Star Trek phaser will boldly fetch big bucks at auction


David Pierini

 A phaser prop from the original Star Trek series will be auctioned off next month. Photo: Propworx
A rare phaser pistol from the original Star Trek television series is “set to stun” when it goes on the auction block next month in Los Angeles.


It is made of fiberglass and one of only two known phasers to have survived the 1960s television series, which starred William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy as the leaders of the starship Enterprise.
The phaser could fetch more than $60,000, according to the website Luxurylaunches.com when it hits the block Feb. 21 during a Star Trek auction by Propworx.
Just whose’s weapon was this? According to auction house Propworx, it was likely used during several episodes of the second season. It has been visually matched to the March 29, 1968, episode “Assignment: Earth,” where a closeup shot puts it in the hands of a security officer in the transporter room.
A scratch and some small blemishes match the screenshot from the show and the prop up for auction. It was in the inventory of Star Trek’s production company, Desilu, before it went into the hands of a private collector after the series ended in 1969.
A page from the auction catalog shows a closeup of the phaser from a Star Trek episode and details visually matched to the prop up for bid. Photo: Propworx
Propworx serves the movie and television industry by selling off the assets of movie and TV productions. Its founder, Alec Petters, is known as one of the top collectors of Star Trek props and costumes.
While the old-school phaser is the jewel of the auction, fans can bid on 100 lots of costumes, props, models and other production materials from the Star Trek television franchise. Other items include a tricorder from The Next Generation series, a Klingon D-7 spaceship model, a Captain Sisko dress uniform and Klingon knives.
In 2013, a phaser rifle used by Shatner’s Captain Kirk was sold at auction for $231,000, according to Luxuryluanches.com.
Propworx has two other Star Trek auctions planned for this year. Interested bidders can sign up on LiveAuctioneers.com.