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Troy Nelson and his younger brother Andrew were almost inseparable.
The youngest of six, they were born two years apart. They have lived together in their childhood home in Bremerton, Washington, for more than half a century. Near their home, there is a park bench on which they carved their initials when they were little boys.
The Nelson brothers never married or had children. They worked together in the same seniors home. Once, when they were teenagers, they even dated the same girl at the same time while working different shifts at the same pizza shop. This went on for a week until they realized this.
“Two parts of one body,” Evan Brown, their older sister, said of their relationship in an interview.
On February 28, Andrew Nelson, who had been treated for cancer for years, went to feed the chickens and ducks that had been a gift from Mrs. Brown to her siblings. He had a heart attack and died. He was 55 years old. Just hours later, a grief-stricken Troy Nelson committed suicide. He was 57 years old.
“He's talked about it before,” said Brown, 66, with tears in his eyes. “Hey, if Andrew goes, I'm out of here,” he said. I'm checking out.' Andrew was saying the same thing, and then it actually happened“.
What Troy Nelson left behind became a sensation. After his death, his family members Pictures posted on social media From his huge — and the keyword is really huge — collection of “Star Trek” memorabilia, which has now been shared thousands of times.
The items occupy two living rooms and a bedroom, all lined with bookshelves, according to Elena Hamill, one of the brothers' nieces. The middle of the rooms was lined with additional bookshelves—all packed to the brim—to create hallways. There were jewelry cabinets that served as display cases.
The shelves contain action figures. Dolls. Models of ships. Posters. Ornaments. Lunch boxes. Lego. Many stage and tricorder games. (For non-Trek fans, a tricorder is a weapon, and a tricorder is basically a fancy smartphone.) Multiple “Star Trek” lights. (Yes, there are “Star Trek” lights.) Trading cards. Comic books. Geeki Tikis (stylized tiki mugs) themed ride. Life-sized cutouts of famous personalities. Life size captain's chair.
While it is impossible to count every private collector in the world, Troy Nelson's collection is certainly among — if not the — largest. the Larger.
The latest additions to the collection came in the final weeks of his life: stuffed rabbits in a “Star Trek” costume. “I've never seen a group this large,” said Ross Haslig, the association's president. International Federation of Hikersa “Star Trek”-themed non-profit organization founded by Haslage with Gene Roddenberry, creator of the series.
In 2020, Haslig's organization opened a “Star Trek” museum in Sandusky, Ohio, which received memorabilia donations from the estate. These collections “paled in comparison” to Mr. Nelson's collections, he said. (Haslage reached out to the family to ask about donations from the group.)
The older brother's love for “Star Trek” started with the original series, which he used to watch with his siblings.
“It was our dinner,” Mrs. Brown said. “When we had dinner, we were sitting in front of Star Trek.”
Troy Nelson began collecting in the late 1970s. His first acquisition was a mock-up of the Starship Enterprise. Then came the Star Trek conventions. Why the franchise was such a draw to him remains a mystery to his family.
“I really can't tell. I mean, other than the fact that he was brainwashed by it at dinner time,” Brown said with a laugh. “That sounds ridiculous. When we were growing up, it was like, “Dinner at this time.” If you don't get here by this time, you won't get dinner. So maybe that was a relief to him“.
Troy Nelson would often monitor sites like eBay for items he didn't own. On several occasions, he would express his frustration at losing an item before he could bid on it. Until I find out why.
“Andrew really got it,” Ms. Brown recalled.
Star Trek's long-obsessed fanbase has become an indelible part of popular culture, especially since the franchise — which has spawned numerous television series, films, novels, and comics — has been such a long-running institution. There are documentaries that have studied this topic. like “travels” In 1997. It was Parody of “The Simpsons” series “Saturday Night Live” And “A family-oriented man,” And it becomes a story in An episode of “The West Wing” Among many others. For dedicated fans, collecting collectibles is not uncommon.
“When you combine those things, you're closer to the genre that you enjoy the most,” Haslig said. “When I first started in 1979, I was grabbing whatever I could get because it was cool, and it was part of the whole 'Star Trek' mythology. If you have those pieces, you're part of that universe in some way.
It turns out that collecting is a pursuit that runs in the family.
Andrew Nelson collects mall swords, Ryobi-branded tools and statues of warrior women, Like Xena, the warrior princess.
Brown's house has a wall of thousands of smashed pennies, and her living room windows are filled with glass sugar and creamer bowls.
Brown's father, Bud Beers, collected salt, pepper, guns and knives. Norman Nelson, Troy and Andrew's father, collected scrap metal and wood.
Hummel has 17 Christmas trees, all fully decorated in separate themes.
Brown's son, Michael, 36, collects anything and everything related to black bears.
““When you have a large collection like this and it's presented in this way, and this is something that's important to you, being in a place like this is often really calming. It's just all the things that you love. It's calming,” Hamel said.
As far as Brown knew, Troy had no history of mental illness or any previous suicide attempts. After Andrew died, she received a distraught and frantic call from Troy with the news. So she told him she was on her way.
Mrs. Brown said she called him when she got to the Tacoma Bridge. No answer. Then again at Manette Bridge. No answer. When I arrived at their house, the back door was open. Then I found it. The phone call was the last time they spoke.
Troy Nelson didn't leave a note, but he did leave a few things neatly arranged on his computer, including a house key, the brothers' burial plans, and bills.
““I don't really know what I thought of it,” Ms. Brown said. “All I could do was scream.”
The Nelson family is preparing a “Star Trek” narration collection to prepare it for auction. Andrew's ashes will be placed in an urn carved in the shape of supermodel Bettie Page. (He was a fan). Troy's ashes will be placed in a “Star Trek” lunch box.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 988 or go to TalkingOfSuicide.com/resources For a list of additional resources.
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