“I think people get a powerful feeling from owning something from their favorite show or movie,” says Ray Minarcik, 35 – a prolific collector of Star Trek props and costumes as well as admin on the Facebook group “Star Trek: Auctions Props and Wardrobe”. Minarcik, who sells items from his collection on Facebook and eBay, said in an exclusive interview, “Even if the phaser in your hand doesn’t fire real phaser beams, you still feel like it’s real… Personally, I get all of those feelings myself, but I also love preserving the history these pieces are tied to.”

Online – there are hundreds of ways to get your hands on a piece of Star Trek’s rich history. From replica Hypo sprays made by Factory Entertainment (the premier makers of replica props) – To new lines of action figures made by Playmates toys (who were the makers of the 1980’s and 1990’s action figure lines). To some – these toys and replicas don’t quite scratch the itch that comes with being a Star Trek fan. Those fans want something a little closer to home.

Minarcik isn’t the only fan of Star Trek props and costumes – he tells a story about how he almost ruined his marriage when another collector passed – “I once drove eight hours to Tennessee right after my honeymoon to meet up with an estate liquidator. They were selling a large collection of props and set dressing from the estate of another collector and I absolutely couldn’t pass up on that opportunity,” says Minarcik. He notes that in that collection came an Enterprise-A dedication plaque, a chase item for collectors of Star Trek memorabilia. “I sold… a Star Trek VI Enterprise-A dedication plaque for $15,000.00,” mentions Minarcik, who was able to action off the exciting piece, “It was a production-made piece [but] not screen-used, but extremely rare and from an iconic ship.”

While Ray Minarcik collects some props from series like the X-Files – his focus has always been on Star Trek. “I do collect some X-Files pieces, but the vast majority [of my collection] centers around Star Trek. I think the new Fallout series has some great-looking props that mesh mid-century modern and industrial styles,” said Minarcik when talking about what he might want in the future. “I’ve been fortunate to have friends who are in the movie and television industry who fabricate these props for production, so it’s a nice experience to see the final outcome of what they made.”

One of the best parts of being a collector is getting to be a small part of the magic. As Minarcik describes connection for a collector, holding a piece of history in their hands, “You get to hold something in your hand held by not just Patrick Stewart, for example, but Captain Jean-Luc Picard.”