‘Star Trek’ Phaser Rifle Sells For $231K At Auction

A phaser rifle used by William Shatner in the second pilot for the classic Star Trek television series recently sold for around $231,000 at auction.

The folks at Julien’s Auctions stated that the prop sold on Saturday in Los Angeles. Although officials believed the item would fetch around $50,000, the Star Trek phaser ultimately ended up selling to a collector for $231,000.

Inventor Reuben Klamer is said to have constructed the piece after NBC wanted to change Star Trek into a more action-packed program. Series creator Gene Roddenberry reportedly wanted a “really big gun” to use in the second pilot.

William Shatner would later use the phaser rifle in the episode of Star Trek. However, this would be the prop’s only appearance in the show. Once filming was complete, the rifle was returned to Klamer.

While the rare Star Trek phaser was the most expensive item to sell at this weekend’s auction in Los Angeles, it wasn’t the only piece of Hollywood memorabilia up for grabs.

Julien’s Auctions reportedly had hundreds of unique items for sale to those who love to collect famous movie props. A buggy from Ridley Scott’s Alien and a complete costume used on the set of the original Stargate movie were also being offered to bidders.

A flowerpot hat worn by one of the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz sold for $15,000. A cape worn by Claudette Colbert in the 1939 version of Cleopatra was also up for bid. The item would eventually sell for $5,625.

The costume worn by Christopher Reeve in director Sidney J. Furie’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was also sold over the weekend. One lucky individual walked away with the prop after dropping $25,000 to bring it home. This was reportedly in line with the auction’s estimates.

What do you think about the rare Star Trek phaser rifle selling for $231,000 at auction? Would you pay that much for a famous movie prop?