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Trek Prop Collecting
bluethundr continues: "And while we're at it. I admit it. I am an Okudagram collector. I go nuts and drain my bank account every time I see one of the control panels from the Enterprise (which I believe to be authentic and usually TNG's D, as that's all my bankroll will allow) on eBay and my home server room looks like a federation outpost. If you weren't aware, the Okudagrams from the show come in the form of black-tinted plexi that has a patterned film applied to it with photographic gels to add color and vellum affixed to said plexi with black masking tape. The idea is to backlight them for the effect they achieved on the sets of lighted control panels. Collecting these things, you get a feeling for what's authentic hollywood material and what's a cheap fanboy knockoff. I can't help but wonder if I am the only /.er to engage in this eccentric hobby... By the way, several control panels from the 1701 (including Spock's Science Station computer!) as well as an array of other authentic stuff from the 60s is also to be had for a (very) tidy sum on "the world's online marketplace"....By the way, I am trying to curb this habit of mine, hence this submission. :-|"
As time went on I went to University and lost interest around the time of Deep Space Nine, when Berman took over and made it into a 'franchise'. I think I've seen a total of 10 episodes of Voyager, but it didn't really 'inspire' me. Sure, the films give me a bit of a 'buzz' - I've bought them on DVD - but that was about it.
Now, some 10 years later, I'm moving house and find all my old stuff - the uniforms I made, the books, etc. So I decide to eBay the books (a collection of around 100 Trek books, including original 1960's editions) and it goes for £50. That's about $75 in your money. Pathetic, isn't it? I see the huge amount of Trek crap on eBay, and there's lots of people selling it but nobody really buying it.
Now I'm not even bothering with the rest of the stuff like the comics, etc. because the hassle of me shipping them to a buyer outweighs the benefit of the money in my bank account - may as well just stuff them in the attic and wait until someone comes along who might want them.
I can't seem to find any decent conventions or clubs in the UK either - all the clubs which sprang up (anyone remember Ten Forward, or the National Starfleet Alliance?) have long since disappeared.
Perhaps we've all just grown up. Or the constant milking of the 'franchise' left us all with sour tastes in the mouth. Me, I'm married with a kid now and enjoy watching Enterprise with my wife, and still I can't bring myself to throw out the old uniforms. They'll do for a fancy dress party I suppose ;)
Smegma.
This is exactly the type of thing the Smithsonian needs and wants for their media section. There was a lot of interesting TV stuff when I went there, and I'm sure this would be a hell of a nice addition. Question is, does the Smithsonian have $100000 for a chair? Aren't they funded by tax dollars? myria ^_^
"Screw Sun, cross-platform will never work. Let's move on and steal the Java language." - Visual J++ Product Manager
Yes I agree. Infact I think Paramount shouldn't have thrown or given away the whole set, but donated it to the Smithsonian. Star Trek is one thing that inspires many people to do things for equal rights, space exploration, and a whole host of other things. I think it's a crime that most of whats left is a single chair if they pitched the whole set or gave it away.
I'd like to be able to go to a museum and show any kids I have in the future that chair. They'll look at me like I'm crazy because of the latest Star Trek that looks super real, but it's nice to say, "This is where it all began."
~~ Behold the flying cow with a rail gun! ~~
TNN dropped the "Nashville Network" from its name, and is re-inventing itself as a "normal" cable channel. Most likely due to declining ratings. How better to get an instant leg up than to purchase a series guaranteed to bring the kind of viewers your station wants? While they watch Star Trek: The Political Correctness, endless advertising for other TNN programming is constantly broadcast. TNN is operated by MTV Networks, a division of, wait for it...Viacom
TNG isn't science fiction at all...it's a drama, set on a starship. The series is about the interactions between people and cultures. The writers merely put [TECH] when something is required to be explained, and someone else comes up with the technobabble later. They never discuss science-y, Tom Clancyish things like the exact capabilites of the ship's sensors or weapons. How many photon torpedoes does it take to get to the chewy candy center of a Romulan warbird? The world may never know.
Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
Get the people building their own aircraft cockpits (on slashdot recently) together with the people with the Star Trek bridge parts, and make a working simulator.
The one which caught my eye says: