Are you saying all those “4th & 5th guy in the landing party” dudes (the ones in the red shirts) get $500 per appearance?
The original Star Trek series truly IS the gift that keeps on giving, isn’t it?
Usually, of course you need to scare up the appearances too. If you’re willing to do 2 or 3 supermarket openings a week you can make a living as the “I had a line in that episode” guy. It’s better to have a recurring minor or full fledged guest star role, then you can get a couple grand and maybe spend a couple weekends a year not at a convention.
Actually, a lot of those types of actors/actresses will go to a convention for no fee but they will rake in the money on autographs, photos and memorabilia they bring along.