Collector's Corner

Welcome, and thank you for visiting HeroComm. We'll be direct... one of our primary goals here is to locate all ten original Wah Chang communicator props used in TOS Star Trek. We currently know with absolute certainty the location of four (see the Master Tracking List), leaving six still unaccounted for. So, are any of these yours? Click on the above pictures for an enlargement of what our best information suggests each might look like today. This includes the moiré pattern, jewels, mic grill cut-out, position of knobs and other internal components, plus the side exposure of - and glue stains on - the midplate. Significant uncertainty still exists with our guess of both Eta's and Theta's moiré patterns. For Eta, it could also be this one (20% chance) or this one (5%). In order to advance our objective, we need your assistance in telling us what you have. And why should you help, you may ask? Because we can help you in return. This page is written specifically for those individuals who own, might possibly own, or are considering buying a comm prop purported to be an original. As such, your concerns are going to be significantly different from your average hobbyist (if you have not yet read The Basics, please start there). You undoubtedly are going to be focused primarily on four things:
		1) The authenticity of your prop. 2) The security of your acquisition. 3) The value of your investment. 4) Your privacy being maintained.
We believe we can assist you in all these areas. Here's how:
1. AUTHENTICITY
It would be nice if everyone who thought they owned an original screen-used communicator actually did. But let's be frank... only ten exist yet countless dozens of people are hopeful theirs is one of them. Wah Chang said that of the many comms he had been shown after the show, not one was his.* So unless you personally plucked your props out of Property Master Irving Feinberg's boxes in 1969 (yes, a few lucky people did), we regret being the bearer of potential bad news but it is statistically likely that yours too is a fake, despite the solid provenance or compelling story that says otherwise. Many a clever comm replica have been built and sold with the expressed purpose of deceiving you - the discriminating yet enthusiastic collector. This practice has been ongoing since the early 1980s, originating back when few people knew what an authentic comm prop was suppose to look like. The most prominent name in this illicit business is Mark (or Marc) English, known (both he and his forgeries) as ME. As best as we can tell he acted as a distributor for several "craftsmen." Fortunately for us, most MEs and other fakes carry distinct features ("tells") that allow them to be readily identified. Below is a link to a page that will help you quickly spot a typical forgery...
	> > > > The Details - HOW TO SPOT A FORGERY < < < <
So deep is the permeation of MEs that some have been illustrated in "real" prop books and websites, shown in Smithsonian exhibits, and even sold through prominent auction houses. It is not outside the realm of possibilities that ME and/or others of his ilk are still at work today. It may sound a bit bold, but we hope to put a stop to this and start cleaning house. In the past, collectors had little or no guide to assess claims of authenticity. The con men were unfortunately better informed than the victim. That is no longer the case. You now have HeroComm, and with it two options; to view the following pages and judge for yourself, or better still ask us for assistance. We have members and contributors here who have spent years studying the topic and had actual hands-on time with true originals and with convincing fakes. Simply put, we know exactly what to look for. We offer our aid to you for free. As corny as it sounds, the joy and satisfaction of finding an original is reward enough for prop enthusiasts like us. This service has already rendered very successful results. The owner of the actual Alpha hero sought our assistance in 2006, and all parties involved have been the happier for it.
	> > > > The Details - SENDING US YOUR PHOTOS < < < <
By sending us your photos, you are granting us permission to review those photos amongst only our staff and to contact you privately with our opinions. If we think it to be genuine, we would like to publish a few (or more) of your pictures on our site to announce the good news, and we will dialog with you further for your consent and other details. We will also gladly act as your public advocate, defending your prop (and our opinion) on this site and on boards against those who for reasons silly or sound openly dispute our call. However, if we sadly find that we cannot add yours to our Master Tracking List, neither your name nor pictures will ever be posted. You are thus free to obtain unfettered opinions elsewhere. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain! Legal Disclaimer in plain English: be advised that our counsel carries no official legal weight. Firstly, we will usually be rendering an opinion based on pictures rather than a physical inspection of the item in question. Secondly, HeroComm, as a loose federation of knowledgeable researchers and hobbyists, is not a licensed business entity, and as such cannot be registered, bonded, or insured. Thus our opinions are to be used and weighed at your own discretion and risk. Please read our legal page for more formal wording. * from board posting: EzBoard/Dewback Wing ASAP/Communicator/TOS - too "fat" comm shells?/ - 9/3/05 by "Lemnoc"
2. SECURITY
We're talking about the security of knowledge, not of course the security of your physical property. As in any business that pits good guys against the bad, there are moves and counter-moves. Now that forgers will have access to the same good information that you do, some could eventually come out with fakes refined enough to even fool some top experts. To best guard against that possibility here, we are withholding from public knowledge a few distinct tells that reliably pegs a fake from a genuine 100% of the time. On your end, we suggest it would be beneficial for you to have your original listed with us sooner rather than later. Can you imagine the frustration of owning a true Wah Chang communicator but to have other collectors and agents believe a forgery elsewhere made up to look like yours is the real deal instead? Simply put, the more time elapses, the greater the odds that a excellent replica could be confused with your original, making it all the more difficult for you to later claim the authenticity that is rightly yours.
3. VALUE
Supply and demand dictates the price of any object or commodity. Now that collectors worldwide will learn here that there are only ten authentic comms, the perceived supply will shrink. And since so many collectors who currently believe theirs to be genuine will learn otherwise, a whole new population of well-financed individuals will be seeking to rectify that earlier mistake. Demand will go up. You do the math. Now, while HeroComm has no official legal status, it is the only public source attempting to track these props. As such, we can anticipate over time that some people may use this website as the de facto guide as to what is genuine and what is not. So similar to what we stated a few paragraphs earlier, if you actually own an original but it is not listed with us, it simply may not accrue in value as it should, as the world of potential buyers who might otherwise have greater inclination to trust the authenticity of your prop may not do so. After all, don't you want your prized procession to share the world stage next to communicators like the famous Alpha hero or those owned by Microsoft co-founder's Paul Allen and renowned collector and special effects modeler Greg Jein? In summary, out of sight is out of mind, so if yours is known better, it will be wanted more. This may not benefit you if you have no intention of ever selling, but it will certainly help your heir (and us just for the knowledge we gain).
4. PRIVACY
When we locate another original comm prop, part of our joy is to make that information public. But there is no reason we have to make your name or location so. You can be an anonymous collector if you wish, whose personal information (except for your region and/or country, which we would like to list) will never be disclosed without your prior consent. Heck, even we don't have to know who you are! As stated in our Mission Statement, we found that creating this website is more than merely building a database; it is also about building and maintaining friendships, which we look forward to nurturing indefinitely. It is simply not in our best interest to ever violate your trust.
Lastly... AN APPEAL TO YOUR GENEROUS SPIRIT
To conclude, we ask that you consider the larger fraternity of fellow Star Trek enthusiasts who share your love of props and would so greatly enjoy and appreciate seeing your prized treasure. Go ahead - make us suffer with envy. We can take it!
If all this makes sense to you, then please reach us through the Contact button at the top of the page.