Trekkie Says Auctioned Prop Was a Ripoff

An auction held recently sold a poker visor that was supposedly worn by an android Data on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," but according to the Trekkie who bought it, the visor is fake. A lawsuit has been filed against Christie's Auction House.

According to The Huffington Post, Ted Moustakis said that he doubted how authentic the visor and other items he had recently purchased at the auction of CBS Paramount props in 2006. Once he had bought the items, he took the items to a Star Trek convention last August to get them autographed by the actor who had worn the item on the show. Moustakis said

I thought this was a great piece of memorabilia to have, and I was so proud to get it.

Spokesman for Christie's Auction House, Rik Pike, had stood by the authenticity of the item and said the buyer's case had "no merit." The lawsuit demands millions of dollars in damages and a refund for the visor and two other items purchased in 2006. Moustakis said he had paid about $6,600 for a table and $11,400 for a uniform that were part of the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" series. According to Moustakis, the table doesn't look like ones that appeared on the show. As for the uniform, it appeared to be one of several made for the show and not one-of-a-kind.