Something we haven't discussed...

[Gruff Old Bear]

I just opened my 1:4 Mr. Spock, which I've never displayed though I've had it a while.

We don't seem to have many ST fans on the forums. I'm no Trekkie myself; I actually got Spock out of admiration for the sheer iconography of it. I mean, Leonard Nimoy felt he had to write a book called I Am Not Spock, but later confessed to an LA Times interviewer that he'd reconsidered, and decided that to be utterly identified with a character was an accomplishment in itself. Many actors are never identified with a particular role, after all.

The sculpt is by Oluf, who has had only one controversial sculpt in his entire portfolio. This one's a beauty. It's still available from Sideshow for $200 -- which is seeming cheaper every time a new PF is announced -- and I found him for $170 on eBay a while back. I think you can do considerably better on eBay today.

As far as heat on this board is considered, I'd call this one an unclaimed treasure. I love mine.

 

[tomandshell]

Funny, I just went to look for the Spock PF today and it said it was sold out! I think he looks great.

 

[Josette]

I'm not much of a Trek fan, though I like the characters of Kirk and Spock and I can watch the original series. I never did get into any of the other shows and I don't have Trek collectibles.

I've seen pics of the 1/4 scale Spock and he looks very nice though.

 

[Shai]

While I got no inerest in those character,I've always like the spock and kirk 1/4's. They are very well made and the likeness are great...and very affordable

 

[NASEDO]

That is weird that there isn't much talk about the Star Trek Line. I thought Star Trek had a big following.

 

[tomandshell]

Seems like Star Trek is kind of fading away, with no more new movies or TV shows out there to keep people interested. It's a shame.

 

[Seaward]

I got several of the busts for a professor of mine who is a huge ST fan (and an even bigger Space: 1999 fan) and I thought all of the ones I got for him were really top-notch. I am just dipping my big toe into PF with Buffy, Lurtz and Frodo, but these always seemed amazing in the SS catalog!

 

[TOE]

I'm not a Star Trek fan either but loves collecting statues and figures just because I am addicted to the hobby. Anyway, I can't wait for the Seven of Nine Exclusive to arrive. She looks great and pretty much dead on. Anyone else got the exclusive version? Sold out preety quick. At first I was hesitant but hey, sold out quicker than most 200 limited edition statues.

 

[Kabukiman]

As long as there is breath in me, I will whine up and down that Sideshow needs to make *at least* a 1/4 Picard.

Sideshow getting the 1/6 Trek license would be a wet dream.

 

[Gruson]

I actually like my 1/4 Spock a lot as well. I got lucky and got him for $110 shipped on ebay about a year ago.

Very nice piece. Kirk's skin tone was too dark IMO but still a pretty nice piece.

I REALLY wish Sideshow would release a 1/4 Locutus. That would be very nice. Or at least some TNG pieces.....

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

As long as there is breath in me, I will whine up and down that Sideshow needs to make *at least* a 1/4 Picard.

My interest in Star Trek bottomed out around the time of Voyager, and I haven't looked back, but I would absolutely love to see a PF Picard in his grey shirt/red jacket uniform.

 

[Darklord Dave]

It is too bad that SSC climbed on the Trek bandwagon as it was leaving town. Just the other day I was thinking about the 7of9 PF and noticed that she'll be shipping in 2nd quarter and has yet to sell out of the regular version. It was said in the recent chat that there is no new Trek on the horizon, but who knows -- if Paramount decides to do something with their most valuable franchise, that might change.

 

[Ironman1188]

I enjoy Trek, mostly the original crew but TNG is ok too. I don't think it was so much Sideshow getting on the train as it was leaving as perhaps a few other details. Instead of offering 1:6 at a reasonable price, they went the PF way with a hefty price tag [yes, I know there were busts but that is a "different" form of collectible ie: not a figure]
I understand that there are a few interested companies involved in trying to, or were trying to, obtain the license for Star Trek due to its 40th anniversary coming up this year. Supposedly, there was a shift in the management at Paramount and licensing is a bit of a tangled web right now. After seeing Sideshow's Star Wars offerings they might do the Trek license justice. Of course I was really hoping that these would storm onto the scene:

 

[Anton Phibes]

For most of us Star Trek ended with the finish of the Undiscovered Country. Deforest Kelley passing away, and now James Doohan also lends to the fact that a lot of people who watched the original trek and were part of that experience are...well, dead now. Or simply too old to give a rat's backside. I used to know at least 10 people who were die hard trekkies. At the time (1991), they were all at least 55 years old. Now they would all be at least 70. Except 3/4 of them are dead. "But everyone who used to watched the Universal Monsters pictures are all old or goners, that genre is much older than Trek.", you may rebutt. This is true, but most people who are into the Monsters always try to "pass it on" to either a grandchild or a child.

With Star Trek, there was Next Generation, Deep Space 9, Voyager, Enterprise, and the original. Most folks I come in contact with treat all of these different aspects of the franchise as though they were all a seperate thing. Sure, you have guys or gals that like all of them. But my brother who is a die hard Voyager and Next Generation fan hates Deep Space 9 and the Original series with a passion. His reasons he cites are horrible special effects, and Shatner's shall we say, distinct, acting style. Which I looove btw, but its not his cup of tea on the Original, and terrible characters on DS9. I am beginning to believe that if newer viewers are not exposed to the older show it will eventually become something of an oddity like Roy Rogers, Gabby Hayes or Gene Autry. I also see this creeping into the realm of Universal's Monsters to some extent and also Lost in Space and others. Today's youths are not as interested in their rich history of cinematic and televised fiction. To some extent, comic books as a medium of entertainment suffer a little bit from this as well. Think of it like this...In science, if a species does not reproduce with greater numbers than it is dying out, what happens to it? It becomes extinct... unless an activist takes an active part in helping it become protected so it can increase its numbers. If these companies to not take an active part in promoting the remeberance of their pasts, there will be no increase in the fanbase and eventually this past will ahve no future. Pretty wordy for a post on a toy board, but that's how I feel about it.

 

[screamingmetal]

I'm a long time Trek fan. I grew up with Next Gen and like most of the other shows except Enterprise and to a lesser extent Voyager. I never bought the 1/4 figures because I just don't have the money. I'd like to get 7 of 9 but can't afford her. Maybe I'll get one if her price dips lower.

I'd also like to collect all the Diamond Comics figures but they're all over the place. I can't keep track of the different retailers that have exclusives and if I tried to go after them, I'd spend more then I would want.
1/6 is the line I collect. If Sideshow came out with 1/6 Star Trek figures from any of the series I'd buy them all as I do with Star Wars.
I fear that Trek has become too archaic for the current young generations. The only way they'd watch is if it was turned into an Anime cartoon like Clone Wars.

 

[tomandshell]

I fear that Trek has become too archaic for the current young generations. The only way they'd watch is if it was turned into an Anime cartoon like Clone Wars.

It was said in the recent chat that there is no new Trek on the horizon, but who knows -- if Paramount decides to do something with their most valuable franchise, that might change.

I hope so!

It would be a real shame if Star Trek were to end without them ever having the chance to do an episode that featured a malfunction on the holodeck.

 

[Ironman1188]

For most of us Star Trek ended with the finish of the Undiscovered Country. Deforest Kelley passing away, and now James Doohan also lends to the fact that a lot of people who watched the original trek and were part of that experience are...well, dead now. Or simply too old to give a rat's backside. I used to know at least 10 people who were die hard trekkies. At the time (1991), they were all at least 55 years old. Now they would all be at least 70.

Hey!! I'm no where near 70. I still like Trek, know a lot of folks who do and still think the original can stand on its own, given the chance. The licensing from Paramount seems to be the biggest reason, or lack thereof, that Trek is suffering.

 

[screamingmetal]

Most modern Anime is very different then early 70's American cartoon animation (animation intended for American audience). I was referring more to a Dragon Ball Z style and not to something like the original ST animated series.

 

[Anton Phibes]

Hey!! I'm no where near 70. I still like Trek, know a lot of folks who do and still think the original can stand on its own, given the chance. The licensing from Paramount seems to be the biggest reason, or lack thereof, that Trek is suffering.

I know, I am nowhere near 70 either.

Don't get me wrong here, Ironman... I enjoy the original series, I have the 3 seasons on dvd. I have the art asylum figures and some of the playmates stuff. I have pictures of myself when I was 7 with the Mego toys and a t-shirt with the science oofficer insignia on it and, yes... a set of those rubber Spock ears. But the show was well and truly off the air by the time I was born. You know how I got into it? On late night television because my mother introduced me to it. I am not dogging the show...I think its great. I am just trying to make a very valid statement that not as many people are into it, and we are not creating as many new fans. Star Trek was a dead issue for years after the cartoon/original series ended. By that I mean to say that Paramount or whomever did zilch in the way of marketing to keep it alive. It came back as "The Motion Picture" because fans kept it alive and created new fans by introducing it to them via the syndicated re-runs. When Star Wars became such a colossal success, the fans cried out for Trek. Bottom line: if we want to keep our respective properties alive we have to do so without the great big marketing firms. Then perhaps they will see that there are still people interested. Yes, Star Trek still holds its weight today and will forever be a classic. But Ancient Native American storytelling is also a revered classic. But how many people are into it? I have been collecting all of my life and I have seen interests wane and increase. But recently I am discovering more and more of the "older" stuff being left behind in favor of what"s "new and original". New and Original, indeed. S'all I'm sayin', dude, so get that phaser back on stun setting.

 

[Gruff Old Bear]

It would be a real shame if Star Trek were to end without them ever having the chance to do an episode that featured a malfunction on the holodeck.

That's hysterical!

I've been re-reading Anton's essay. It's food for thought for any of us, and possibly a warning for those who think of their collection as an investment.

I've been reading the Schiffer paperback about the rise and fall of the Aurora models company. It notes that the hobby industry was hard hit by the end of the childhood years for baby boomers, coupled with the dawn of video games. Together these two factors brought the end to Aurora, Monogram, and Revell.

Game versions may be the next evolutionary step for some of these properties, rather than a supplement or augmentation. Some collectible companies are releasing figures from original games properties (Metal Gear Solid, Ghost in the Shell), but somehow I don't see the Universal Monsters finding a new audience in computer games, and that may not bode well for them.

Anybody know how ST does as a game property? This is not my area of expertise...or interest.