Either there's a legitimate Star Trek Tribble for sale at eBay today, or someone is about to make $5,000 off a large multi-colored cotton ball.

The auctioneer states that this ball of fur is, indeed, a Tribble from Star Trek: The Original Series. Episode? The Trouble With Tribbles, obviously.

The 42-year-old prop takes two AA batteries, still works, and could be vibrating madly on your desktop in six days if you beat the lofty current purchase price of $5,000.

A certificate of authenticity signed by Scotty's son Chris Doohan makes this all legit, but man... for that price I kind of want to buy some cotton balls, color them, and make my own "rare collectible" for less than a buck. Won't smell like Kirk though, I know. [eBay - Thanks, Doguez]

Send an email to Jack Loftus, the author of this post, at jloftus@gizmodo.com.