Captain Kirk Phaser From Original Star Trek Going Up For Sale

Captain Kirk’s phaser was authenticated by Star Trek prop collector and researcher Don Hillenbrand, who used a “screen-matching” method to determine whether the phaser and the communicator were the same ones seen on-screen in the show. The prop is currently owned by the relatives of the late original owner, a Hollywood prop veteran who reportedly got them from a former Paramount Pictures employee. Of course, the phaser and communicator won’t be cheap, as the conservative estimates for each piece are set for between $100,000 and $200,000.

If you want to see Captain Kirk’s phaser and communicator before they go on auction at the Julien’s Auctions/TCM Hollywood event, you can go check them out at the San Diego Comic-Con Museum until July 28. The actual auction will be held on November 9, so it’ll be interesting to see how much these historical pieces end up going for. It’s hard to imagine a better prop for a collector to have if you’re a fan of the original series.

You may be able to get some clue as to how much Captain Kirk’s phaser will sell for by looking at how much the original phaser rifle prop got at auction in 2021. The phaser rifle was the first time the phaser weapons were introduced in the third episode of the series titled “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” That prop ended up nabbing a whopping $615,00 when it went up for sale. 

Of course, while the phaser rifle was the first phaser prop to hit screens, it’s not quite as iconic as Captain Kirk’s phaser pistol, which he wielded frequently throughout the series. The phaser pistol is generally more iconic than the rifle weapons anyway, and it’s more recognizable. Previous phaser pistols have sold for less than the rifle went for, but they also weren’t the original ones wielded by Kirk.

Phasers have been an integral part of the Star Trek franchise since the very beginning, and they’ve been seen in essentially every Trek movie or TV series since The Original Series. Of course, they’ve also gone through many iterations over the years, but the Type 1 and Type II pistols, like Captain Kirk’s phaser, are amongst the most recognizable. As Trek fans will know, these handy weapons have various different settings, including a stun setting and some other non-violent features that make them a step above your typical sci-fi laser pistol.

One lucky person will own Captain Kirk’s original phaser and communicator before the end of the year, but it’s cool to see these props living on. It’s safe to say they probably didn’t foresee them selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars when they made them. Make sure to check out the auction later this year to see what they end up selling for.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter