Star Trek's original one-of-a-kind phaser rifle is going up for auction - starting at $250,000
William Shatner as Captain Kirk (with phaser rifle) and Sally Kellerman as Dr. Elizabeth Dehner in Star Trek: The Original Series “Where No Man Has Gone Before”
OCTOBER 19, 2021 - In the world of Star Trek collectibles, the most valuable items are ones which have been screen used and were also produced in limited quantity. Heritage Auctions, which bills itself as “The World’s Largest Collectible Auctioneer,” may have found the holy grail of these two qualities—the original phaser rifle used by William Shatner as Captain Kirk in the second Star Trek pilot, “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” Only one was ever made, and it was used only once on screen (although it appeared in many publicity photos), making it an absolute must-have for the discerning collector. Reuben Klamer, who designed the rifle, passed away just a few weeks ago, giving the sale added meaning and significance.
If you want the rifle, though, you’ll definitely need to open up your wallet (and maybe sell your house), because the opening bid is $250,000, a step up from its closing price of $231k back in 2013. The winning bidder will receive the prop plus related items such as conceptual drawings and notes about the rifle, some of which come from the desk of Gene Roddenberry himself.
If the price tag causes your eyebrows to rise higher than Spock’s after a cutting Dr. McCoy barb, there are other fascinating Star Trek items for sale in the same lot, titled the “Hollywood & Entertainment Signature Auction,” such as:
a complete set of original TOS scripts (starting at $12,000)
an original tunic worn by Leonard Nimoy in TOS (starting at $20,000)
and even an original Tribble from the classic episode “The Trouble With Tribbles” (currently $2,300)
The lot, from the collection of real estate developer John Azarian, also includes props and costumes from such productions as Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Planet of the Apes, the Rocky films, and many more.
You can check out all the items currently up for bid at entertainment.ha.com.
Jack Brown is a contributing writer for Daily Star Trek News on the Roddenberry Podcast Network. Jack teaches at a small film school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and also helps to manage his wife's career as a novelist and speaker. In his spare time he writes fiction, cooks, and watches classic movies.
