Like many another Star Trek fan, I am constrained by space and budget to limit my collecting impulses. So how does one choose from the literally THOUSANDS of licensed products which have been issued over the 33+ year history of the series?

Well, first, there's just plain old personal preference-BUY WHAT YOU LIKE! I concentrate on anything to do with the original cast (CLASSIC TREK). You, however, might have a special fondness for Enterprise D and the Next Generation, while someone else might steep himself in all things Klingon. Others may specialize in types of merchandise-books, toys, etc. Whatever you choose, if you're planning on living with it, you should enjoy it.

Buying as an investment can be another matter entirely. Items produced over 30 years ago are relatively scarce today (back then, how many people realized Star Trek's potential?) and so have appreciated greatly (a 1968 Star Trek domed, metal lunchbox recently sold on eBay for $516.00!!!). Will that Klingon d'k tahg you purchased today be of comparable value 30 years from now? There is really no way to know for sure, but there are a few ways to hedge your bets:

Double your pleasure; double your fun. I know more than a few collectors who buy TWO of whatever they like--one to keep and one as an investment. If the items increase in value, great, but if not, they've got an extra one to play with.

Don't invest in "collectible" editions. If something is marked "collectible", chances are that so many have been produced that it won't appreciate in value in your lifetime. I have several such items, but only because I enjoy them, not for their (nil) investment potential.

Buy the first in a series. The first issue is almost always the most limited. Subsequent items in a series are issued in greater numbers to meet the demand as collectors jump on the bandwagon. (This holds true for all kinds of items, from Hallmark ornaments to Volkswagen Beetles.)

Buy first editions. First edition books almost always have greater investment potential than other editions. And if it comes with a dust jacket, so much the better.

Buy mint, and keep it mint. Nothing wrecks potential value more than failing to keep an item in pristine condition. This means NOT storing your stuff in damp basements (invest in a dehumidifier) or hot attics, and NOT storing paper (comics, cards, etc) in non-archival materials. (Anything with PVC, for instance, will cause paper products to yellow and become brittle.) Here are just three of a number of books dealing with the subject:
Caring for Your Antiques & Collectibles -- Miriam L. Plans, Paperback;
Caring for Your Collections -- Arthur Warren Schultz, Robert McCormick Adams (Illustrator), Hardcover;
Caring for Your Collectibles: How to Preserve Your Old and New Treasures -- Kenneth Arnold, Ken Arnold, Paperback.

To see what's available in the Star Trek universe right now, check out http://www.startrek.com (the official Paramount Web site). There are links to http://www.startrekcontinuum.com where, if you click on NEWSGROUPS, you can find out about conventions where you can browse all kinds of great stuff. There is also a link to http://www.startrekstore.com where, if you click on COMMUNITY and then PRODUCT INFO, you will find links to a number of producers of Star Trek merchandise. I tried the link under PUBLISHING, which took me to http://www.simonsays.com/startrek. There I found all kinds of company information (including guidelines for manuscript submissions!) in addition to a list of all their Star Trek titles in print. There are also links to Playmates Toys, the Franklin Mint, and a whole slew of others I had known nothing about.

There are also a large number of books on Star Trek collectibles. You can check out Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com to see what's available. Though I don't find the price guides of current value (check out the eBay, Amazon, and Yahoo auction sites for up-to-date prices), they are helpful in identifying items of relative scarcity. You might also want to check out current issues of STAR TREK COMMUNICATOR, the official fan magazine which lists lots of items for sale. Good luck, and, LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!