Another auction packed with Star Trek memorabilia will take place this weekend, as Heritage Auctions puts up the collection of the late model maker Greg Jein.
Greg Jein, Hollywood Legend and Star Trek collector
Greg Jein is a Hollywood legend who picked up Oscar and Emmy nominations for his work on many of the iconic science fiction projects of the 20th century. His work on Star Trek spanned decades, starting with the Phase II project in the 1970s. Working with effects legend Douglas Trumbull, Jein led the team that built the 50-foot-long V’ger model used in 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture, with the conceptual artwork and architectural shot model both featured in this auction. Jein and his company continued to work on Star Trek shows and feature films throughout the 1990s, and garnered an Emmy nomination for Deep Space Nine in 1997.
He was also a big Star Trek and sci-fi fan as well as a collector, amassing one of the largest private collections of Star Trek props, costumes, models and production photos, spanning from The Original Series through to the follow-up series and feature films. After he passed away at 76 last year, his family decided to put his impressive collection up for action. “Greg loved this craft — loved the whole world he lived in, ” says his old friend, Heritage Auctions’ Executive Vice President Joe Maddalena in a statement. “He was an inspiration. Being able to handle his collection is one of the most significant things I’ve ever done because I feel like I am the custodian of my friend’s treasures.”
The Jein Collection auction is taking place this weekend, October 14th and 15th, with online bidding already underway at Heritage Auctions.
Highlights from the Jein collection
The complete Jein Collection features 556 lots, including some iconic pieces of sci-fi history like an original Star Wars X-Wing model and a maquette of the mothership from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. But the anchor of the collection is memorabilia from Star Trek, including a number of very rare or unique pieces he collected from Star Trek: The Original Series. Jein’s Trek collection includes two of the few surviving original models: the more than 3.5-foot-long SS Botany Bay model from “Space Seed ” (current bid: $60,000), and the Galileo shuttlecraft model (starting bid: $60,000).
Also up for action from Star Trek: The Original Series is a hero Type 2 phaser prop (Current bid: $80,000) and a TOS hero tricorder prop built by Wah Chang (starting bid: $60,000).
There are also more affordable offerings available, including elements from the hair and makeup department. This includes a Captain Kirk hairpiece worn by William Shatner (current bid $2,100) and some Vulcan ears worn by Leonard Nimoy (current bid $2,500).
There are lots of costumes as well, including a Kirk wraparound tunic worn by Shatner (current bid $21,000), and a Spock Starfleet tunic worn by Nimoy (current bid $21,000).
While Jein collected a lot from TOS and the TOS moves, there are also a number of items from the TNG era, including a Next Generation Picard Starfleet Uniform worn by Patrick Stewart (current bid $10,000) and a Voyager Seven of Nine Bodysuit worn by Jeri Ryan (current bid $21,000).
Bargain hunters can find plenty of lots available with no or few bids currently. Affordable items just from Star Trek: The Motion Picture include a V’Ger Art Director’s Shot Model (Starting bid: $500) and a Starfleet Security Officer Helmet (Starting bid: $600).
For a complete list of lots from the Jein Collection, visit ha.com.
You will also be able to watch the auction live on the Heritage YouTube channel…
Sigh. I want to bid on almost everything in this auction, but I keep losing the Powerball every week.
🤔 “Blue Crewman Jumpsuit from Star Trek: The Original Series (Paramount TV, 1966-1969)….” is still $500
Just think, if you hadn’t spent that chuck of you retirement savings on that $15,000 FE MasterWorks Enterprise model a few months back, you might have some $$ left for this action.
;-)
The article has a very broad meaning for the word affordable! LoL
Garrett Wang is gonna have a field day (iykyk)
Obviously the thing to do here is buy the Shatner hairpiece and make a horror movie about it turning the wearer into a Shatner clone.
Obviously.
Something something Halloween.
funny, since the one Halloween movie that doesn’t feature Myers or the ShatMask is the one where the masks turn wearers into monsters!
the title? “Hell Toupee”
I thought it was a tribble.
I don’t normally comment on TrekMovie headlines but “Greg Jein Star Trek and Sci Fi Memorabilia Auction Takes Place This Weekend” would have been a better fit. The auction serves as a tribute to Greg Jein, his contributions to the industry and his collection. The image of Shatner’s hairpiece and mention of it’s availability could simply have been referenced as one of the more unique items in his collection.
We have different definition’s of what a “tribute” is I guess. I don’t think selling off all of his Trek memorabilia is much of a tribute. Displaying it to the public in a museum that also covers Jein’s contributions, now that for me would be a tribute.
I hear ya’. I’m still pissed that Paramount auctioned everything for a cash grab all those years ago but this auction was a family decision so it’s their call.
The best hairpiece of all times!
Years back there was a George Lucas tribute and Shatner joked about how much he envied Lucas’ hair.
Does anyone know from when the Kirk hairpiece is? I’m assuming not from TOS?
Looks like what the blog “Shatner’s Toupee” calls a “Jim Kirk Lace,” IIRC. Looks TOS, I’d say.
The blog is actually entertaining and good-natured in its vibe, if a bit satirical at times: https://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/?m=1
Either season one or two. Shatner’s hair was noticeably darker in season three.
It’s from TOS alright. Shatner started wearing hairpieces in the ’50s.
So was this one of the ones he stole from the set and kept for himself, or one of the ones that stayed?
Why would Greg Jein have a hair piece that Shatner stole from set?
I didn’t see it comming that Shatner wore a hairpiece in TOS.
Without it he would have been baldly going where no man has gone before…
Sorry I could not resist…
Paramount should buy the collection (at a good price which takes care of the Jein family financial need) and put this in a future Star Trek Museum or permanently loan it to Cawley to show at his NY tour facility.
Just letting more ageing, wealthy tech execs in Silicon Valley (I am generalizing, but I don’t think I am that far off) gobble up Star Trek’s history is a bad idea, and with auction after action like this it’s dispersing Star Trek’s history in a way that it’s going to get harder and harder to ever have a sizable collection left for future public display.
Every time I see one of these auctions, I feel like a little more Star Trek history dies.
“This belongs in a museum.”
Ikr, this guy had LOADS of absolute holy grails of Trek props/costumes etc. Shatner must be like ‘wow. so thats where all my stuff was!’
According to Robert Justman, Shatner had a habit of taking his piece with him after filming wrapped for the season for his personal use.
Why wouldn’t you? Who else would want to wear it?
Problem was, as Justman explained, the purloined hairpiece would be in “unfilmable” condition when it got returned when production started, necessitating the expense of creating a new one (they had two since they had to be cleaned periodically).
Greg Jein used to display much of this collection at World Con, I’m sure he showed it other places as well. He rescued the Proteus from Fantastic Voyage from destruction and restored that (not in the auction. Problem with museums is they cost a lot to maintain– James Comisar tried to get one off; he recently sold his collection. I don’t mind fans having this stuff– that’s why most of it exists today.
PROTEUS is one of the most phenomenal ship designs ever … pretty sure I remember seeing at least one SF paperback cover where the artist stole it, though the funniest repurposing in SF art for me are the timing light gun instead of phaser on ABODE OF LIFE and the SLAVE-ONE model with the top and bottom joined so it looks like a cool ship instead of a streetlight cover (I know it looked better this way, because years earlier I had gotten hold of the toy and taken it apart to put together the same way the artist wound up doing, and it was a massive improvement.)
I’ve been buying a not insignificant number of significant props lately, and I think I’m gonna donate them to Ticonderoga cuz it’s a complete travesty to just let them sit in my living room unseen by the fans. We’re gonna see what else I can scoop up this weekend and I’ll determine what belongs where, but my hope is to share my treasures with the Trekkies
Good man!!!!!
Back in the day Paul Allen might have picked all that up and put it in what’s now called MoPOP in Seattle. They had a nice exhibit there a several years ago with bits of the TOS bridge, some costumes and the D and E filming models hanging from the ceiling.
Impressive, very nice. Lets see Paul Allen’s collection.
If Paul Allen were still alive he probably would have bought the entire Jein collection and put it in his Science Fiction Museum in Seattle to go with his TOS captain’s chair and other Trek stuff. Sadly, he’s dead, Jim.
Well. . . as a fellow traveler I technically grok what you’re saying, but bear in mind that much of the world’s historical and cultural legacy lies in the hands of private collectors, for better or worse. Given that what we’re talking about is a late ‘60s TV space opera, it’s a minor miracle that so many of the original props reside in public venues at all, let alone that thousands of tax dollars were actually spent to restore the miniature of the galaxy’s most famous fictional starship to its former glory.
I, too, am always of very mixed feelings when I hear about auctions such as these. All of these items belong in a museum and not in some wealthy collector’s hands where almost no one outside of friends and family will ever see them.
For an analogy, I have a decent-sized collection of classic coin-operated video arcade games and pinballs (early 1980s mostly) that I have amassed and maintained over the passed 25 years or so, several of which are pretty rare, especially in working condition. When I do move off of this mortal coil and if someone wanted to pay tribute to me and my passion for these older style games, I’d want them preserved also in some sort of public viewing setting so others could still play and otherwise enjoy them.
And even now, I bring them to a local arcade show each year (which is no small effort as each one is about 200-250 lbs. and the the size of a refrigerator) so that at least once a year, folks can play them as they once did back when the video arcade was a new thing and all the rage.
RIP Mr. Jein certainly, but as others have already said, having these items in a museum would be a much more fitting tribute to the man.
Well said!
Nooo why would you tell ppl about this >:( now I’m gonna have to fight for all this stuff with all my fellow trekkies!
I bid in the Studio Auctions event this past Saturday which had more of Greg’s stuff… You’ll never believe what I won 😲😳
Dude, what did you win?
Well it makes music :)
Spock’s Vulcan Lute?
Nooo that’s up for grabs this weekend. I won something that makes music from the Studio Auctions sale last weekend.
The ghost of Jerry Goldsmith?
The Wraith of Horner?
It’s spooky season and I’m being haunted :(
Come to think of it they both composed some truly frightening music for TMP and WOK
Jein buit the interior vger not the exterior, and his part of things was much less in size than 50′ (exterior done at Apogee was 68′ long.)
‘
The irony of tens of thousands of dollars being spent on memorabilia for a show where the heroes live in a hopeful future where money doesn’t matter. :D
At least this is fun irony, unlike the time I ran into a prominent Trek fan who said he shouldn’t have to pay taxes to help foster kids, sick people, or really just about anyone, they should all just either die or get a job. And he was serious.
That’ an all-too-familiar type, I’m afraid. Right up there (or down there) with the ‘to church on sunday/to hell on monday’ folks, who have done a lot over the last 50 years to prejudice me to the point of making my default thinking about those who do the organized worship thing become decidedly uncharitable.
“Hear, hear!”
Tell me why
I bid on Shatner’s old toupee
I found it
On eBay
Lol, the moment I saw the toupee, this song immediately came to mind. Weird Al is a musical genius, you can’t convince me otherwise. :)
I’m glad I’m not the only one!!!!!! Yes!!!
I mean the toupee is such a conversation starter. $2,100 sounds like a bargain. Fascinated to see where it ends up!
Are we sure that isn’t an attack tribble?
Toupee or not to pay, that is the question. :) Everytime I read something about Shatner’s toupee, I cannot forget the much often rumored story about him riding that horse on Star Trek V with the machine winds blowing and while galloping to make THE shot, his toupee blows away and the crew that was there broke out in laughter. Then the rumor goes he fired them on the spot.
If someone ever gets a Q&A with the Shat, someone please ask him if that is true of not. I’d guess he’d deny or it or..maybe not?
The teamsters were on strike and there probably wasn’t any replacement crew to be had if he fired people, especially while out on a fairly distant SoCal location … certainly the department heads were all the same people at the start of prod and the end, and you’d better believe that if he fired camera people, the DP would have walked. I talked to the SFX guy (not VFX) about another movie a few years later and he was wholly complimentary about Shat, saying he’d never seen a big-movie situation where resources were so limited to the point of being nonexistent. That bears out some of what Ralph Winter has admitted (in many interviews, not just when I spoke to him), that they didn’t do Shat justice with a lot of the logistics on this one.
I’d actually never even heard that story you mention before, and (after TMP, a distant second for me) TFF is something I always try to find more about when interviewing folks. There was a poster on trekbbs who actually got in contact with the original writer of the CAPTAIN’S LOG making of TFF book 15 or 20 years back — she didn’t tell him anything unfortunately — who basically got ousted and Shat’s daughter came in to finish the book. Always wondered how much worse it could have been, because there was plenty of honest, unflattering stuff in the published version.
I do remember reading something from Christian Slater about meeting Shat during TOS (I think it was WHOM GODS DESTROY) and that he came in complaining about all the green stuff that got on him, while carrying his toup in his hand. So I guess he wasn’t always shy about showing the level of dome on his head.
Don’t roast me if I’m wrong, but are they sure that shuttle craft model was a filming model from tos and not the one that was displayed in a lounge on TNG in The Neutral Zone?
Shatner was wearing a hairpiece in TOS??
That was a good hairpiece. The movies? Not so much.
It would be AWESOME if Patrick Stewart bought the Shatner TOS toupe and wore it Star Trek: Legacy. Another reason to demand a Star Trek: Legacy series.