Trekkie Says Auctioned Prop Was a Ripoff

cnredd · #1 (**permalink**) 12-29-2007, 03:29 PM

Quote:

NEW YORK (AP) - A Trekkie who paid $6,000 for a poker visor that was supposedly worn by the android Data on the television show "Star Trek: The Next Generation" claims in a lawsuit against Christie's auction house that the prop is a fake.

Ted Moustakis, of Towaco, N.J., said he began to doubt the authenticity of the visor and other items he purchased at an auction of CBS Paramount props in 2006, after he brought it to a convention in August to have it autographed by the actor who played Data, Brent Spiner.

According to the lawsuit, Spiner recognized the visor as the one that had been sold by Christie's and told Moustakis that it wasn't the real deal. The actual visor had been sold by the actor himself some time ago.

Moustakis, who became a Star Trek fan at age 7, said he was humiliated.

Let's be honest here...

If he's been a Star Trek fan since age 7, he was humiliated LOONG before this...

forester814 · #2 (**permalink**) 12-30-2007, 02:53 PM

I thought items like that came with a certificate of authenticity, when offered by an auction house. For that sort of money, this guy should have made sure the auction house was sure of the item's authenticity.

As for a lawsuit, though, well, that seems like a bit much to me. I think the auction house should just give the guy his money back.

Unless there WAS a certificate. In that case, the guy has a legitimate claim against the auction house. (For how much, I don't know.)

lackluster · #3 (**permalink**) 12-30-2007, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnredd

Let's be honest here...

If he's been a Star Trek fan since age 7, he was humiliated LOONG before this...

Well, I think I know somebody who's not going to live long and prosper.

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