Alleged Screen Used Hero TOS Phaser up for auction (now the aftermath)

[genZOD]

Been following this thread with interest, have been a fan of Star Trek TOS and its props since the show first aired so long ago. I have also regarded HeroComm.com as a factual reference site so find myself very disappointed in their lack of credibility on this Phaser's authenticity.

Agreed.

HA’s listing is troubling on so many levels. This prop has never been screen matched, but HA does show stills that imply that it was. The auction correctly states that hero phasers were built for close ups, but the four different props used for every clear every close up have already been accounted for. HA’s wording never outright claims screen used, but the wear & tear with sloppy repairs implies it. There is no historical paper trail for this 5th hero (but there is for the 4 known hero’s), The stories do not indicate that this P1 & P2 started as a set, meaning that there would need to be at least on more set of undocumented/filmed/photographed P1/P2’s. As far as we know, the owners of these props NEVER once showed them to anyone who has come forward with stories or, more importantly, pictures of them from any time prior to this auction.

All historical items have inconsistencies in their history or appearance. That’s perfectly normal. Odd repairs, being forgotten & rediscovered, some attributes that don’t match its contemporaries. People misremember details all the time. Without a detailed (and signed) evaluation by experts in RELEVANT fields other than Star Trek props, all this auction has is two unverifiable stories and a pile of inconsistencies.

 

[Jintosh]

What word does JEIN rhyme with ?

 

[feek61]

Seen

 

[Apollo]

Yeah Greg “Blue " Jean!

 

[genZOD]

What word does JEIN rhyme with ?

Jein Genie

 

[Gregatron]

Now, now, gents. Let’s not resort to name-calling and whatnot. We still don’t have all the facts, and there’s no reason to denigrate Mr. Jein’s character or expertise. Everyone makes mistakes, and we don’t even know for sure if that’s what’s actually happened, here.

 

[Apollo]

Now, now, gents. Let’s not resort to name-calling and whatnot. We still don’t have all the facts, and there’s no reason to denigrate Mr. Jein’s character or expertise. Everyone makes mistakes, and we don’t even know for sure if that’s what’s actually happened, here.

My post was not meant to “Name call” him just to further illustrate the correct pronunciation of his last name.

He actually laughed when I said it to him when HE told me how his name was pronounced

 

[CessnaDriver]

As a hardcore Spidey fan, I wish I’d thought of this one, because it’s perfect.

Also, I miss the real Spider-Man. And STAR TREK, and STAR WARS, and…


That is another factor in this mess: As the Franchise Apocalypse continues, with beloved properties being run into the ground, hardcore fans aging out, and nerd culture as we’ve known it beginning to fade into the mists of history, it’s more important than ever to fight on the side of truth and justice. History must not be rewritten by ideologues and con artists.

They will try. It is a new technological era in deep fakes.
I worry about unseen production reference materials that may not be entirely accurate. Anyone
can say oh look, my uncle kept some photos when he was on the show.

 

[QuasiOdo]

Setting aside for a moment that certain details don’t quite line up, I do think the S & W midgrade kit bears a similarity to the auction piece, with the slope of the forehead tower and the sweep of the rear of the P2. Hmmm.

And the paint application seems to be in the same ballpark.

View attachment 1475161View attachment 1475162

Naa. Look at the trigger box and side dial placement.

 

[Jintosh]

My post was not meant to “Name call” him just to further illustrate the correct pronunciation of his last name.

He actually laughed when I said it to him when HE told me how his name was pronounced

Yes, sorry, Gregatron. (if your objection was genuine) I was going for pronunciation.

I considered ALL of the following.

Jin. (gin)
Jine.
Jean.
Jane. (I got this one from google. Jein as an alternate spelling for a woman)

 

[Gregatron]

Naa. Look at the trigger box and side dial placement.

I noticed. Just thinking aloud about which fanmade shells could potentially be used to build a forgery,

They will try. It is a new technological era in deep fakes.
I worry about unseen production reference materials that may not be entirely accurate. Anyone
can say oh look, my uncle kept some photos when he was on the show.


View attachment 1475312

…waiting patiently for an auction of Spock’s helmet, which cannot be screen-matched and is therefore likely a fake.

Yes, sorry, Gregatron. (if your objection was genuine) I was going for pronunciation.

I considered ALL of the following.

Jin. (gin)
Jine.
Jean.
Jane. (I got this one from google. Jein as an alternate spelling for a woman)

Oh, I totally misread the intent, there.

The correct answer is “Jean”.

 

[Jintosh]

Oh, I totally misread the intent, there.

The correct answer is “Jean”.

Thanks. I was curious about pronunciation, especially, since mine is Jin-tosh. Gin and tosh rhymes with "posh".

 

[genZOD]

Now, now, gents. Let’s not resort to name-calling and whatnot. We still don’t have all the facts, and there’s no reason to denigrate Mr. Jein’s character or expertise. Everyone makes mistakes, and we don’t even know for sure if that’s what’s actually happened, here.

Jein Geni is a David Bowie reference, and a compliment.

 

[ghostryder]

Did Profiles in History merge with Heritage?

 

[Trebor]

Did Profiles in History merge with Heritage?

I literally LOL'd

 

[Trebor]

I doubt Heritage will pull the auction. There is too much money at stake.

What's going to happen is they will keep leaning on their "expert authentication" and some buyer who doesn't know enough to understand the discrepancies himself and who hasn't found this thread will rely on the misleading photos and "expert opinion" and "website endorsements" and wind up spending a lot of money on what is now almost certainly shown to be a fake.

There is no way this phaser is anything but a modern build, based on the known details of Jein's surviving hero, with additional details extrapolated from replicas, and using modern, fan-made, commercially available parts including the nozzle, the emitter, the base of the handle (I believe) and likely the side rails. (Since recessed side rails are a replica thing and not an original prop thing and recessed rails are commercially available).

There's just too much evidence accumulating, just from the photos posted, for this to be what is claimed to be. Like I said, I'd love to see someone buy a repro nozzle off eBay and compare it to the nozzle in person. I bet they match 100% and neither matches the Jein prop.

(Btw, anyone contact the maker/seller of the repro nozzle from eBay? I wonder if he can reliably ID his piece as being the one used in this prop)

Just add this to the long list of faked Phaser props put up for auction and move on. It's not my money so I'm not out anything if someone does get swindled.

 

[Apollo]

Did Profiles in History merge with Heritage?

Joe M. is now on board with Heritage now.

Don’t know if PIH is even operating anymore so....

 

[Stairstars]

They were assimilated.

Resistance is Futile.

 

[Jintosh]

I doubt Heritage will pull the auction. There is too much money at stake.

Like I said, I'd love to see someone buy a repro nozzle off eBay and compare it to the nozzle in person. I bet they match 100% and neither matches the Jein prop.

I bought the nozzle, but could not find the emitter in time. I should be receiving the nozzle Monday, modifying it, and hopefully have pics by Tuesday of my hurriedly finished replica. I wish I had more time, but I wanted to post pics before the auction ended.

 

[WinstonWolf359]

Naa. Look at the trigger box and side dial placement.

The appearance of the triggerbox on the auction phaser has bothered me since the beginning because it looks big, but it fits into the same outline of the GJ pretty well. After a lot of looking, especially at that exact same S&W phaser Gregatron posted, I see that the triggerbox area does look larger, but it shows evidence of having been sanded quite a bit, which makes it look the way it does. You can see where the sanding starts towards the tail, because it interrupts the subtle French curve and creates a bit of a hump.

The side ribs seem to be placed higher from the bottom edge on the auction phaser than on the GJ, but the sanding in that area on the bottom makes them appear a little lower and a little more like the GJ. And the placement of the ribs on the auction phaser do seem to be a much better match to that S&W phaser...