Rogviler
Well-Known Member
This, at the very least.
A terrible way for them to handle the auction of something like this.
Alleged Screen Used Hero TOS Phaser up for auction (now the aftermath)
- Thread starter Anakin Starkiller
- Start date
This, at the very least.
A terrible way for them to handle the auction of something like this.
The truth, like us, are still out there.......
Onigiri
Sr Member
Your arrogance on this post was surpassed only by your ignorance. Bravo
Very clear, at this point.
Suffice it to say that the publicly available images and information already cast a serious amount of doubt on the piece, AND that images and information which have been made privately available to far, far fewer people via several independent sources strongly indicate to me that a falsehood was perpetrated, here.
I can say no more, nor name names. And I know that’s just as annoying as the people saying “I have it on good authority that the piece is real, but am not allowed to share any information”. Just know that, along with the piece’s construction issues, there are also highly-questionable aspects of the chain of custody/provenance, and that Mr. Jein’s supposed authentication may not have been as ironclad as we’ve been led to believe. He’s also been in ill health, and deserves our best wishes, rather than being thrown under the bus with those who may well have perpetrated the falsehoods surrounding the piece.
That all being said, it seems clear that the fanbase has already made its judgement on this piece, based on the utter lack of discussion about it since the auction ended. That says it all, really. There are certainly worse crimes in the world than a wealthy buyer picking up a fake prop on the chance that it COULD be real.
It’s still unfortunate, though.
Axlotl
Master Member
I don't believe it was bought.
I’m told that it was, but with questions and reservations on the buyer’s part. Apparently, they (the buyer) felt it was worth taking the risk that it’s a fake, which was their prerogative. Perhaps we’ll find out more, some day.
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nickytea
Master Member
If someone paid you thousands of dollars to photograph their phaser next to your original, the urge to say whatever they want to hear would be strong in anybody. Particularly at Greg's age. (And let's not forget, he authenticated Mark English pieces in the past as well.)
No worries we ran that tool out of here like the - itch that he is.
Mommy has not let him on the forums since June 14!
Macnmike
Member
That would make a great motto for a modeler. Best. Mike.
Can I ask what Heritage video you all are discussing?
JMSupp
Well-Known Member
In other news, Herocomm seems to have removed all their phaser references. Which is a shame, because I thought the reference material was superb. It's my understanding there may be some legal issues involved there, but I don't really know much on that front. I thought the facts and references were laid out pretty good, and had a pretty good handle on stating what was "known".
Bigdaddy
Master Member
Where could I find that video?
JMSupp
Well-Known Member
Here is the main story, from a YouTuber who normally covers speedrunning and retro gaming. It's been picked up by quite a few major news outlets, as well. The video is long, but fascinating. There is a lot of moving parts, and it can get a bit confusing at times. It's not clear, as yet, how accurate all the reporting is, but it doesn't look good.
Knightmare
Sr Member
These guys are total scumbags . Its fraud period end of story .
Bigdaddy
Master Member
Thanks for the link, it certainly doesn't boost my confidence in the auction house or the alleged sale.
genZOD
Sr Member
The story behind the p1 & p2 props is even more bizarre than the odd physical discrepancies from the known examples. Both props, are (still) not screen matched and (still) have no production era history or documentation. That's pretty weird. But this gets weirder. Both of these weird props were supposedly in the hands of separate collectors for decades, but nobody ever took a picture of them. Nobody remembers seeing them at a party. Nothing. Literally NO image of them, or reference to them exists before the auction. And now, no images exist of these props after the auction. So, as far as publicly available images go, the auction images are the only images of these props. The letters of authenticity (from the sellers) are the only publicly available documentation.
Somehow, even with this total lack of exposure, undisclosed "insiders" and "experts" brought these separate and never mentioned props together for an auction.
For both props, there seems to be only one set of photos from one photo shoot in more than 50 years.
Somehow, even with this total lack of exposure, undisclosed "insiders" and "experts" brought these separate and never mentioned props together for an auction.
For both props, there seems to be only one set of photos from one photo shoot in more than 50 years.
Macnmike
Member
It looks like you've addressed some of the quibbles that The Wand Company chose not to avoid. Your piece may be idealized, but smacks of authenticity/reality, much as TWCs. Best. Mike.
James, concur. They were a valuable and valued resource which I and, I suspect, others will surely miss. Before I heard about this whole auction brouhaha, I asked HC if they were having technical difficulties. This is there response from 083021:
We unfortunately needed to remove that page due to certain legalities. Plus we could not vouch for the complete accuracy of all the information there.
Our original stated expertise is on the TOS communicators, and it is on that prop that we hereto will be maintaining our focus.
All the best,
-HC-
Best. Mike.
JMSupp
Well-Known Member
That's a real shame. I wonder, exactly, what sort of legal issues there could possibly be, save the threat of a lawsuit.
They could have couched the information as "This is what we think we know, and we're open to more information". Sticking to the facts is a pretty solid legal defense, though it's no guarantee that you won't be sued anyway.
Frankly, their endorsement of the HA phaser without backing it up was odd, considering the quality of their content, but I was (and still am) willing to have my mind changed. Even if they don't endorse it, at least having the information about the other phasers was quite valuable.
Everyone can be wrong, new facts can come up, and much can be forgiven and understood. I get that they might not want to be associated with something as controversial as the HA phaser, I get that. Maybe there are internal squabbles, or they don't want their identities revealed through a lawsuit, I don't know. The wholesale removal of everything regarding phasers sounds like something else is going on.
Macnmike
Member
James, "a real shame"—may I quote your litotes? Here, I will quote myself from the FB ST Prop Enthusiasts Group: "Clearly, none of us were "in the room" where anything significant may have been decided. Sadly, and I'm only guessing of course, they took the path of least resistance which we all tend to do, given a choice. One just hates to see good people successfully bullied. That single page was a gold mine and will be missing by many, I'll wager. If you want to know more than anyone really needs to know about the chain of events leading to HC's rescission, here's the link to the RPF thread. Plan for bathroom breaks. Best. Mike. https://www.therpf.com/.../alleged-screen-used-hero-tos.../" That pretty much sums up my feelings—a real shame, indeed. Best. Mike.
