Masks used by actors from the Star Trek television and movie series on display in New York, prior to the auction.
Last Update: Sunday, October 8, 2006. 12:34pm (AEST)

Starship Enterprise fetches $770,000

The first auction of official Star Trek memorabilia hit warp speed when a model of the science fiction franchise's Starship Enterprise sold for more than $A770,000.

The sale has helped drive the total for the three-day Christie's auction in New York above $A9.5 million, twice the expected takings.

More than 1,000 items from the five Star Trek TV shows and 10 movies on offer have found buyers.

The Enterprise top lot has garnered one of the highest prices ever paid for any piece of Hollywood memorabilia and set a record for a piece of Star Trek memorabilia.

The 198-centimetre model of the Starship Enterprise-D, used extensively in the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series, has sold for 20 times the predicted sale price.

It was bought by a determined, unidentified private American collector bidding via telephone.

Christie's main salesroom, which is more traditionally lined with Picassos and Monets, was packed with fans dressed as the characters Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Mr Spock.

Staff members also donned Star Trek garb as they fielded bids via telephone.

Nine models and miniatures have proved to be some of the hottest items, achieving prices of over $A130,000.

The top costume price was almost $194,000 for Dr McCoy's space suit from the episode "The Tholian Web" from the original television series, which premiered 40 years ago.

A model of a Klingon "Bird of Prey" ship first seen in the film, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock soared to more than $A400,000, more than 30 times its pre-sale estimate

The sale was streamed live on The History Channel's website, and the channel filmed the event in its entirety for a documentary.

- Reuters