# Unobtainium LTD...after all these years.



## Joeysaddress (Jun 16, 2006)

I just got a letter from the US Bankruptcy Court in California stating that "Notice is hereby given that sufficient assets may become available for a distribution to creditors in the above--captioned bankruptcy case. I have until June 20, 2011 to file my claim. Could I get my money back after all these years??? 

Anyone else get one of these???

Joey


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## falcondesigns (Oct 30, 2002)

To think,I allmost bought one of these.....but then I saw one up close at the San Diego ComicCon and changed my mind.


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## Trek Ace (Jul 8, 2001)

I hope that I receive a letter. I was directly lied to and ripped off by that scoundrel.


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## Joeysaddress (Jun 16, 2006)

I bought one the day that they started excepting orders. Then I waited....and waited...and waited. I called and called and called. After threatening to cancel my order, they sent me one. I ordered the top of the line with autographs. It arrived and I was happy as a kid on Christmas day. After taking it out of the box, I noticed that the saucer had a split in the seam near the impulse deck. There was also a split down the back of the secondary hull. I called, packed it up and waited for a replacement. A month passed, then two. I called, and called and called. I finally got Rick on the phone one day. He said that they were still having production problems. I told him that until they got it corrected, I wanted to cancel my order and get a refund. He did a song and dance and convinced me that they were on the way and gave me a refund of half the price ($700 back on my credit card). Next thing I know the website is gone and so are they. If I could get the $700 after all these years, that would be wonderful.


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## Joeysaddress (Jun 16, 2006)

By the way...I did get the Master Replicas version and have been quite happy with it.


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## Carson Dyle (May 7, 2003)

I'm still waiting for my Icons Jupiter 2 remittance.

But, seriously, good luck... I hope you get your money back.


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## Tiberious (Nov 20, 2001)

My Credit Card ate the Unobtainium cost for me, but I hope they get their money back. Bunch of crooks and liars IMO.

I also got the MR ship so the pain is somewhat eased.

Tib


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## bil4miller (Jul 30, 1999)

I got my letter too. Just be aware that customers are pretty much last in line for a ny assets. I would be happy if I get 10% of what I lost.


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## Joeysaddress (Jun 16, 2006)

Well my fingers are crossed. Good luck to us all! It's been so many years that I have long gotten over the $'s lost. Will be cool if I get anything back.


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## CessnaDriver (Apr 27, 2005)

falcondesigns said:


> To think,I allmost bought one of these.....but then I saw one up close at the San Diego ComicCon and changed my mind.


My story is EXACTLY the same.


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## CessnaDriver (Apr 27, 2005)

Somebody must have started making money and now hopefully it's payback time.

My god, how many years????


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## Wolvster (Mar 14, 2006)

You know, I had a brain freeze on this one...

_WHO_ was it that was responsible for that train wreck ?

If I remember right, it's was _NOT_ 30 guys ! It was only 2 or
3 guys that started that Company and then ran off with
the money..


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## nautilusnut (Jul 9, 2008)

Carson,

I too got taken for an Icons J2. Jim Latta talked me out of 400.00- an amount I could ill-afford to throw away. I DID get a set of the J2 blue prints- but that's all my money bought me. I know several folks personally who lost alot more than I did. I have never been able to find out exactly what happened to Mr. Latta after Icons closed it's doors. Did he just declare bankrupcy and walk away unscathed? I know Monsters in Motion was buying things for cash out the back door- that's how many of the Disney Nautilus got out. I also heard one of the guys he scammed was an FBI agent. Did no-one try and get a class action suit against him. He had a huge collection of original movie props - they could have been sold to pay us back. Any one with info on what happened?


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## seaQuest (Jan 12, 2003)

When I worked at Streamline Pictures Modelworks, the guy that hired me left for Icons the day I started. Then, you all know what happened to Streamline...

Jim Latta. Now, THERE's a name from the foggy past!


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

Yep, brings up memories. He used to own the original hero Spindrift and had plans to make a mold and sell 5 or 6 copies to recoup the $11K he paid for it. He was selling these copies at $2500 per. Of course, I forked over the money. Never happened. I did get $500 back about 5 or 6 years later, plus the promise of a J2. Oh well.


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Am I missing something or didn't the name "Unobtanium" ring a bell that their products would never be obtained by the buyers?


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Paulbo said:


> Am I missing something or didn't the name "Unobtanium" ring a bell that their products would never be obtained by the buyers?


LOL. I was wondering if anyone else noticed the irony of that!


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## JGG1701 (Nov 9, 2004)

This reminds me of an old thread...........................
http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=256005
-Jim


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## Shaw (Jan 9, 2005)

JGG1701 said:


> This reminds me of an old thread...........................
> http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=256005
> -Jim


Or this one...The great Unobtainium disaster?​


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## BolianAdmiral (Feb 24, 2009)

I'm glad i never bought one of these things... IMO, when I see a company named "Unobtanium" a red flag goes up in my brain, lol... like something crooked is hiding in plain sight. But beyond that, the price of the model was just too much to justify my buying one of those ships, although I did see one up-close at a Pasadena con one year.


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## Poseidon (Aug 30, 2004)

Yes, Joey, I also received a letter from the Bankruptcy Court, just last week. It's hard to believe I "could" still get my money back after all these years. I don't even remember how long it has been since Unobtanium when down. Anyone?


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

I remember asking my wife is we could spare $1200.
"What for?"
"A 33-inch Enterprise."
"Can you have sex with it?"
"So, no, then?"
:lol:


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## Redspecial (Feb 17, 2011)

Just a quick reality check for those who haven't had the experience of receiving payout from a class-action lawsuit; the payouts end up being only fractions of the initial loss. That's why the word "settlement" rears its ugly head time after time. It's ok to look forward to some small satisfaction, just don't get your hopes up for a full refund.

Devon


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## nautilusnut (Jul 9, 2008)

I'd be happy knowing Jim Latta was sitting in a jail cell somewhere for Fraud.
He continued taking money from unsuspecting customersright up to the day the Icons closed it's doors.


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## Carson Dyle (May 7, 2003)

nautilusnut said:


> I'd be happy knowing Jim Latta was sitting in a jail cell somewhere for Fraud.


No such luck I'm afraid.

I've twice run into Mr. Latta at a public event, and on both occasions it was all I could do to keep from taking a swing at him. Alas, punching people out is not really my thing (Latta's already inconvenienced me enough without tacking on an aggravated assault charge).










This picture was taken a couple years ago at a Bob Peak exhibit in LA. Latta is the creepy, Severn Darden-ish looking guy behind that handsome devil in the green striped shirt.

Even though I refrained from pulling a Buzz Aldrin and socking Latta in the snoot, I did have fun throwing menacing looks his way. He had no idea who the angry-looking guy was of course; he just knew I was someone he'd stiffed, and I could tell it made him nervous to know he'd been recognized.

:devil:


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## Tiberious (Nov 20, 2001)

That suggests a a sense of regret, which between him and the Unobtainium guy (Rick?) I doubt they possess.

That said, I doubt I'm going to pursue the paperwork I got earlier this week, not sure my blood pressure can handle this again.

Thank God I got my MR Enterprise before they too went away.

Tib


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## seaQuest (Jan 12, 2003)

charonjr said:


> Yep, brings up memories. He used to own the original hero Spindrift and had plans to make a mold and sell 5 or 6 copies to recoup the $11K he paid for it. He was selling these copies at $2500 per. Of course, I forked over the money. Never happened. I did get $500 back about 5 or 6 years later, plus the promise of a J2. Oh well.


He also owned the hero Jupiter II. Sold off equipment at Icons to obtain it, IIRC.


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

Tiberious said:


> That suggests a a sense of regret ...


Sounds like fear to me. Or "the dull look of a trapped animal".


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## Joeysaddress (Jun 16, 2006)

I remember that Rick used our money to purchase the model of Stage 9 that Matt Jefferies made to help Star Trek writers have an idea of what the ship sets looked like. It was at an auction. I wonder if they are selling that off to get money for creditors? I would hate to see it lost. It was such a cool model.


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## Tiberious (Nov 20, 2001)

I believe Paul Allen owns those now.

Tib


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## Carson Dyle (May 7, 2003)

Tiberious said:


> I believe Paul Allen owns those now.


Yup...


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## veedubb67 (Jul 11, 2003)

Yep - saw it at the Sci-Fi Museum in Seattle...

Rob
Iwata Padawan


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## GKvfx (May 30, 2008)

Unpacking yet another box, I came across Icons' catalog that they sent me. Never bought anything from these guys, nor did I get burned. Doubly lucky I guess.....

The "Icons Success Story" is a hoot, given what happened........

Gene


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## nautilusnut (Jul 9, 2008)

Last year I threw out the old "Toy Collector" newspaper I ordered the J2 from.
It had glowing articles about ICONS success too.


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## george sartiano (Apr 8, 2011)

Joeysaddress said:


> I just got a letter from the US Bankruptcy Court in California stating that "Notice is hereby given that sufficient assets may become available for a distribution to creditors in the above--captioned bankruptcy case. I have until June 20, 2011 to file my claim. Could I get my money back after all these years???
> 
> Anyone else get one of these???
> 
> Joey


Does anyone have the address/name of whom to file with? I've moved a few times since Unobtainium went bankrupt in 2002 and would love to be able to file as well.

Thanks!

George


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