I had my fair share of toys and other stuff growing up but never went that crazy. And no I never owned a uniform. But I will go over the stuff I had that I can remember, along with a look at some other things that I sadly never owned. Of course if I covered every toy or game based on this franchise we’d be here forever. So here is just a glimpse at the world of Trek merchandise and memorabilia
Let’s start with video games…
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Star Trek The Promethean Prophecy
This was a rather lackluster video game made for those of who lived in the stone age and had to rely on disk drives since it was weak ass graphics and mostly text only. In fact the game was so frustrating I usually just gave up and destroyed the Enterprise.
Star Trek TNG-A Final Unity
This was a really cool game because not only were the graphics pretty damn impressive, but it had the voices of the entire cast. You also go to pick which choice you wanted. However I don’t remember staying with it long before the game bored me. Course there are dozens of Trek games (VCR, PC, internet, and role playing) from Voyager:Elite Force to the Borg game which actually starred John DeLancie as Q. I sadly don’t have much experience with these fine games.
Game Boy
I’m pretty sure I had at least one Trek Game Boy game and I am also pretty sure I hated it. Hvae I ever mentioned I am not much of a gamer?
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Interactive VCR Board Game – A Klingon Challenge
Anyone remember these? You had to watch the tape while you played along? I also had America’s Funniest Home Videos which wasn’t bad and the CLUE VCR Game which also wasn’t all bad. I used to just watch the video and not play the game. This one is just dull since it is just a Klingon roaming around the empty sets of the Enterprise. The only other thing we get is a voice over from Jonathan Frakes as Riker explaining why the Enterprise is abandoned. Very boring.
TOS Action Figures
I’m pretty sure I had some of these original series figures as a kid, but not sure. I seem to remember the movie figures from The Motion Picture, so I must have had them too. Of course Star Trek action figures are a huge business. I’m sure that every movie earned a new set of action figures based on that movie.
TNG Figures-Production Era
I consider myself lucky that since I was around when the first season was kicking off I was able to buy the original toys. To bad I didn’t think to keep them. My favorite were the Antican and Selay. Who were they? They were aliens featured in the less then perfect episode “Lonely Among Us” and why they got action figures still baffles me. On the other hand, I loved the Enterprise too since it could split into two pieces and was so cool to play with.
Star Trek Bridge Set
One of my earliest memories is playing with a Bridge set. I used to put Star Wars figures in it, but what did I know? I wish I could say I was sure it was the one pictured, but I’m just not sure. And yes the one pictured is amazingly inaccurate, I mean not even close! Did Gold Key make it?
TNG had one too……
Star Trek Trivia Game
I did own this but sadly the only thing I can really say about it is that the box was nice. I just don’t remember playing it.
Star Trek:The Game
Same here, I did own this but don’t think I ever played it once. Yes there was a TNG and DS9 one too. In fact there were lots of board games with the “Star Trek” brand on it. Including.....
Star Trek Scene It
For some reason, I never owned this. Why didn’t I own this????
Enterprise-D Large Toy
I sucked at making models. I mean, really sucked. So ths best I could so as the full sized toy version of the Enterprise-D. It was cool since it had sound effects and lights. It did not separate like the die cast replica did.
DS9 Toy
This was the toy for the station Deep Space Nine. I never had it, but wish I had. Why? Because it came with a mini Enterprise you could atatch to it. HOW COOL IS THAT???
Voyager Toy
Yes there was one of these too
Mirco Machines
I never had much to love for Micro Machines but I stumbled onto these and I absolutely loved playing with them. For small little toys they were very detailed. I wish I still had them.
Stuffed Animals
Yes, I had Captain Kirk Teddy Bear and a Spock Teddy Bear. Don’t judge me! Hey at least I didn’t get the Klingon or Borg one’s. Oh and I imagine I also had a stuffed tribble at some point in my life.
Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments
I could do a whole article om just these. As much as I love the keepsake ornaments, I find the Star Trek one’s kind of…silly.
Ornament
Yes, I owned this. Yes, I got it as a gift. Yes, it did make a chirping noise when pressed. No I did not hang it on my tree.
Star Trek Clock
I’m pretty sure I had this too (or one like it). While it was supposed to be an alarm clock I’m pretty sure that I just displayed more like a model of the Enterprise rather than use it as it was intended.
Star Trek Legos
This one isn't much of a shock. Every franchise has Legos versions from Batman to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I gotta say though, while I was never a fan of Legos these sets are just beautiful!
Calendars
Well of course there were, and still are, calendars. I had some and I also had plenty of posters hanging in my room as a child.
And Toy Boxes
T-Shirts
Oh my lord are there T Shirts!!! One of my favorite T Shirt’s years ago was a Star Trek one where it was advertising Ten Forward (from TNG). The cool thing was it was done in the Hard Rock Cafe style, and it said Ten Forward in the Hard Rock font and underneath where the city the shirt was bought in normally is, was NCC-1701-D. I’d kill to buy another, or find a pic! I loved that shirt. I had other Trek clothes over the years. To say there are a few shirts out there is an understatement.
Before TV Shows on DVD was a thing, you could buy your favorite TV series on home video. This collection by Columbia House was how I finally watched the original series unedited!!
Collector Plates
Yes we even have commemorative plates. What can say about these? I don’t think anything encompasses how serious Trek fans are. WHY WOULD YOU WANT COMMEMORATIVE PLATES OF STAR TREK??? But they exist and they were huge.
Reference Guides
There used to a lot more of these, unofficial book mostly. When Paramount starts clamping down on them they all pretty much vanished. These are still around though not so much. I still have some on my bookshelf and still refer to them once in awhile. They were guides to the series, either episode guides or giving specific information on things like the Enterprise, the characters and aliens, or just nitpicking silly mistakes. True some of them were better than others, but I used to have a ball buying them.
Star Trek Conventions
So you want a place where all of this stuff can be found in one spot? I did two Star Trek conventions and they were just awesome. I saw Walter Keonig and Armin Shimmerman live on stage, and spent a ton of money on stuff I didn’t need. It was a blast! I should do a whole article on these but sadly I have only down two. If only I knew someone who had done more….
What owning merchandise and going to conventions not enough? Want to actually experience Star Trek, as if you were part of the show?
Star Trek Experience Vegas
Finally, one other thing I have to talk about and even though it doesn’t fit here there is no where to discuss it. This was simply…amazing! Not only did everything feel like it was set in a Star Trek world from the decor to the costumed actors, but the actual ride was just fantastic. I really did feel like I was on the Enterprise-D, and believe me when I say that isn’t something I say easily. Riker and LaForge appear in the onscreen segments and while it’s true the “plot” was weak and at the end of the day it was just another “Star Tours” motion ride…who cares I loved it!!!! it was immersed in Trek! The one I went to was replaced with another starring the Doctor from Voyager, but I never saw that one. It was a miracle I saw the one I did.
The world of Star Trek merchandise is a monster one. How huge is Trek? Did I mention what the name of the first Shuttle was back in the 70’s was? Yep, Enterprise was picked by popular fan vote. And guess what happens to be hanging in the Air & Space Museum in the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.?
Yes an original model used during that classic first series. And I saw this myself, a long time ago.
I know what you’re thinking, that was a glimpse? My friends that wasn’t a drop in the bucket. I didn’t even mention replica’s for communicators, phasers, uniforms, Spock ears, Klingon costumes, tricorders, Star Trek versions for Monopoly (regular and Klingon, of course), and Scrabble , models, trading cards, and who knows what else. Heck we even had this:
WTF????
To say the least, there is a lot I did not mention. If I missed something you feel should be on here comment and let me know.
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