Shopper Makes Kobey's a Stop on
His Weekly Star 'Trek'
by Elizabeth
Anderson
MMSpace, "the final frontier",
has been the focus of Alan Magee's collecting interest
for over fifteen years. Besides space-related toys,
electronics and movie memorabilia, Magee is always on
the lookout for rare or unique Star Trek merchandise.
He especially likes Kobey's because every weekend there
are new "worlds" of used merchandise to explore. He's
found some his most prized collectibles by thoroughly
scanning Kobey's garage sale area in the early morning
hours, usually while the stars are still out.
MM "They
all know me at the gate," Magee explains "I get up early
to be there when they let everyone in at 6 am. Kobey's
lets you in early with a frequent shoppers admission
card. When I first started looking for things at Kobey's,
I had little competition. Now I know at least fifteen
or twenty people who are doing the same thing. To stay
ahead, you have to look through people's things as they're
unloading their cars."
MM Magee,
who's worked for the U.S. Postal Service for the last
20 years, has been shopping at Kobey's since 1983 and
says it's a hobby for him. He came across one of his
best finds, a plate sporting the image of the Star Ship
Enterprise's first captain, Captain James T. Kirk, three
years ago. This plate is extra special because it was
never released to the public. Magee enthusiastically
explains it's history:
MM "The
plate was made by R.J. Ernst Enterprises of Escondido,
a subsidiary of Hamilton which has been making collectible
plates since the early 80's. Hamilton currently makes
a full color Deep Space Nine and Next Generation Star
Trek series. This plate is a prototype. It was probably
made in 1988, but it never made it into production because
of a licensing problem with Paramount. Because Ernst
couldn't sell the plates, they liquidated their stock
to a company at a bankruptcy sale. This company piled
the merchandise into a big truck and brought it to the
swap meet to sell."
MM "When
they began setting things on the ground, I noticed some
Star Trek plates I already owned. I asked how much they
were. They were just $5 each so I bought them all because
I knew they were worth it. That's when I found out where
the plates came from. In the last 10 or 12 years I've
only seen one other plate like it, owned by a high-power
collector. I bought the plate for about $20, but I recently
had an offer of $610 for it. But it's flat out not for
sale!"
MM Magee
explains some things he finds are wonderful not because
they're worth a lot, but because they're highly unusual.
Case in point: Magee's prized laboratory laser. He says,
"I don't know where the seller got it. I bought it because
it was just ten bucks. He didn't know if it worked,
so I went over to the Blue Fin Grill and plugged it
in and it worked. The laser is a long tube with a .05
milowatt laser beam and a 120 volt power supply. It's
not strong enough to hurt you, but it's a strength people
use for scientific reasons."
MM Other
neat items Magee has found at Kobey's include three
authentic publicity stills from the original Star Trek
series, Terminator 2 and The Doors vinyl movie banners
at $5 a piece, a puzzle picturing the first astronauts
to walk on the moon made in 1969 to commemorate the
event, many Hallmark Star Trek Christmas tree ornaments
and a 1976 Star Trek command console toy purchased for
$30, but which now catalogues for $180. He remarks,
"If I see something I like I'll pay top price for it.
I'm not always trying to get somebody down in price
because I respect them as a collector."
MM He
concludes, "The important thing is to like what you
collect. You have to really enjoy it and want to learn
about things. What I buy usually has to be in mint shape.
Sometimes it's an investment as well as fun so it has
to be in working order. Besides, having lots of things
can really clutter up your house!"
MM If
you have an interesting shopping story to share, maybe
you'll be Kobey's next shopper of the month. Call Liz
Anderson at (619) 523-2700 ext. 318.
