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Devoted trekkies, collectors and the merely curious converged on Christie's auction house in New York Thursday at the start of a three-day sale of Star Trek props, costumes and memorabilia.
With everything from Vulcan medical coasters to a Klingon official's desk from the popular television series and films on offer, bidders came from far and wide for the chance to take home a slice of science fiction history.
The rarefied auction rooms at Christie's, more used to fine art and antique vases, were instead decked out with scale models of the Starship Enterprise and props from the programme's 40-year history.
Auctioneer Cathy Elkies said interest in the auction had surpassed expectations. "We knew it was going to do well, we knew we had a lot of interest, we knew there were a lot of bidders that were participating."
But she said some items had fetched way above their estimates. "Some of them so much higher than I dreamed."
"The Borg Cube, oh my god," she said, after the model starship went for 80,000 dollars, far higher than the 1,000 dollar lower estimate.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity sale. There will never be a selection like this on the market again. If you're going to buy it, now's your time," she said.
Giles Aston, a look-alike for Starfleet captain Jean-Luc Picard -- played by actor Patrick Stewart -- came to the auction dressed in costume and admitted he had paid "too much, way too much" for a 5,000 dollar Reman costume.
The 41-year-old graphic designer travelled from London especially for the auction but said he had been a Star Trek fan since long before people started pointing out his likeness to Picard.
"I just played it down, but so many people came up to me and said 'get a uniform' so I did, just for fun, for friends' birthdays," he said, and now owns an extensive collection of memorabilia and outfits.
Martin Netter, 46, who travelled from Hanover, Germany, for the auction had already snapped up an original script for 900 dollars but had budgeted up to 40,000 dollars to fill out his collection with artwork, set plans and uniforms.
The sale, which includes some 1,000 lots, is due to end Saturday, when items including a replica of the bridge from the Starship Enterprise are to go on sale.
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AFPEntertainment-television-film-StarTrek-auction
AFP 052128 GMT 10 06
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