Collecting may be in your blood if you're reading any GoCollect blogs. All of us collect for different reasons, and all of us collect different things. I collect comic books, monster toys, popcorn buckets, pressed pennies -- the list goes on and on. In Collecting Fandom, I'll talk to fans about their collections and why they collect them. Recently, I was invited onto the City That Breeds podcast, where I talked to host Bryan Levy about his Star Trek collection. Below are some excerpts from the interview, but I highly recommend everyone to listen to this episode - especially if you like Golden Age books and Star Trek collectibles!

Why Star Trek?

For Bryan, it was because his dad was a Star Trek fan, and he grew up in a Trekkie household. His earliest memories are of watching The Next Generation as a child and falling in love with the series. Star Trek had always been there.

Bryan's collection started with the Star Trek novelizations that began publishing in January 1967. The initial books were episode novelizations, but this became an ongoing part of this ever-expanding franchise. Currently, over 50 Star Trek novels cover every aspect of the Star Trek universe. While these may not be the most valuable books (prices tend to stay around $5 - $10), they are a unique way to expand a collection and dive deeper into the Star Trek universe.

One book we mention is the Gold Key Star Trek #1. This book from 1967 is a key book with a hefty price tag. In November 2022, a CGC blue label 9.6 sold for $45,600 on Heritage. Before that, a CGC blue label 9.8 sold for $40,500 in October 2015. If that book came to market today, it would likely double that value.

The first Star Trek/X-Men one-shot is also a book we touch on. This book might have largely been forgotten about by the general public. While not the most valuable book -- a CGC blue label 9.8 has a fair market value of $100 -- it's an interesting collectible and a fun read.

His collection has also moved into other parts of the fandom, such as the never-ending Playmates Star Trek figures. Playmates have been releasing Star Trek figures and sets for decades with varying degrees of success. Certain items can go for a surprising amount of money. The Next Generation Bridge Set sells for a few hundred on eBay whenever offered. In April 2023, a factory-sealed example sold for $295. A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Star Trek crossover figure, Captain Leonardo (initially released in 1994) sold for $304 after 24 bids in March 2023. Heritage sold a similar example in February 2022 for $109.

Bryan's favorite collectible? Well, you'll need to listen to the podcast to find out!

Big money.

Regarding the most valuable Star Trek collectibles, screen-used costumes and props from The Original Series fare exceptionally well in auction. In June 2023, Heritage sold a screen-used Lt. Uhura's season one Starfleet complete uniform for $62,500. Before that, a Captain Kirk season one Starfleet uniform sold for $125,000 in February 2022.

The Starfleet uniforms from almost any Star Trek series perform well in auctions -- after all, Star Trek has some iconic costumes!

Do you collect Star Trek items? Tell me about them in the comments below!