Framed above the fireplace or simply sported by its owner, this is one movie collectable that would be a guaranteed conversation starter. One of the ears worn by Leonard Nimoy as Mr Spock in the 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture is to be auctioned tomorrow.
The appendage, one of Spock's most recgonisable features, is part of a pair acquired from the prop master on the film, and has been lovingly preserved.
"It was carefully wrapped up, which is important because silicone latex can deteriorate," a spokesman for the auctioneers, Premiere Props in Los Angeles, told the Daily Express.
"Spock's ears are an iconic part of Star Trek and fans across the world would love to own it – we've already had lots of bids," he said. Conservative estimates suggest the ear is likely to fetch around £700.
The half-human, half-Vulcan sidekick of Captain Kirk, commander of the USS Enterprise, Spock's curious appearance was initially a concern for producers who feared his satanic looks might scare children.
The ear is the centrepiece of a sale of more than 500 Hollywood props from dozens of films, including Star Wars, Indiana Jones and forthcoming slasher The Roommate. Other items include a Tom Cruise stuntman mask from Mission: Impossible (estimates $200 - $350), a pair of Cher's "personal pants … gold with gold sequins, bell-bottom style ankles, zipper on the back", and Charlton Heston's breeches from The Agony and the Ecstasy (no bids yet).
Meanwhile, Kevin Smith is helping meet the self-distribution costs of his horror film, Red State, by auctioning some of his personal memorabilia next month.
Items up for grabs include Ben Affleck's fake wings from Dogma, a burnt-out cash register featured in Clerks II and a foam rubber fist from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
