Why Klingon Collectibles Are the Holy Grail for Star Trek

In December 2018, a Klingon disruptor made Star Trek history when it sold for nearly $50,000. A hand prop that hailed from the original series, it wasn’t a record-breaker for the franchise; but collectors took note that such a small item could command such an impressive price. Most of the best-performing Star Trek collectibles tend to be unique items used by Kirk or Spock, so this one stood out from the crowd.

Since then, Klingon relics have become something of a holy grail for collectors. Screen-used Klingon bat’leths can sell for thousands of dollars, especially props that are tied to major characters. Most coveted is the Sword of Kahless, a unique weapon sold by Heritage Auctions in 2018 for an undisclosed price. But what makes Klingon collectibles so precious?

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Klingon Artifacts Are Unique

Star Trek‘s Klingon technology looks very different to Starfleet’s. The Federation tends to standardize, meaning one tricorder looks much like the next; in contrast, even on-screen no two Klingon outfits look quite the same. Bat’leths are tremendously distinctive; despite the distinctive crescent shape, each bat’leth is subtly different to the others, giving screen-used bat’leths an unparalleled degree of scarcity. To own a screen-used bat’leth, especially one tied to a major Star Trek character or one of the best Star Trek episodes, is to own a piece of history.

The Sword of Kahless, sold in 2018, is the perfect example. Designed by Visual Effects Supervisor Dan Curry, it was carefully fashioned for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Only two of the prop were made; one for exhibition, and the other for Curry’s personal collection. As Curry explained, he “wanted something ergonomically sound that could be wielded with fluidity by a master of the Klingon martial arts style… I decided to go more baroque with more vicious lethal projections such as the central disembowelment range and the adjacent grappling hooks.”

There’s a strong market for all franchise collectibles. But there’s nothing quite like Klingon collectibles; the combination of scarcity and deliberate design makes them unique. Even modern Klingon items tend to sell well, as proven by props from Star Trek: Discovery. These were extraordinarily expensive to build; T’Kuvma’s Battle of the Binary Stars outfit was one of the most elaborate in Star Trek history, and one set of Klingon armor alone consisted of about 100 separate printed components. Naturally, the outfits had taken some wear and tear during production – T’Kuvma’s was missing some of the red gem shoulder spikes in the cuirass – but they were still in very good condition. Little wonder estimated prices typically show these kind of costumes selling at between $3,000 and $5,000.

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