Is Star Trek like a religion?
It’s the opposite of a religion in that the franchise has always been on the liberal/secular/scientific side of any kind of belief (or non-belief) in God.
Because, really, what does God need with a starship?
But it’s a lot like one in that we know all the stories—not just the narratives of the episodes, but the behind-the-scenes, making-of tales.
And one of the stories that all longtime Trekkies know is how there were two filming models of the Enterprise: the big one (which was restored and is presently displayed at the Smithsonian), and a smaller, 33'' one that mysteriously disappeared in the 1970s. The story was that Roddenberry had it in his office, lent it out at one point, and it never came back.
To everybody’s great shock and delight, it just showed up mysteriously on eBay in a sale by somebody who buys abandoned storage units.
The bidding started at a measly $1K, which is hilarious, because this model could very well be worth millions. Apparently somebody contacted the seller and the listing was canceled.
Hopefully it will end up in a caring home. If you buy abandoned storage lockers, talk about finding the mother lode.
I’m sure film score fans hope that master tapes to lost scores show up in a similar manner.
Well, you never know!
If I'd known about it sooner, I'd have bought the model from the seller right quick and turned it around for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ . . . . !
I've never understood why people contact sellers (other than their friends, that is) of ephemera and tell them an item is worth far more than they're offering it for. Don't be an idiot: buy it cheap and resell it (after a decent interval) for a gazillion! If you feel a little guilty, toss a little cash to the original seller, but tipping them off is just stupid.