PADD went for $ 1,525 to the same ZERO FEEDBACK bidder who won the MACO costume. This would have gone to the under bidder for $ 1,075 if not for the zero feedback bidder.
The DS9 Starfleet "Projection Data" PADD also was sold to a ZERO FEEDBACK bidder, guitarheo99865. This should have sold to $ 659.
Finally, the rubber Tricorder and Holster went for $ 860, which I think was a pretty good deal. Yes, it is rubber, but still, a cool piece.
THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:
Best Costume of the Week:The Saavik Maroon Uniform lot went for $ 6,400
Best Prop of the Week: The Porthos Submerged Stand-In Dog at $ 2,750 was pretty cool.
Best Buy of the week: The Crewman Dax uniform at $ 710 was a steal!!!!!
Worst Buy of the week: The Nemesis Starfleet uniform jumpsuit at $ 2,375 bid up by a zero feedback bidder. These were $ 800-1,000 in Vegas at the IAW booth.
Sleeper of the Week: Nemesis Starfleet Dress uniform at $ 898 was a great deal on a beautiful costume.
5 HIGHEST PRICED ITEMS THAT SOLD (Is this even valid anymore?)
Star Trek: TMP: Saavik Maroon Uniform lot $ 6,400 ZERO FEEDBACK BIDDER
Star Trek: TMP Spock Class D: $ 6,200
Star Trek: Enterprise Hoshi Sato Starfleet Uniform $ 3,675 ZERO FEEDBACK BIDDER
Star Trek: Enterprise MACO complete uniform $ 3,051 ZERO FEEDBACK BIDDER
Star Trek: Enterprise Terran Empire two-piece female uniform $ 2,825 ZERO FEEDBACK BIDDER
More info on the zero feedback bidders tomorrow!
Alec
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Screen Used PADD on eBay
My buddy Steve Hamedl has a Star Trek PADD purchased from Screen Used Props and he is looking to sell it. I can vouch for both Steve (heck, the guy is in law enforcement!) and Screen Used Props, which is a top notch seller of authentic props. I actually purchased a screen used Star Trek Voyager "Relativity" Tricorder from them, the only Star Trek prop I have bought that wasn't from Christie's or IAW, so you know I trust them!
Steve has the PADD on eBay, so check it out if you are interested in one.
Alec
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Las Vegas Convention Recap - The Booth
Michael Pendly, Grant Kirkpatrick, Dana Hammontree, Anthony Sforza, Brett Jones, Brett Leggett, Tyler Pendley, Austin Hammontree, Alec PetersWell, the weekend of August 9-12 was the Creation Las Vegas Star Trek Convention. While the Creation Grand Slam convention in Pasadena used to be the big convention of the year, the Vegas one has taken over that role and the Grand Slam Convention has shrunken. The Vegas con now has about 5,000 attendees and was the nicest Star Trek event I have been to in some time.
We have been looking forward to this event for months and I had negotiated a deal with Gary Berman, one of the Creation owners, where by the forum would get two free booths and several free admissions in exchange for us putting together a display of Star Trek props and costumes and me doing a presentation on the subject for the attendees.
Several members of the forum had committed to bringing costumes and props. Among the items we had on display were:
Doctor McCoy's field jacket from Star Trek II and a prototype assassin's helmet and a pair of the assassin's boots from Star Trek VI supplied by Brett Leggett.
In the above photo you also see the Rules of Acquisition that Anthony Sforza bought from the Star Trek Experience a few years ago. It was made for the Star Trek World Tour and then sold at the Experience. This and Brett Jones light up Tricorder were the only two replicas but they certainly did get a lot of attention!
An Enterprise Medical Supply kit, a Voyager Plasma charge, Spock's headband from Star Trek IV, a Bajoran Tricorder and Wesley Crusher's comm badges from Jason Stevens. He also picked up a rubber Klingon Disruptor from the movies, an Enterprise Klingon Disruptor and a MACO scanner.
Aaron Carlson brought Captain Kirk's Death uniform from Star Trek: Generations, Uhura's Maroon with skirt and Sybok's robe from Star Trek V as well as Kirk's climbing boots from that movie and a Starfleet Security helmet.
The Miral Paris costume from Voyager "Endgame", a Klingon PADD and a Reman pistol were supplied by Dana Hammontree and his son Austin. He also picked up an Enterprise Klingon Disruptor there as well as a rare resin Enterprise Phase Pistol!
I brought Patrick Stewart's uniform from kirk's death scene on Veridian III to go with Aaron's Kirk costume. I also brought Kirk's jumpsuit from The Motion Picture as well as a few I didn't get to display. I also brought my NX-01 prototype PADD and my Universal translator from Enterprise and a Romulan Disruptor pistol among other things.
Daryl was the star though, bringing a full size Enterprise Torpedo and a huge console with working computer monitors and a plasma screen on which we showed the Christe's History Channel special. The two items framed the booth and looked awesome!
Picard and Kirk Veridian III costumes from Star Trek: Generations. To the left, Daryl's torpedo.
Aaron's Uhura Maroon and Brett's McCoy Field Jacket
Austin, Tyler, Brett Jones and Brett Leggett manning the boothI hope you enjoy the photos, and if you were in Vegas, please send me any photos you took.
Alec
Saturday, August 18, 2007
It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 35 Results
Week 35 Results
Week 35 was a rather boring week in my book, and for the first time in 4 months I didn't win a thing! That was good news, as I spent a bunch with IAW in Vegas.
The T'Pol Season 3 costume wasn't used according to the description, and yet it still went for $ 4,550. This time, it was a new bidder who won the costume. I think that was kind of high for a costume that wasn't used, but the T'Pol costumes all go higher than reason dictates!
The Captain Janeway Starfleet Uniform was a rare two piece style. At $ 3,850 I think it went right in line with where Captain's costumes go and I like this one a lot. If I didn't own the Admiral Janeway from Nemesis, I would have gone hard after this one.
The Tom Paris complete Starfleet Uniform was one of the few costumes we have seen that had both pips and comm badge. At $ 3,751 I think it went high though. Paris costume can be had around $ 1,500, so that values the pips, shoes and comm badge at over $ 2,000 which is way too high.
The Ensign Marta Betanides was the Maroon of the week and at $ 3,251 a bit over what these have been going for. This had no belt, which hurts, but it is nice none the less. Any Maroon is!
The Emergency Holographic Doctor costume from Star Trek First Contact went for $ 3,230. This is a pretty memorable costume from First Contact in a great scene with Robert Picardo.
The Barclay Starfleet Uniform was the rare two piece style as well, and I loved this one. At $ 3,150 a bit high though. This is Captain's territory it is getting into, but a beauty none the less. I love the way the gold looks on these uniforms.
The Captain Kirk rock climbing outfit is one we have seen before. At $ 2,901 it is a good deal on a costume that we all remember from a really bad Star Trek movie! (With apologies to the guru of Star Trek V...Aaron Carlson)
The Distressed O'Brien Starfleet Uniform went for a high $ 2,313. Considering it was distressed, this is a bit more than it should have, but O'Brien is one of those beloved characters.
The Ds9 Quark costume at $ 2,216 was strong, but new bidders are driving up the hero costume lately. This is a beautiful and recognizable costume and so I think it is well worth the price.
The Genesis Planet Admiral Kirk costume is one we have seen several times in different forms. A complete one sold for $ 10,000 or so at Vegas, and we have seen shirts and sets like this one before. At $ 1,914 I think this was pretty fair for a Kirk.
A bunch of main character costumes went for great prices:
The Hoshi Sato Starfleet Uniform at $ 1,725 was pretty much in line with where these have been going. These display well and are well worth the price.
At $ 1,723 the Jadzia Dax Starfleet Uniform was a good buy for a great costume of a main character. I love the black and grays and so this was a very good deal. My buddy Dana has one of these and they look great on display.
The Chakotay uniform had a Maquis rank pip and so that made this one a bit more special. It went for $ 1,624 which is a good deal on a First Officer costume.
The Tuvok Starfleet Uniform at $ 1,482 was a great deal as was the Harry Kim Uniform which sold for $ 1,325 and was a steal.
The Dr. Bashir also went cheap at $ 1,227. All these style costumes go low because they are the least liked. Everyone loves the black and gray styles, so if you are looking for a good deal on a main character costume, these are the best deals.
The B'Ellana Torres costume at $ 1,225 was another steal. It too had the Maquis provisional rank pin. It's hard to decide which is the best deal as they all went so cheap!
Finally, the Captain Archer Starfleet uniform was not used by Scott Bakula and so went cheap at $ 1,500. It doesn't have the shoulder patch but is a Captain none the less.
As far as props go:
The top prop was the Bajoran Gavel Prop at $ 1,801. Kind of cool and will look great on someone's desk as a paperweight!
The Brown Readout PADD for Wall Mounting was interesting. The graphic was awesome, which I think is what makes one PADD more interesting than another. Plus this is a unique color.
The poor selection this week shows most when you realize that the Sample Jar Lot w/case was the third highest selling prop at $ 1,175. Though interesting, I think the lack of great labeling made it uninteresting for me.
The Starfleet Medical Device at $ 1,054 was about right. Not particularly memorable or even attractive, but a fair deal I think for an all metal prop that lights up!
The Lokirrim Medical Device was a beauty and went at a good price being that it was all metal. The good is that it went for $ 865, the bad is that it was hardly seen on screen!
Finally, at $ 845, the Sickbay Button Panel was about where one could expect for a panel like this from Enterprise.
Man, what a bad week for props!
THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:
Best Costume of the Week: The Star Trek: Voyager Captain Janeway Starfleet Uniform at $ 3,850 was the best costume due to its rarity.
Best Prop of the Week: The Bajoran Gavel Prop at $ 1,801 was the best in a bad week for props.
Best Buy of the week: The B'Ellana Torres costume at $ 1,225 was a steal!
Worst Buy of the week: A few items went high, but no really bad buys!
Sleeper of the Week: Any main character costume under $ 1,500 was a great deal!
5 HIGHEST PRICED ITEMS THAT SOLD
Star Trek: Enterprise T'Pol Season 3 costume $ 4,550
Star Trek: Voyager Captain Janeway Starfleet Uniform $ 3,850
Star Trek: Voyager Tom Paris complete Starfleet Uniform $ 3,751
Star Trek: TNG Ensign Marta Betanides Maroon Uniform $ 3,251
Star Trek: First Contact Emergency Holographic Doctor costume $ 3,230
Vegas updates start tomorrow!
Alec
Week 35 was a rather boring week in my book, and for the first time in 4 months I didn't win a thing! That was good news, as I spent a bunch with IAW in Vegas.The T'Pol Season 3 costume wasn't used according to the description, and yet it still went for $ 4,550. This time, it was a new bidder who won the costume. I think that was kind of high for a costume that wasn't used, but the T'Pol costumes all go higher than reason dictates!
The Captain Janeway Starfleet Uniform was a rare two piece style. At $ 3,850 I think it went right in line with where Captain's costumes go and I like this one a lot. If I didn't own the Admiral Janeway from Nemesis, I would have gone hard after this one.
The Tom Paris complete Starfleet Uniform was one of the few costumes we have seen that had both pips and comm badge. At $ 3,751 I think it went high though. Paris costume can be had around $ 1,500, so that values the pips, shoes and comm badge at over $ 2,000 which is way too high.
The Ensign Marta Betanides was the Maroon of the week and at $ 3,251 a bit over what these have been going for. This had no belt, which hurts, but it is nice none the less. Any Maroon is!
The Emergency Holographic Doctor costume from Star Trek First Contact went for $ 3,230. This is a pretty memorable costume from First Contact in a great scene with Robert Picardo.
The Barclay Starfleet Uniform was the rare two piece style as well, and I loved this one. At $ 3,150 a bit high though. This is Captain's territory it is getting into, but a beauty none the less. I love the way the gold looks on these uniforms.
The Captain Kirk rock climbing outfit is one we have seen before. At $ 2,901 it is a good deal on a costume that we all remember from a really bad Star Trek movie! (With apologies to the guru of Star Trek V...Aaron Carlson)
The Distressed O'Brien Starfleet Uniform went for a high $ 2,313. Considering it was distressed, this is a bit more than it should have, but O'Brien is one of those beloved characters.
The Ds9 Quark costume at $ 2,216 was strong, but new bidders are driving up the hero costume lately. This is a beautiful and recognizable costume and so I think it is well worth the price.
The Genesis Planet Admiral Kirk costume is one we have seen several times in different forms. A complete one sold for $ 10,000 or so at Vegas, and we have seen shirts and sets like this one before. At $ 1,914 I think this was pretty fair for a Kirk.
A bunch of main character costumes went for great prices:
The Hoshi Sato Starfleet Uniform at $ 1,725 was pretty much in line with where these have been going. These display well and are well worth the price.
At $ 1,723 the Jadzia Dax Starfleet Uniform was a good buy for a great costume of a main character. I love the black and grays and so this was a very good deal. My buddy Dana has one of these and they look great on display.
The Chakotay uniform had a Maquis rank pip and so that made this one a bit more special. It went for $ 1,624 which is a good deal on a First Officer costume.
The Tuvok Starfleet Uniform at $ 1,482 was a great deal as was the Harry Kim Uniform which sold for $ 1,325 and was a steal.
The Dr. Bashir also went cheap at $ 1,227. All these style costumes go low because they are the least liked. Everyone loves the black and gray styles, so if you are looking for a good deal on a main character costume, these are the best deals.
The B'Ellana Torres costume at $ 1,225 was another steal. It too had the Maquis provisional rank pin. It's hard to decide which is the best deal as they all went so cheap!
Finally, the Captain Archer Starfleet uniform was not used by Scott Bakula and so went cheap at $ 1,500. It doesn't have the shoulder patch but is a Captain none the less.
As far as props go:
The top prop was the Bajoran Gavel Prop at $ 1,801. Kind of cool and will look great on someone's desk as a paperweight!The Brown Readout PADD for Wall Mounting was interesting. The graphic was awesome, which I think is what makes one PADD more interesting than another. Plus this is a unique color.
The poor selection this week shows most when you realize that the Sample Jar Lot w/case was the third highest selling prop at $ 1,175. Though interesting, I think the lack of great labeling made it uninteresting for me.
The Starfleet Medical Device at $ 1,054 was about right. Not particularly memorable or even attractive, but a fair deal I think for an all metal prop that lights up!
The Lokirrim Medical Device was a beauty and went at a good price being that it was all metal. The good is that it went for $ 865, the bad is that it was hardly seen on screen!
Finally, at $ 845, the Sickbay Button Panel was about where one could expect for a panel like this from Enterprise.
Man, what a bad week for props!
THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:
Best Costume of the Week: The Star Trek: Voyager Captain Janeway Starfleet Uniform at $ 3,850 was the best costume due to its rarity.
Best Prop of the Week: The Bajoran Gavel Prop at $ 1,801 was the best in a bad week for props.
Best Buy of the week: The B'Ellana Torres costume at $ 1,225 was a steal!
Worst Buy of the week: A few items went high, but no really bad buys!
Sleeper of the Week: Any main character costume under $ 1,500 was a great deal!
5 HIGHEST PRICED ITEMS THAT SOLD
Star Trek: Enterprise T'Pol Season 3 costume $ 4,550
Star Trek: Voyager Captain Janeway Starfleet Uniform $ 3,850
Star Trek: Voyager Tom Paris complete Starfleet Uniform $ 3,751
Star Trek: TNG Ensign Marta Betanides Maroon Uniform $ 3,251
Star Trek: First Contact Emergency Holographic Doctor costume $ 3,230
Vegas updates start tomorrow!
Alec
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 34 Results
Week 34 Results
Week 3 of my summer road trip took me to Las Vegas for the Creation Star Trek Convention. It was a blast and we all got to share in the fun of watching the auctions end on whatever wireless device we could find! My apologies for no Week 34 preview, but the last three weeks have been very busy and exhausting! I am home now for the foreseeable future and hope to knock out a bunch of blog posts the next few weeks. Today is the Week 34 Review, tomorrow AM I will have up a Week 35 Preview and then this weekend I will have lots on the Vegas con, including a hell of a lot of photos.
So, on to this week....
The Garak costume went for an unreal $ 7,700. Is this a real bid? Is this person insane? This is hands down the worst buy of the week. Now this bidder had 0 feedback and because someone on the Star Trek Prop Forum actually said they would bid up to $ 10,000, this might be a spoof bid. (never tell anyone how high you are willing to go, especially if you are willing to spend stupid money to get something).
OK, the White Radiological Suit at $ 3,451 was equally insane. Yes, this looks like one of the Assassin's costume from Star Trek VI, but still, that is VERY high. Oh My!
I don't know what the hell these people are thinking. They must REALLY like these costumes, because they will never recoup these prices.
The Feature Style Officer's Uniform is the latest Maroon we have seen. At $ 3,150 it isn't high, but it isn't a particularly good deal either. No belt and no rank pins. Of course people love these, but we have seen named character's maroons going for $ 3,000.
The Nemesis Dr. Crusher Starfleet Uniform went for a reasonable $
2,550. This was a beautiful example and with pips and a comm badge a good deal I think. It looks great and will display well.
The Voyager Complete Starfleet Uniform went for $ 2,325. It reached this price because it came with Lt. rank pips and a comm badge. Now typically, this would have gone for $ 800. That means the boots, pips and comm badge were worth an extra $ 1,525 to this bidder. That is a bit high I think, but not totally unreasonable. Why IAW didn't put those items with a Tom Paris costume I don't know. It did sell this rather mundane costume though.
The TNG/DS9 Worf Starfleet Uniform lot went for a very reasonable $ 2,125 and gets my best buy of the week. This is the rarer two piece style black and gray, and this one comes with extra components. This was a first time bidder on these auctions. She also won....
The distressed Hoshi Sato jumpsuit went a bit high for a distressed costume of this type. It did come with a rank pip though. Probably the buyer's inexperience pushed it up this high. Give her a few months and she will get the hang of it!
Another new bidder, costumehunter99, bought two black and gray Nemesis style costumes. The first, a red command, went for a rich $ 1,935. (These were selling for $ 800 at Vegas, and typically go around $ 1,200). The second, an ops gold, went for $ 1,825. The last one of those went for $ 1,225 in week 21.
The Harry Kim costume went for $ 1,700, which is on the high side of the $ 1,300-,1,700 range these have been going on, but still a great deal. A main character under $ 2,000? Very cool indeed.
The Commander Kelby went for $ 1,514 which I think was fair as it was an important character in those Season 4 episodes. The uniform also comes with rank pips.
Finally, the Terran Empire costume at $ 1,325 was about right where these have been going for. I love these costumes and highly recommend them.
As far as props go:
The USS Enterprise D gold model went for a healthy $ 3,150. Of course, placing these models in the Ready Room scene in First Contact is tough. A bunch of these were made. Some broken and some not. For a model you can't screen match, I think this is high.
The LCARS panel with shuttle graphic went for a rather rich $ 2,227. These tend to go high when there is a good graphic on them. And this one was nice.
The NX-01 Carry Bag at $ 2,025 is a candidate for Worst Buy of the week. I mean it is a freaking BAG! UGH. Oh well.
Now, the Prop of the Week is something I actually won. The Borg Neural Processor and Phase Modulator are two AWESOME props. These are both key props in Star Trek: First Contact. The Borg Neural Processor is what Picard pulls out of the chest of the dead Borg in the holodeck scene and then plugs into his Tricorder. The Phase Modulator is what Picard is working on when Lilly barges in on him in his ready room (what a great scene!).
Now, these may well not have been screen used, as my buddy Brett said he handled another set of these from the head of HMS props shop. But I am not big on Screen Used vs. Production Made. If they made two and just picked one to use in the scene, does it give some additional intrinsic value to a prop? I don't think so (though many differ on that).
The TNG Exocomp altered for use in Enterprise is cool, but sadly, the Exocomps were cooler! About where one might expect a prop like this to go at $ 1,541.
Finally, the DS9 Large Research PADD at $ 1,280.55 is a beauty at a great price.
THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:
Best Costume of the Week: The Star Trek: DS9 Garak costume is a great costume even though some nut paid $ 7,700 (and some other nut was the under bidder!)
Best Prop of the Week:The Borg Neural Processor and Phase Modulator Yeah, WAY cool and two significant props from First Contact.
Best Buy of the week: The TNG/DS9 Worf Starfleet Uniform lot went at a very reasonable $ 2,125 for a rare two piece black and gray unfirom!
Worst Buy of the week: The Star Trek: DS9 Garak costume Haven't I made this clear yet? :-)
Sleeper of the Week: The Nemesis Starfleet Dress Uniform at $ 1,025 went low because it was a female version, but still a great price.
5 HIGHEST PRICED ITEMS THAT SOLD
Star Trek: DS9 Garak costume $ 7,700
Star Trek VI White Radiological Suit $ 3,451
Star Trek Movie Feature Style Officer's Uniform $ 3,150
Star Trek: First Contact USS Enterprise D model $ 3,150
Star Trek: Nemesis Dr. Crusher Starfleet Uniform $ 2,550
Check back tomorrow AM for the Friday morning Preview of Week 35!
Alec
Week 3 of my summer road trip took me to Las Vegas for the Creation Star Trek Convention. It was a blast and we all got to share in the fun of watching the auctions end on whatever wireless device we could find! My apologies for no Week 34 preview, but the last three weeks have been very busy and exhausting! I am home now for the foreseeable future and hope to knock out a bunch of blog posts the next few weeks. Today is the Week 34 Review, tomorrow AM I will have up a Week 35 Preview and then this weekend I will have lots on the Vegas con, including a hell of a lot of photos.
So, on to this week....
The Garak costume went for an unreal $ 7,700. Is this a real bid? Is this person insane? This is hands down the worst buy of the week. Now this bidder had 0 feedback and because someone on the Star Trek Prop Forum actually said they would bid up to $ 10,000, this might be a spoof bid. (never tell anyone how high you are willing to go, especially if you are willing to spend stupid money to get something).OK, the White Radiological Suit at $ 3,451 was equally insane. Yes, this looks like one of the Assassin's costume from Star Trek VI, but still, that is VERY high. Oh My!
I don't know what the hell these people are thinking. They must REALLY like these costumes, because they will never recoup these prices.
The Feature Style Officer's Uniform is the latest Maroon we have seen. At $ 3,150 it isn't high, but it isn't a particularly good deal either. No belt and no rank pins. Of course people love these, but we have seen named character's maroons going for $ 3,000.
The Nemesis Dr. Crusher Starfleet Uniform went for a reasonable $
2,550. This was a beautiful example and with pips and a comm badge a good deal I think. It looks great and will display well.The Voyager Complete Starfleet Uniform went for $ 2,325. It reached this price because it came with Lt. rank pips and a comm badge. Now typically, this would have gone for $ 800. That means the boots, pips and comm badge were worth an extra $ 1,525 to this bidder. That is a bit high I think, but not totally unreasonable. Why IAW didn't put those items with a Tom Paris costume I don't know. It did sell this rather mundane costume though.
The TNG/DS9 Worf Starfleet Uniform lot went for a very reasonable $ 2,125 and gets my best buy of the week. This is the rarer two piece style black and gray, and this one comes with extra components. This was a first time bidder on these auctions. She also won....
The distressed Hoshi Sato jumpsuit went a bit high for a distressed costume of this type. It did come with a rank pip though. Probably the buyer's inexperience pushed it up this high. Give her a few months and she will get the hang of it!Another new bidder, costumehunter99, bought two black and gray Nemesis style costumes. The first, a red command, went for a rich $ 1,935. (These were selling for $ 800 at Vegas, and typically go around $ 1,200). The second, an ops gold, went for $ 1,825. The last one of those went for $ 1,225 in week 21.
The Harry Kim costume went for $ 1,700, which is on the high side of the $ 1,300-,1,700 range these have been going on, but still a great deal. A main character under $ 2,000? Very cool indeed.
The Commander Kelby went for $ 1,514 which I think was fair as it was an important character in those Season 4 episodes. The uniform also comes with rank pips.
Finally, the Terran Empire costume at $ 1,325 was about right where these have been going for. I love these costumes and highly recommend them.
As far as props go:
The USS Enterprise D gold model went for a healthy $ 3,150. Of course, placing these models in the Ready Room scene in First Contact is tough. A bunch of these were made. Some broken and some not. For a model you can't screen match, I think this is high. The LCARS panel with shuttle graphic went for a rather rich $ 2,227. These tend to go high when there is a good graphic on them. And this one was nice.
The NX-01 Carry Bag at $ 2,025 is a candidate for Worst Buy of the week. I mean it is a freaking BAG! UGH. Oh well.
Now, the Prop of the Week is something I actually won. The Borg Neural Processor and Phase Modulator are two AWESOME props. These are both key props in Star Trek: First Contact. The Borg Neural Processor is what Picard pulls out of the chest of the dead Borg in the holodeck scene and then plugs into his Tricorder. The Phase Modulator is what Picard is working on when Lilly barges in on him in his ready room (what a great scene!).
Now, these may well not have been screen used, as my buddy Brett said he handled another set of these from the head of HMS props shop. But I am not big on Screen Used vs. Production Made. If they made two and just picked one to use in the scene, does it give some additional intrinsic value to a prop? I don't think so (though many differ on that).
The TNG Exocomp altered for use in Enterprise is cool, but sadly, the Exocomps were cooler! About where one might expect a prop like this to go at $ 1,541.
Finally, the DS9 Large Research PADD at $ 1,280.55 is a beauty at a great price.
THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:
Best Costume of the Week: The Star Trek: DS9 Garak costume is a great costume even though some nut paid $ 7,700 (and some other nut was the under bidder!)
Best Prop of the Week:The Borg Neural Processor and Phase Modulator Yeah, WAY cool and two significant props from First Contact.
Best Buy of the week: The TNG/DS9 Worf Starfleet Uniform lot went at a very reasonable $ 2,125 for a rare two piece black and gray unfirom!
Worst Buy of the week: The Star Trek: DS9 Garak costume Haven't I made this clear yet? :-)
Sleeper of the Week: The Nemesis Starfleet Dress Uniform at $ 1,025 went low because it was a female version, but still a great price.
5 HIGHEST PRICED ITEMS THAT SOLD
Star Trek: DS9 Garak costume $ 7,700
Star Trek VI White Radiological Suit $ 3,451
Star Trek Movie Feature Style Officer's Uniform $ 3,150
Star Trek: First Contact USS Enterprise D model $ 3,150
Star Trek: Nemesis Dr. Crusher Starfleet Uniform $ 2,550
Check back tomorrow AM for the Friday morning Preview of Week 35!
Alec
Thursday, August 9, 2007
It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 33 Results
Week 33 Results
Well, another week on the road, and this time I am in Vegas for fun; the Creation Star Trek Convention. So forgive my short posts of last week's results and this week's preview. I will however be posting some great stuff on the convention tomorrow.
The MACO with assault kit went as expected at $ 3,250. These are great because of all the stuff they have. It is a great costume with lots of great props. The last one went for $ 4,176, so this was bound to come down with that bidder out of the race. There are more of these to come too.
The Nemesis Reman Warrior costume went for $ 2,687. This had a latex head appliance as well, so probably went for more than just the costume itself would have. These costumes usually go around $ 2,000 and are well worth it. If you are thinking of buying one DO SO! Even the Xindi Reptilian ones, which use most of these costumes, are nice.
The Barclay Starfleet Uniform went very strong at $ 2,481! There are
definitely some Barclay fans out there to pay so high for his costume, but certainly not a bad deal for such a loved character.
I lost out on the Emergency Command Hologram costume and was really bummed! This would have looked great with my captain's collection. At $ 2,469 it was fairly strong, but a good price none the less.
The Picard "All Good things..." costume went to my good friend Giles. He was quite pleased, even
paying $ 2, 434, which is VERY strong for a civilian character costume. I don't blame him, because this is a well known costume from an important part of one of the best TNG episodes.
At $ 2,215, the Dr. Bashir Starfleet Uniform went a bit storng, but not bad considering that this was a TNG style uniform, which he only wore in "Emissary", the DS9 pilot, before moving to the Voyager style jumpsuit.
The background Starfleet Command Red Uniform went high for a background costume at $ 2,200. I guess people want to have one that looks like a Picard! Background costumes typically go from $ 800-1,500.
The female USS Relativity costume went right on target at $ 1,815. These are just stunning ostumes, and I got mine this past week and
am in love with it. I brought it to vegas to display at the Star Trek convention because it needs to be seen to be believed!
Finally, the N'Garen female Klingon costume went cheap at $ 1,362! What was the deal here? This is definitely the deal of the week! Whichever of you wants a Klingon needs to pay attention! This should have gone at least $ 500 higher.
As far as props go:
The Andy Probert painting sold for $ 5,100. A far cry from the $100,000 it was listed for on the IAW web site when the auctions started. I relaly nev er liked this painting, but it is a significant prop and a piece of legitimate art, so the price is justified.
The Tom Paris/Captain proton Jetpack was another item I got outbid on at $ 2,605! UGH! Oh well, it was pretty cool, though I didn't go to the wall on this as the rest of the costume is not at IAW, and there were 3 of these made. So maybe there is a a full Captain proton costume out there!.
The Borg Subdermal Probe is another great prop. At $ 2,351 it went strong, but not unreasonably, since Borg items are hot.
The Huge LCARS Federation Insignia Panel at $ 1.904 was about where I would have thought this would go. These are popular, especially when they have an important image on them. This was a big one too.
The Hero Reman Hand Pistol at $ 1,734 was strong, but not out of where it should have gone. These are MUCH bigger than you would think. Bigger than any phaser pistol you have. With a great holster too, as these are beautiful holsters made in the Reman style.
THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:
Best Costume of the Week: The Picard "All Good things..." costume at $ 2,434 was very cool and more unique than any other top costume this week.
Best Prop of the Week: The Tom Paris/Captain proton Jetpack was very cool and certainly different!
Best Buy of the week: The N'Garen female Klingon costume at $ 1,362 was a steal!
Worst Buy of the week: None! Everyone did a good job this past week!
Sleeper of the Week: The Harry Kim Starfleet Uniform was an awesome deal at $ 990.
5 HIGHEST PRICED ITEMS THAT SOLD
The Andy Probert painting $ 5,100
Star Trek: Enterprise MACO with assault kit $ 3,250
Star Trek: Nemesis Reman Warrior costume $ 2,687
Star Trek: Tom Paris/Captain proton Jetpack $ 2,605
Star Trek: TNG Barclay Starfleet Uniform $ 2,481
See you in Vegas!
Alec
Well, another week on the road, and this time I am in Vegas for fun; the Creation Star Trek Convention. So forgive my short posts of last week's results and this week's preview. I will however be posting some great stuff on the convention tomorrow.
The MACO with assault kit went as expected at $ 3,250. These are great because of all the stuff they have. It is a great costume with lots of great props. The last one went for $ 4,176, so this was bound to come down with that bidder out of the race. There are more of these to come too.The Nemesis Reman Warrior costume went for $ 2,687. This had a latex head appliance as well, so probably went for more than just the costume itself would have. These costumes usually go around $ 2,000 and are well worth it. If you are thinking of buying one DO SO! Even the Xindi Reptilian ones, which use most of these costumes, are nice.
The Barclay Starfleet Uniform went very strong at $ 2,481! There are
definitely some Barclay fans out there to pay so high for his costume, but certainly not a bad deal for such a loved character.I lost out on the Emergency Command Hologram costume and was really bummed! This would have looked great with my captain's collection. At $ 2,469 it was fairly strong, but a good price none the less.
The Picard "All Good things..." costume went to my good friend Giles. He was quite pleased, even
paying $ 2, 434, which is VERY strong for a civilian character costume. I don't blame him, because this is a well known costume from an important part of one of the best TNG episodes.At $ 2,215, the Dr. Bashir Starfleet Uniform went a bit storng, but not bad considering that this was a TNG style uniform, which he only wore in "Emissary", the DS9 pilot, before moving to the Voyager style jumpsuit.
The background Starfleet Command Red Uniform went high for a background costume at $ 2,200. I guess people want to have one that looks like a Picard! Background costumes typically go from $ 800-1,500.
The female USS Relativity costume went right on target at $ 1,815. These are just stunning ostumes, and I got mine this past week and
am in love with it. I brought it to vegas to display at the Star Trek convention because it needs to be seen to be believed!Finally, the N'Garen female Klingon costume went cheap at $ 1,362! What was the deal here? This is definitely the deal of the week! Whichever of you wants a Klingon needs to pay attention! This should have gone at least $ 500 higher.
As far as props go:
The Andy Probert painting sold for $ 5,100. A far cry from the $100,000 it was listed for on the IAW web site when the auctions started. I relaly nev er liked this painting, but it is a significant prop and a piece of legitimate art, so the price is justified.The Tom Paris/Captain proton Jetpack was another item I got outbid on at $ 2,605! UGH! Oh well, it was pretty cool, though I didn't go to the wall on this as the rest of the costume is not at IAW, and there were 3 of these made. So maybe there is a a full Captain proton costume out there!.The Borg Subdermal Probe is another great prop. At $ 2,351 it went strong, but not unreasonably, since Borg items are hot.
The Huge LCARS Federation Insignia Panel at $ 1.904 was about where I would have thought this would go. These are popular, especially when they have an important image on them. This was a big one too.
The Hero Reman Hand Pistol at $ 1,734 was strong, but not out of where it should have gone. These are MUCH bigger than you would think. Bigger than any phaser pistol you have. With a great holster too, as these are beautiful holsters made in the Reman style.
THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:
Best Costume of the Week: The Picard "All Good things..." costume at $ 2,434 was very cool and more unique than any other top costume this week.
Best Prop of the Week: The Tom Paris/Captain proton Jetpack was very cool and certainly different!
Best Buy of the week: The N'Garen female Klingon costume at $ 1,362 was a steal!
Worst Buy of the week: None! Everyone did a good job this past week!
Sleeper of the Week: The Harry Kim Starfleet Uniform was an awesome deal at $ 990.
5 HIGHEST PRICED ITEMS THAT SOLD
The Andy Probert painting $ 5,100
Star Trek: Enterprise MACO with assault kit $ 3,250
Star Trek: Nemesis Reman Warrior costume $ 2,687
Star Trek: Tom Paris/Captain proton Jetpack $ 2,605
Star Trek: TNG Barclay Starfleet Uniform $ 2,481
See you in Vegas!
Alec
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Rubber Props
Rubber Props
Well, ever since I started this blog I have told you how I don’t like rubber props. They crack, shrink and degenerate. Latex, like that used in prosthetic face appliances, deteriorates and you wind up with a prop that looks like crap. I recently saw photos of the original Yoda puppet from Empire Strikes Back and it has deteriorated so much you couldn’t tell it was Yoda.
One of the things that was so surprising to me when looking through the Christie’s catalog was how crappy the rubber props looked. Anything made during the time of Next Gen has basically suffered the same fate. Now for me, eye appeal is critical. I want a prop I can proudly display, so I simply don’t want rubber props like these. Now, even in Voyager we saw some rubber props being used and they have suffered the same fate.
Look at the rifle below. Now, remember that Star Trek used a few different prop houses; ISS, Proper FXs, HMS and others. Each used different compounds and thus different props have different levels of durability. I have a rubber stunt Phaser Rifle, from Star Trek: Insurrection, and it hasn’t cracked at all. In fact at first glance anyone would guess it was resin! From what I am told, for the later movies and Enterprise rubber props were made of a much denser rubber that is much less likely to suffer the same fate. This is apparent when you hold a newer rubber prop, or even see photos. The Phaser Rifles, from Insurrection and Nemesis and the Enterprise Xindi rifles and Klingon pistols look great and should hold up well. They are indistinguishable at first glance from a resin prop and they are obviously very dense because of their weight.
Great detailing on a rubber Enterprise Klingon Pistol
Here are actually a few photos of two raw rubber Phaser Rifles:
An Insurrection style rubber Phaser Rifle
A Nemesis style rubber Phaser Rifle
The EVA Phaser Rifle that sold as few weeks ago was rubber and looks great.
So, while I personally will stay away from Rubber props in general, I think you should have no fear of buying late movie and ENterprise rubber props, which were made of more durable and denser rubber.
I hope this helps you all a bit!
Alec
Well, ever since I started this blog I have told you how I don’t like rubber props. They crack, shrink and degenerate. Latex, like that used in prosthetic face appliances, deteriorates and you wind up with a prop that looks like crap. I recently saw photos of the original Yoda puppet from Empire Strikes Back and it has deteriorated so much you couldn’t tell it was Yoda.
One of the things that was so surprising to me when looking through the Christie’s catalog was how crappy the rubber props looked. Anything made during the time of Next Gen has basically suffered the same fate. Now for me, eye appeal is critical. I want a prop I can proudly display, so I simply don’t want rubber props like these. Now, even in Voyager we saw some rubber props being used and they have suffered the same fate.
Look at the rifle below. Now, remember that Star Trek used a few different prop houses; ISS, Proper FXs, HMS and others. Each used different compounds and thus different props have different levels of durability. I have a rubber stunt Phaser Rifle, from Star Trek: Insurrection, and it hasn’t cracked at all. In fact at first glance anyone would guess it was resin! From what I am told, for the later movies and Enterprise rubber props were made of a much denser rubber that is much less likely to suffer the same fate. This is apparent when you hold a newer rubber prop, or even see photos. The Phaser Rifles, from Insurrection and Nemesis and the Enterprise Xindi rifles and Klingon pistols look great and should hold up well. They are indistinguishable at first glance from a resin prop and they are obviously very dense because of their weight.
Great detailing on a rubber Enterprise Klingon PistolAn Insurrection style rubber Phaser RifleA Nemesis style rubber Phaser RifleThe EVA Phaser Rifle that sold as few weeks ago was rubber and looks great.
So, while I personally will stay away from Rubber props in general, I think you should have no fear of buying late movie and ENterprise rubber props, which were made of more durable and denser rubber.
I hope this helps you all a bit!
Alec
Thursday, August 2, 2007
It's a Wrap eBay auctions - Week 33 Preview
Week 33 Preview
I am off in Vegas this week on business, and after only a day and a half back home after San
Diego, I have been buried. So this will be another short preview. I am looking forward to seeing many of you back here next Wednesday for the Star Trek con!
Interestingly, the female USS Relativity costume is the high item right now at $ 1,300. I just won one of these and can't wait for it to come in. They are beautiful, and I think everyone who gets one will be very happy. One like this went for $ 1,675 in week 26 and this one could go close to $ 2,000 easy.
The MACO with assault kit is nice and should go around $ 3,000. The last one went for $ 4,176, but the second bidder was under $ 3,000, so I think that is about where this goes. These are nice because you get so much for the price and on a mannequin they should look great.
The N'Garen female Klingon costume is pretty cool. I am not sure why it is only at $ 811 other than everyone is waiting till the last minute. This doesn't have boots, and it doesn't have gauntlets, but does have some interesting gloves. This should go over $ 2,000.
The Nemesis Reman Warrior costume is awesome! I have one and I love this costume. Honestly, the Nemesis costumes are the best movie costumes Star Trek ever produced. While the last one went for $ 2,416 in week 28, others have gone around $ 2,000. This has a latex head appliance, which is cool, but of course probably need to be preserved as latex can deteriorate. These are AWESOME costumes and I urge you to spend your $ here!
The Emergency Command Hologram costume is classic and I love this one. This was a funny take on the Doctor in Voyager and what this costume lacks in pizazz, it makes up for in character. Currently at $ 753, this will go in the $ 2,500 range I suspect.
I love the Dr. Bashir Starfleet Uniform as it is the only time he wore a TNG style uniform, before moving to the Voyager style jumpsuit. I have no idea where this goes, but I think this is a significant costume.
I also really like the Picard "All Good things..." costume as we all remember Picard tending to grapes in this classic episode. There are a few Picard collectors out there who are chomping at the bit for this one.
The Barclay Starfleet Uniform is nice in that it is a black and gray. His last Starfleet uniform, a Voyager style, went for $ 1,330, and this one should go in the $ 1,500 range I think.
I'm a big Nog fan, and so I highly recommend the Nog Starfleet Uniform Jumpsuit lot. I think this goes cheap and around $ 1,200 max.
There are a lot of good costumes besides what i have listed. And I think there will be some great deals here.
As far as props go:
The Andy Probert painting was listed for an insane $ 100,000 on the IAW web site when the auctions started, but was taken down and put up on eBay this week. I think this goes around $ 5,000, unless someone goes crazy as has happened a lot lately.
The Hero Reman Hand Pistol is nice, even though the tip is broken. That can be repaired if you send it to my buddy Brett Jones at Federation Surplus (he is the man for repairs and repros). Already at $ 811, this could hit $ 1,500. Nice holster too.
The Huge LCARS Federation Insignia Panel is already at $ 760 and this could shoot up to over $ 2,000 easily. This is big as the title says, and pretty cool.
There is a nice molded rubber Nemesis Phaser Rifle that should go around $ 1,200-1,400 and will be a good deal in that range.
Finally, I like the Klingon D'K Tagh knife as it is in amazing shape. A good deal under $ 1,200 I think.
Sorry I don't have time for more, but this traveling is sucking up my time!
Alec
I am off in Vegas this week on business, and after only a day and a half back home after San
Diego, I have been buried. So this will be another short preview. I am looking forward to seeing many of you back here next Wednesday for the Star Trek con!Interestingly, the female USS Relativity costume is the high item right now at $ 1,300. I just won one of these and can't wait for it to come in. They are beautiful, and I think everyone who gets one will be very happy. One like this went for $ 1,675 in week 26 and this one could go close to $ 2,000 easy.
The MACO with assault kit is nice and should go around $ 3,000. The last one went for $ 4,176, but the second bidder was under $ 3,000, so I think that is about where this goes. These are nice because you get so much for the price and on a mannequin they should look great.
The N'Garen female Klingon costume is pretty cool. I am not sure why it is only at $ 811 other than everyone is waiting till the last minute. This doesn't have boots, and it doesn't have gauntlets, but does have some interesting gloves. This should go over $ 2,000.
The Nemesis Reman Warrior costume is awesome! I have one and I love this costume. Honestly, the Nemesis costumes are the best movie costumes Star Trek ever produced. While the last one went for $ 2,416 in week 28, others have gone around $ 2,000. This has a latex head appliance, which is cool, but of course probably need to be preserved as latex can deteriorate. These are AWESOME costumes and I urge you to spend your $ here!The Emergency Command Hologram costume is classic and I love this one. This was a funny take on the Doctor in Voyager and what this costume lacks in pizazz, it makes up for in character. Currently at $ 753, this will go in the $ 2,500 range I suspect.
I love the Dr. Bashir Starfleet Uniform as it is the only time he wore a TNG style uniform, before moving to the Voyager style jumpsuit. I have no idea where this goes, but I think this is a significant costume.I also really like the Picard "All Good things..." costume as we all remember Picard tending to grapes in this classic episode. There are a few Picard collectors out there who are chomping at the bit for this one.
The Barclay Starfleet Uniform is nice in that it is a black and gray. His last Starfleet uniform, a Voyager style, went for $ 1,330, and this one should go in the $ 1,500 range I think.
I'm a big Nog fan, and so I highly recommend the Nog Starfleet Uniform Jumpsuit lot. I think this goes cheap and around $ 1,200 max.
There are a lot of good costumes besides what i have listed. And I think there will be some great deals here.
As far as props go:
The Andy Probert painting was listed for an insane $ 100,000 on the IAW web site when the auctions started, but was taken down and put up on eBay this week. I think this goes around $ 5,000, unless someone goes crazy as has happened a lot lately.The Hero Reman Hand Pistol is nice, even though the tip is broken. That can be repaired if you send it to my buddy Brett Jones at Federation Surplus (he is the man for repairs and repros). Already at $ 811, this could hit $ 1,500. Nice holster too.The Huge LCARS Federation Insignia Panel is already at $ 760 and this could shoot up to over $ 2,000 easily. This is big as the title says, and pretty cool.
There is a nice molded rubber Nemesis Phaser Rifle that should go around $ 1,200-1,400 and will be a good deal in that range.Finally, I like the Klingon D'K Tagh knife as it is in amazing shape. A good deal under $ 1,200 I think.
Sorry I don't have time for more, but this traveling is sucking up my time!
Alec
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