In late June, Star Wares (starwarescollectibles on eBay, StarWares.com on the web) listed a collection of Star Trek props for sale on eBay – a chair and two LCARS panels – characterized as “original”. There were several concurrent discussions in the original prop, replica prop, and Star Trek prop collecting communities about the cited source of these pieces – Greg Stone. Mr. Stone has gained notoriety over the years based on a variety of factors, including an unauthorized video shoot on the Star Trek: The Next Generation Stage 9 set at Paramount Studios circa the late 80s, featuring himself as “Captain Stone”. Following public reaction to this auction, Star Wares edited the listing and removed the stated provenance of “[o]riginally obtained from Greg Stone who worked on “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, yet left the auction active. This video is available in four parts on YouTube, and Stone and the unidentified associate openly discuss stealing property from the set.
Star Wares eBay Listing
Below are archives of the Star Wares auction listing, before and after the “Greg Stone” edit (both eBay Item #:110264708194)
Original Listing [Start 06/23/08]
Revised Listing [Edit 06/25/08]
Below is the marketing description for the auction, with the content removed by Star Wares in bold and red:
+STAR TREK COMMAND CHAIR AND ENTERPRISE LIGHT PANELS
A MUST HAVE FOR THE
AVID STAR TREK COLLECTOR!Star Wares Collectibles is pleased to offer you this rare opportunity to acquire: this group of 3 original STAR TREK props!
#1) We offer this original CONFERENCE ROOM CHAIR from used in the ground-breaking STAR TREK television series! NBC Television, 1966-1969. A sky blue molded plastic chair with a metal base, vinyl back cushion (though seat cushion is now missing) and triangular logo accents on back. This chair, and others like it, are seen in various scenes such as the conference room, crew quarters, engineering room, etc. Originally obtained from Greg Stone who worked on “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. Chair height: 40in.
#2 & 3) We offer this pair of CONTROL BOARD PANELS from “Star Trek: The Next Genration” television series. They are made of a heavy thick plastic. When light is placed behind it the control panels appear to light up. Originally obtained from Greg Stone who worked on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Each panel is 41 inches long by 14″ wide.
Good luck!!
Of particular interest is that Star Wares elected to change the auction description to obscure the originally stated facts and provenance as to the origin of the pieces, yet continued to offer them for sale over the following five days for $10,999.99:
06/23/08 – Auction Start Date:
06/25/08 – Description Revision Date:
06/30/08 – Auction End Date:
YouTube Video Archive, “Stage 9 Interlopers”
YouTube Video Part 1:
Transcript Excerpt – 2:38/7:22
Unidentified Associate: “Guess what paint they’re using?” [examines chair] “You recognize that color? [inaudible] gray, just like what we use.”
Stone: “Pull those [inaudible] off of there and that one off of there.”
Transcript Excerpt – 6:56/7:22
Stone: “Remove it from the tripod. The tripod’s a piece of [profanity]. We should just leave that here, you know it?”
Unidentified Associate: “Really. [inaudible] can use that room for something else.”
[inaudible]
Stone: “Okay. Um, throw it behind the transporter platforms, and-”
Unidentified Associate: “Get it some other time, huh?”
Stone: “Yes.”
YouTube Video Part 2:
Transcript Excerpt – 0:01/9:05
Stone: “Just throw ’em there in my coat. Don’t worry about it [profanity], we don’t have much time.”
YouTube Video Part 3:
Transcript Excerpt – 6:25/8:40
Unidentified Associate: “…steal another panel, making Paramount increase [inaudible] security [inaudible].”
Stone: [inaudible]
Stone: “[inaudible] these babies for me, [inaudible], these would be the good [inaudible].”
Unidentified Associate: “Where’s your flashlight?”
Stone: “It’s in my coat pocket, wherever my coat is. I don’t know where in the [profanity] I left my coat.”
Unidentified Associate: “Last time I saw it was in the transporter room.”
Stone: “Well I threw it in the corner of the uh, sickbay.”
YouTube Video Part 4:
Transcript Excerpt – 5:52/7:07
Stone: “Now what did you say, you want to take this one home?
Unidentified Associate: [Inaudible]
Stone: “You said, if we could get this panel-”
Unidentified Associate: “I said that would be great” [Inaudible]
Transcript Excerpt – 6:42/7:07
Unidentified [Paramount Security?]: “Hello… Come here. Hey! Come here! Come here!”
The panels offered for sale in the Star Wares eBay auction do not match, but do resemble the variety of LCARS panels used on the set of Star Trek: The Next Generation, as seen in the Stone video.
Below are photos of the two “control board panels” from the Star Wares eBay auction listing:
Below are panels seen in the Stone video – click each screen capture thumbnail below for larger images.
Additional Information & Further Discussion
As noted, more information and discussion can be found via these sources:
Replica Prop Forum
The Trek Prop Zone
- TOS Chairs from “Greg Stone Who Worked On TNG”?, Looks like some of the loot he stole from the TNG set
- Who is Greg Stone?, Any background information
The Movie Prop Forum
Star Trek Props, Costumes, & Auctions Forum
The Greg Stone Clearinghouse [via Archive.org]
Jason De Bord