Unobtainium Ltd. Enterprise ad, 2001
The Unobtainium team in 2002
Unobtainium Ltd. was a California-based collectible company incorporated in June 2001 that marketed itself as specializing in film and television prop replicas. It was cofounded by Rick Cigel and Chris Gilman, who had met over an interest in Star Trek and space memorabilia. In addition to Men in Black II and Spider-Man (2002), their signature Star Trek licensed collectible was a fully assembled, hand-painted model of the original USS Enterprise.
As Cigel and Gilman explained to Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 11, pp. 83-85, they had originally approached the Paramount licensing department offering to produce a replica of the D7 class model. It was Paramount that suggested instead creating the Enterprise.
Due to "difficulty with the resin product," the company experienced delays in producing a quality model and fulfilling placed orders. Unobtainium Ltd. eventually declared bankruptcy, without having delivered on all orders placed and paid for. [1](X) [2]
Enterprise model[]
The model was originally advertised with three options: Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate, with a total of 2,500 units produced. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 11, p. 84) The Standard model was 33 inches long and came fully painted and assembled with a base, priced at $795 USD. The Deluxe model, based on the Standard model, additionally featured working lights for the windows, navigation beacon, and warp nacelles, priced at $1,295 USD. The Ultimate model, based on the Deluxe model, was limited to 150 produced, had sound effects, and included an autographed plate on the base signed by William Shatner. Priced at $1,495 USD, the Deluxe model had sold out by October 2002. [3](X)