The Star Trek thread

[The Gill-Man]

Janeway looks just like the source material. It's a great rendition of that version of her.

Gotta disagree. Looks absolutely nothing like Kate Mulgrew . That is one terrible likeness on that figure...even worse than the Zuckerberg looking Data.

I believe its from the animated show Prodigy, so it's more reflective of the animated model as opposed to the live action actress.

Ah....That makes more sense. Weird choice to base it on this instead of the live-action version of the character, but I guess they're pushing the animated show?

While I was impatiently waiting at Target for a slightly-tamed ape-child to pick his damn toy and leave the toy aisle that he, his parents on cell phones and the empty cart that they wedged sideways in the middle of the aisle were blocking, I grabbed a Saru and scanned it our of sheer boredom. Said "No location" under location and "none in back." This is not good. No stock and no set location. This will not make any money for Playmates at the rate it's going. I'm predicting we'll see wave one of Prodigy and wave 2 of the mainline will probably get canceled. Another Trek toyline soon to be dead.

This is what worries me, and makes me hesitant to get too far into the line. Been burned WAY too many times with Trek lines, having incomplete crews and what-not. I mean, at this rate are we even going to get TOS or SNW figures? And, if we do, what are the odds we get a complete Bridge crew? I'd say highly unlikely, based on history.

[ODBJBG]

As someone who was around during the good ol days of Playmates Trek having premium aisle space at TRU...it can definitely feel a little sobering to see the state of current Trek toys. I like what Playmates is doing here but man...2 waves a year (if we're lucky?) is such a different beast, especially with so many different shows/movies to cherrypick from.

Trek probably has more shows on than at any point in the franchise's history...

That said, the shows combined are probably watched by fewer than at any point in the franchise's history. I'm not sure if that's the fault of ST or the fact that everything is locked behind a paywall on a streaming channel, but it's just the reality of the situation.

Even if Target gave them a ton of shelf space, it wouldn't make a lot of product move. Playmates has to be careful with a line like this, having been burned in the past.

That said, I do wish we could get some complete crews. And it's sort of a self fulfilling prophecy where buyers are timid to buy figures worrying they won't get a full crew, retailers are timid to stock because buyers are timid and the people making the product are timid to make characters because buyers aren't buying them, etc.

I think with Trek, box sets would be ideal TBH. But I'm sure retailers don't want to carry higher priced items.

[JPC]

If only there was a platform to release such sets on... that could be accessed worldwide... like a digital final frontier...

[Kassle]

I think with Trek, box sets would be ideal TBH. But I'm sure retailers don't want to carry higher priced items.

Box sets would be a great idea for the current state of the line (and a way to get out more "niche" characters).

At this point, when it comes to Trek, I only expect to get a full TNG crew set (just the Big 7, though - not Tasha & Wesley). TOS seems to come close, but comes up short sometimes with characters like Sulu, Chapel & Chekov. I feel like a TNG shelf is doable...and everything else is probably going to end up in a hodgepodge multiverse display - like with Seven; I'll be thrilled to have her but I have no expectations we will ever have a full Voyager group.

Back to the box sets, though - I could actually see those as a great way to get some of the newer crews out. I do think TNG/TOS can move a normal wave...but 2- or 3-packs seem like they'd be a perfect way to fill out the Disco/SNW crews.

[Ash Talon]

I feel almost the opposite. Boxed sets are higher priced, so getting newer characters, who don’t really have a larger audience, in those kind of sets may not result in sales. I think new characters have a better chance of being sprinkled throughout waves where they don’t have a chance of clogging pegs/shelves.

Some of TOS characters could utilize body reuse. I can see them in a boxed set. Especially if you pack in a variant of Kirk or Spock. Something like green shirt Kirk with Scotty and Sulu. Spock (Spock’s brain jumpsuit) and Bones (short-sleeves) and Chekhov. I feel like Bones and Uhura would be good single-carded figures. TOS can definitely move a boxed set.

I also think TNG could handle a boxed set. Might be the only way we get Yar or Barclay. TNG has those season 1-2 uniform variants which could be put into boxed sets along with a new character.

I think keeping boxed sets to 3 figures would keep the price down.

[The Gill-Man]

I like the idea of a two or three figure set. It would give me some hope that they really do intend to do the entire crew I'm wanting to collect. The idea of doing something like Kirk, Checkov & Sulu in one set, while a character like Scotty or Uhura is in a wave would really galvanize me to go deeper into the line. Giving the same treatment with TNG, and then (maybe) DS9 would really go a long way towards making me feel they were committed to really building the ST Universe.

I agree with Ash Talon though...I don't think they could sustain a boxed set with any more than three figures, and I think it would have to be TOS & TNG to kick it off (heck, they could do MULTIPLES of those, and circle back to movie looks as well). DS9 could possibly sell in a set, though it's iffy. The other series are unlikely to sell at all in that form at all.

[Kassle]

Perhaps 2-packs with big characters in alternate outfits paired w/ significant characters unlikely to get a single release?

Scrubs McCoy & Nurse Chapel (could re-use head/pants from a single carded McCoy & a lower body from Uhura for Chapel)
Casual Green Shirt Kirk & Yeoman Rand (could re-use head/pants from a single carded Kirk & a body from Uhura for Rand)

[Zombie F-Body]

I think multi-packs probably should have been considered. Nostalgia packaging should not have been the main focus. Maybe do the main releases as 2/3-packs and chase single-packs in retro packaging. Most ST collectors would tend to ignore a line if the odds of completing crews is not likely. They started WOK/movie era, TNG, and early STD so I'd like those crews completed at the least before they start dragging in other shows but still I want DS9, VOY and TNG movie stuff too. Definitely want the Picard season 3 crew. I just don't think Playmates has enough gas in their tank to do this. As much as it moves units, TOS has been done to death and is pretty well represented in the vintage line. I like the idea of short sleeve McCoy or versions that we never got in the 1990s. It just seems like this is a line that has to be running large waves regularly. This small 2-waves a year stuff is not going to work. Unless Playmates is considering the long game for once and is doing it this way to cut their loses versus a large amount of releases that won't sell. Who knows?!

Playmates does have a nasty track record of walking away from failing lines with no fanfare. Reminds me too dang much of the incomplete Netflix Voltron crew. They screwed around too long releasing the non-robot figures and the show was on it's way out when the first humans hit the shelves. Retailers wanted nothing to do with it so we only got 2/5 of the core crew completed.

[dchimpy]

Perhaps 2-packs with big characters in alternate outfits paired w/ significant characters unlikely to get a single release?

Scrubs McCoy & Nurse Chapel (could re-use head/pants from a single carded McCoy & a lower body from Uhura for Chapel)
Casual Green Shirt Kirk & Yeoman Rand (could re-use head/pants from a single carded Kirk & a body from Uhura for Rand)

I like this idea, and I'd be all in on it. I think minimates did a similar type of thing with their Star Trek 2 packs back in the day.

[Zombie F-Body]

Weird idea: based on what we've seen, Star Trek Phase II figures? Similar to TOS but getting characters like PII Ilia, Xon, CMDR Rand, etc. Maybe Paramount would let Playmates into the archive and get ideas for some other stuff from the failed series.

[The Gill-Man]

Perhaps 2-packs with big characters in alternate outfits paired w/ significant characters unlikely to get a single release?

Scrubs McCoy & Nurse Chapel (could re-use head/pants from a single carded McCoy & a lower body from Uhura for Chapel)
Casual Green Shirt Kirk & Yeoman Rand (could re-use head/pants from a single carded Kirk & a body from Uhura for Rand)

I like this idea the best. Pair a really popular character with a lesser known, fan favorite that wouldn't likely sell as well on their own. This would lend itself to cost-cutting reuse.

[Artistix]

At this point, when it comes to Trek, I only expect to get a full TNG crew set (just the Big 7, though - not Tasha & Wesley).

With 1 woman per wave & 2 waves a year, I can't imagine Deanna & Beverly are coming any time soon. Maybe Troi, being a bridge officer & wearing cleavage outfits. Wouldn't hold my breathe for the good Doctor.

Miss the old days of big sets

[JPC]

It always drove me nuts that Guinan's headshot is so zoomed-in on that cardback. She's the only one that doesn't match the rest!

I really think toy companies underestimate the appeal of a line with depth so much so that I think that's what really got people onboard with Funko Pops - they made EVERYONE. Release a line-up like the above? You've got my attention. Release six like what Playmates did this time - you have my skepticism.

[Kassle]

Looking at the structure of Wave 1 (8 figures) & Wave 2 (6 figures so far)...
TNG has 3 figures in both Wave 1 & 2
NuTrek has 2 figures in both Wave 1 & 2
The remaining spots went to 3 TOS Movie in Wave / 1 VOY in Wave 2

With that in mind...I'm still hoping they give us 2 more Wave 2 figures that touch on TOS.

Wave 3 will be an odd one, either way...because the next obvious choices for both TNG, VOY & NuTrek would be female, if Playmates wanted those respective show's heavy hitter characters: Troi & Crusher for TNG; Georgiou for Disco; Janeway for VOY; Number One for SNW. But in no way do I anticipate them doing a wave that female-heavy...so I'm assuming Troi & Crusher make the cut and maybe VOY gets swapped out for a DS9 Sisko and maybe they swing in more TOS (original Kirk & Spock) instead of NuTrek?

[bgiles73]

Has anyone thought that maybe Playmates might, when they release TOS crew that they might do that as a reproduction of the boxed bridge set with all seven of the crew in one shot? They could do individual carded releases as well, but it would be cool to get them all in the bridge set box again.