Captain James T. Kirk’s phaser prop from the “Star Trek” television series — screen-matched to four episodes from the original series and thought to be lost forever — will sell at Julien’s next month with an estimate of $100,000 to $200,000.
The phaser is a hero prop, considered to be the most desirable type of movie prop by collectors due to its use in close-up scenes and its extra detail used in development compared to other examples, which would be seen in wider shots requiring less detail.
It’s one of four known hero phaser props of its kind and comes from consignors who inherited it from a relative who is believed to have acquired it directly from a former Paramount Pictures employee.
Another example of a Phaser prop, such as the one used in Captain Kirk’s debut episode, sold for $615,000 at Heritage in 2021.
The phaser at Julien’s was created in 1966, and its authenticity was confirmed, in part, by a comparison to another hero phaser previously owned by Greg Jein, a legendary prop maker and collector who has owned some of the most valuable pieces of film and TV memorabilia in history.
Jein’s collection has included an X-Wing Starfighter, which sold for $3.14 million, and an original Stormtrooper costume used in the first “Star Wars” film, which sold for $645,000.
The auction house notes this exact phaser was shown in “The Making of Star Trek,” a book published in 1968, which included photos of the film’s key props.
Other items from the upcoming “Bid Long & Prosper” auction include costumes from the original series worn by Kirk, Scotty and Dr. Leonard McCoy, a screen-matched hero communicator prop used by Kirk (estimate: $100,000 to $200,000) and the original helm and navigation console from the USS Enterprise (estimate: $50,000 to $70,000).
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.