When Greg Jein, an Oscar-nominated visible results artist, died final 12 months at age 76, he left behind 1000’s of props, miniatures, costumes and different possessions in two homes, two garages and two storage items in Los Angeles.

Among his many belongings, he had a lace hairpiece worn by William Shatner as Captain Kirk within the authentic “Star Trek” tv collection; an almost 7-foot-long Martian rocket ship from the 1952 film serial “Zombies of the Stratosphere,” that includes a younger Leonard Nimoy; and Batman’s yellow utility belt from the Nineteen Sixties tv present, starring Adam West.

Going by the gathering after Mr. Jein died in May 2022 “was like a treasure hunt because Greg knew where things were, but it was not organized,” his cousin, Jerry Chang, stated. “As you moved a stack of books away, you’d go, ‘Oh my god, I recognize that!’”

But there was one explicit merchandise that nobody knew he had till one Saturday final November, when 4 of Mr. Jein’s buddies determined to assist his household empty one in every of his garages.

The first field they opened was full of Bubble Wrap. The subsequent had extra packing supplies. The third felt heavier, stated Gene Kozicki, a visual-effects historian and archivist who labored with Mr. Jein on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” within the Nineties.

Mr. Kozicki opened the field, dug into some packing peanuts and “the nose of an X-wing revealed itself.”

Mr. Kozicki knew instantly that it was one of many X-wing fashions that had been filmed up shut for the climactic battle scene within the authentic 1977 “Star Wars” film, when the Rebel Alliance blows up the Death Star.

“It was like ‘Holy cow, we found an X-wing, a real, honest-to-goodness X-wing,’” Mr. Kozicki stated. “We were carrying on like kids on Christmas.”

Mr. Chang, 75, who was additionally sorting by his cousin’s belongings that day, witnessed the celebration over the spaceship.

“I saw four guys in their 50s jumping up and down, and they had their phones out and they were taking pictures from every angle,” Mr. Chang stated.

“They said, ‘Do you know where this came from?’” Mr. Chang added. “And I said, ‘No idea.’”

The X-wing had been constructed by Industrial Light & Magic, the particular results studio based by George Lucas. But individuals within the visible results business had not seen it in many years, Mr. Kozicki stated.

“There were lots of rumors about what happened to it, but rumors are rumors until you actually find it,” he stated. “And here it was, sitting in front of us.”

On Oct. 14 and 15, Heritage Auctions plans to promote the mannequin, together with greater than 550 different props, costumes and gadgets from Mr. Jein’s assortment. Bidding on the X-wing begins at $400,000. An analogous mannequin X-wing offered final 12 months for practically $2.4 million.

Heritage Auctions stated the mannequin was utilized in scenes involving X-wings flown by three pilots within the fictional Alliance. The characters’ name indicators have been Red Leader, Red Two and Luke Skywalker’s personal Red Five.

Unlike less complicated props that have been made to be blown up, the X-wing was one in every of 4 variations generally known as “hero” fashions crafted with motorized wings, fiber-optic lights and different options for close-up photographs, the public sale home stated, including that the piece “represents the pinnacle of ‘Star Wars’ artifacts to ever reach the market.”

Mr. Chang and Mr. Kozicki stated they didn’t understand how Mr. Jein got here to accumulate it.

Mr. Jein had spent a lifetime gathering, starting with baseball playing cards and comedian books and shifting on to film scripts and memorabilia from movies and tv exhibits, lots of which he acquired by buying and selling with business professionals.

His favourite piece in his assortment was a miniature double-decker bus with rubber tires from the 1943 Laurel and Hardy comedy “The Dancing Masters.” Mr. Jein was amazed by how practical it seemed on-screen, Mr. Chang stated.

Even as a boy, Mr. Jein would research reference books to make sure he selected the proper colour of paint for the mannequin troopers, tanks and warships he assembled, Mr. Chang stated.

“He was always very particular that his items were as authentic as possible,” Mr. Chang stated.

That consideration to element served Mr. Jein effectively in Hollywood.

As a visible results artist, he was nominated for an Academy Award in 1978 for his work on Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

Mr. Jein led the group that constructed the mannequin of the alien “mother ship” that seems within the movie. The piece is now within the assortment of the National Air and Space Museum.

In 1980, Mr. Jein was nominated for an additional Academy Award in visible results for his work on Mr. Spielberg’s “1941,” which was filmed utilizing mannequin tanks, buildings and a runaway Ferris wheel.

As film miniatures gave means in current many years to digital particular results, “Greg realized this stuff was an art form, and the people who made them were artists,” Mr. Kozicki stated.

Mr. Kozicki stated he hoped {that a} museum would purchase the X-wing and a few of the different props from Mr. Jein’s assortment.

Even in the event that they don’t find yourself on public show, “just the fact that people will be buying this stuff leads me to believe his stuff will be cared for, and there will be a chance to see these items again,” Mr. Kozicki stated. “People will enjoy and respect it, and will hopefully think of all the people who made all this stuff.”