Alleged Screen Used Hero TOS Phaser up for auction (now the aftermath)
- Thread starter Anakin Starkiller
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robn1
Master Member
asalaw
Master Member
I downloaded all their pics and diagrams years ago, so no biggie.
Funny story, when all this was breaking loose (about the auction I mean), I was approached by an individual via PM on TPZ who said he was the owner of HeroComm. I no longer recall his name, but he said he was an office manager in a medical practice, if that rings any bells with anyone. We exchanged a few messages (which unfortunately I didn’t archive—who knew TPZ would vanish?), he claimed he was in touch with the people behind the alleged authentication and sale of the phaser, and swore up and down to me that it was legit. He asked me to do him a favor and pass that along here with my endorsement, and I foolishly took his word and did so, based on the past reputation of HC. Silly me.
Not long after that, he told me he was looking to retire from managing the HC site and wanted to pass it on to someone else. He offered me the opportunity, and I politely declined. I know about as much about managing a website as I do about neurosurgery in zero G, and I don’t have that kind of time. That was the last I heard from him. So that was a thing…
asalaw
Master Member
Hell, in retrospect, I just took him at his word that he was who he said he was. I had no way of knowing, and still don‘t. For all I know, he was some SOB working for the seller and the whole thing was a scam to get me to vouch for it. Why the hell he picked me for such a thing is kind of a head scratcher.
robn1
Master Member
The auction phaser was added to HC's phaser page as a newly discovered original, shortly before the site disappeared.
Feltman Langer
Member
Sad, sad, sad.
asalaw
Master Member
I saw that.
That it does.
I have to be very, very vague about this, due to giving my word not to divulge any specific or sensitive information in order to protect several wildly different sources who contacted me independently and discretely at different times, and who had no logical motivation to spread lies and falsehoods regarding this mess. Which makes me believe them, unlike the people who have contacted others here, trying to convince them that the auction piece is authentic.
Suffice it to say that I was made privy to several bits of inside information from the auction which made my Spider-Sense tingle like a small nuclear bomb. And any such inside information was already unnecessary to cast doubt on the piece, given the photographic evidence which we all eagerly examined in this thread.
More than that I cannot say, but take comfort in knowing that enough physical evidence has already been uncovered in this very thread (specifically, the modern-day replica parts) to prove beyond all doubt that the auction piece is a fake. A fake which was clearly and specifically manufactured for the purpose of defrauding the public and making a considerable amount of money at auction. And it worked. Which means that the integrity of this hobby has suffered. It’s really sad.
As for HC, note that they eventually did the right thing and entirely removed the phaser page and its endorsement from the site before it went down, indicating their level of involvement in this whole mess—do-gooders who ended up caught in the middle. I wouldn’t be too harsh on them, although their reputation has certainly been damaged by all of this. HC’s shocking, 180-degree turn from “Obvious fake! Let’s take action against it!” to ringing endorsement to dead silence and downed website should be a big clue that there were battles behind the scenes of this thing which led to their caving in and later abandoning ship, most likely due to threats of legal action. It seems pretty clear that something happened to make them do an about-face and then drop off the radar to escape from this mess.
^ Meh, this has been going on for years, it is nothing new and will continue as long as Trek is popular. ^
Back in the 70’s at the first Trek Cons there were quite a few, “Screen-Used” Phasers, Comms, and Trics going around.
What is comforting to know is what happened in this thread, the Community coming together to debunk this fake
Back in the 70’s at the first Trek Cons there were quite a few, “Screen-Used” Phasers, Comms, and Trics going around.
What is comforting to know is what happened in this thread, the Community coming together to debunk this fake
Absolutely. Fakes sell left and right, and have for decades. I think this is a special case, though, since it was so high-profile, and with some big names involved with the authentication (or, more correctly, the lack thereof).
asalaw
Master Member
Oh yeah. My first phaser was sold to me at a con for $100 as being “cast from an original prop.” Turned out to be a Coyle. And people are still falling for that one today.
Well there is that to, but some of the big names sadly have lied about a few things in the past or I will be polite, were grossly mistaken but with this well known fiasco their reps are now ruined and rightly so...
Oh, so you know Heritage Auctions “expert appraiser”?
Actually, he's OVERqualified. (as far as HA is concerned)
UNDERqualified is when you're more than qualified. This bass player's GF is not just qualified, she's UNDERqualified. OVERqualified is like a car overheating, so you definitely don't want that.
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