Playmates' Star Trek Legacy: Part 2 - Nostalgia Factory Favorites

On our previous article we took a chronological look back at the Playmates collection of Star Trek figures and accessories which ran from 1992-1999.
This time around we'd like to give you a look at some of our favorite pieces from our collection here at the Nostalgia Factory.


Playmates' first print ad for TNG line of ships and accessories (1992).

Many of us here at the Nostalgia Factory grew up playing with these great toys. We didn't just keep them all mint on card. We ripped a lot of these packages open and went on multiple adventures with our favorite characters across the galaxy of our backyard, bedroom, and school yard. We did manage to keep a few mint on card, and sometimes we even purchased doubles of our favorite figures -- one for playing, another for posterity, but with the financial limitations of childhood buying doubles proved a difficult task most of the times.


Playmates' print ad for their second wave of TNG figures (1993).


Playmates' print ad for their first wave of DS9 figures (1993).

The images we'll share with you on this article include figures, ships, playsets, and accesories from our own personal collections. We'd also love to get your thougts on our picks and your own personal list of faves. Feel free to share those with all of us in the comments section.


Conceptual illustration for Playmates' TNG Bridge Playset.



Conceptual illustration for Playmates' TNG Transporter Room Playset.


Lets kick things off with one of our favorite playsets:

Star Trek: The Next Generation Bridge Playset (1993)



For a kid who loved Star Trek The Next Generation this was the ultimate Christmas gift. I got this (along with the Transporter room set) on Christmas morning 1993 and I loved it.
Playsets never really tend to look too close to the TV show environment they recreate but this baby had all the details you could want. Worf's horseshoe console had a series of buttons which activated all the lights and sounds as well as fired phasers and photon torpedoes. You could hear and see the weapons hit a Romulan Bird of Prey on the main viewscreen.
The only complaint my brother and I had about the playset was with the viewscreen. The screen had no way for you to change the Romulan Warbird Image. It would've been great if Playmates would've had the image work as a series of swappable slides so you could replace it with other ships or space environments. Anyhow that was just a minor issue since the playset offered so much play value and it looked very screen accurate.







Star Trek: Generations Engineering Playset (1994)



Originally scheduled to be released as part of the TNG line, this set ended up coming out with the Generations line in the fall of 1994. Although it could be found on store shelves a few months before the rest of the Generations assortment. Just like the Bridge playset this set looks just like the environment it recreates from the TNG series. The warp core looks amazing and the sound effects combined with the pulsating light effect is just like what we see on the show. The core even opens up allowing you to insert Dylithium crystals.



The set also features a warp core breach function, which as many TNG fans know was always Geordi's biggest pain in the ass. He was always minutes away from a warp core breach or fighting a coolant leak. You can recreate those moments with this set as it offers the exact same lights and sound effects we hear on the show as the warp core appears to be going through a bad case of dylithium indigestion. You can prevent the warp core breach by having Geordi use a handy tool the set comes with which shuts down the core. A pretty clever function. If only Geordi had it that simple in the movie we never would've lost the Enterprise-D.







Star Trek: The Next Generation Shuttlecraft Goddard (1992)



I loved taking my toys on away missions and the Goddard was always there for me.
This ship was a lot more fun than the others in the line since it was made to scale with the action figures. You could use any figure to pilot the ship in the cockpit and also carry additional figures or supplies in the ships cargo hold. Lights and sounds features provided warp speed sound effects as well as illuminating the nacelles.







Star Trek DS9: Action Figures - Wave 1 (1993)



I have always been a huge fan of DS9 so I couldn't wait to get figures from my favorite Trek show. My introduction to Star Trek was The Next Generation, but Deep Space Nine turned me into a hardcore fan. These figures looked great and the amount of accessories we got with each figure was mind-blowing. Quark and Morn even come with bar-wear. Too bad we never got a DS9 Promenade or a Quark's bar playset.

Star Trek: TNG Figures - Season One Uniforms (1993 - 1995)



A great thing about Playmates was that when they made multiple versions of the same character they still payed a great deal of attention to detail and made the right choices about what alterations to make. This line up of figures as seen during the early TNG episodes was incredible. When Playmates released a Tasha Yar figure in 1995 we were finally able to have a full crew complement to recreate the adventures of the Enterprise-D during their early voyages. Unfortunately we never got a Wesley Crusher with his first year outfit, but he rarely spent any time on the bridge that first year anyways.

Transporter Series Lt. Commander Data (1998)



Data has always been my favorite TNG character and this Transporter series edition offers one of the coolest features of any action figure ever made. With the transport bases these figures allowed you to recreate the look of your favorite character as he is going through the transportation process. Another very clever idea from the folks at Playmates. This sort of creativity is what made the line such a treat for fans.

The Soong Family (TNG, 1994)



As I said before Data is my favorite character and I was very happy to be able to get figures based on the two members of his dysfunctional family -- his creator / father figure, Doctor Soong and his early prototype / brother figure, Lore.

Locutus of Borg and Hugh Borg (TNG, 1994)



The Borg were the coolest villains in the galaxy during the TNG era. Playmates made some really cool figures based on these drones (with the exception of their First Contact version). Locutus and Hugh had some of the best sculpts in the line and featured highly detailed accessories. These were top notch figures. The tubing, hoses, and appliances sculpted on these figures make them look even more detailed than the Art Asylum Locutus figure.



Classic Trek Crew Members - TNG Era Versions (1994)



Seeing characters from the original series on TNG was every fan's dream. I was very excited to finally get figures based on these character's respective 24th century appearances.
Playmates treated us to figures of Scotty as seen in the episode "Relics", Spock as seen in the episode "Unification", and Admiral McCoy from one of the most endearing scenes in TNG's seven year run during the show's pilot telefilm "Encounter at Farpoint".

Lt. Commander Worf (TNG / DS9 / Generations)



Michal Dorn was one lucky actor. He is probably the Trek cast member with the most figures released since his character was a regular on two trek series and made appearances on four of the feature films (five if you count him playing his grandfather in Star Trek 6).
Worf got some of the coolest accessories and outfits from all the characters in trek history and the multiple figures released did the character great justice. I loved the Away team Worf with his black ops-like uniform as seen in the TNG two parter "Birthright".



His Klingon ceremonial outfit figures were also highly detailed and a great deal of fun to play with. When Worf made the move over to DS9 we also got more figures of our beloved Klingon Warrior, and the DS9 duty uniform Worf is definitively one of my favorites.



Star Trek The Next Generation Tricorder (1993)



This is by far the greatest piece of Starfleet gear ever created and the coolest toy role play item ever released. When I first read about this item in the pages of Star Trek communicator I knew I needed to get my hands on one of these babies ASAP in order to make my future away missions a guaranteed success. I begged my mom to take me to Toys R Us almost every weekend to check if it had come in already. Unfortunately it took a few months for this piece to get released and The Communicator Magazine didn't really warn about that. When I finally got it it was everything I dreamed of and more. The attention to detail, the lights and sounds, even the Starfleet scientific read out on the light up screen made this the ideal item for a kid with a very active imagination who loved to go on away missions.

Classic Star Trek Phaser (1994)



Back in 1994, before the advent of such companies as Master Replicas, Playmates was truly the best source for recreations of our favorite props from the Trek universe. This classic Phaser looked as close to a filming model as a mass produced 14 dollar item can. It actually still holds up. I reexamined it recently and even compared it to the more current version from Art Asylum/DST and there really isn't a great deal of difference over the two. Yes, Art Asylum has added more detail but remember this item was released 15 years ago. This was the perfect accessory for fans dressing up as original crew members at conventions for many years until Art Asylum came on the scene. Playmates was truly creating pieces ahead of their time and for that this now classic toy line will always have a special place in our hearts.

Playmates' Star Trek Legacy

With only a few months to go until what promises to be the biggest Star Trek merchandise rollout in more than a decade collectors everywhere have begun making their lists of what new collectibles they will be keeping an eye on and adding to their collections. For me the most awaited pieces are the full line of Star Trek action figures and accessories from the trek veterans at Playmates toys. In honor of their upcoming Trek toy revival which will finally bring back the Trek brand to toy aisles everywhere I felt it appropriate to take an in depth look back at their impressive line of toys released during the height of Star Trek's golden age of popularity between 1992 and 1999.



During the early 90s Star Trek The Next Generation was becoming bigger and bigger with each subsequent season. With Michael Piller's arrival during the third season the show finally began to fulfill its promise and in many fans' opinions the show soon surpassed its predecessor. By 1992 Paramount was beginning to accumulate an impressive portfolio of licensees for the TNG brand. Playmates Toys, a California based toy company which had made its mark in the toy world back in 1987 thanks to the success of their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line also jumped on the bandwagon by offering a full line of action figures, role play accessories, and space ships in the fall of 1992. One of the novel things about this line was the fact that each figure and accessory was individually numbered. The number was printed on a sticker on the packaging as well as painted on the bottom of each figure's foot. Some fans went as far as paying high amounts of money to obtain the lower numbered versions of some figures. Shop at home network QVC even offered a full sets of figures with every figure in each set sporting the same collector's edition number.


One of the first print ads for Playmates' TNG action figures line.

Their first wave of toys soon became a big success with many of the figures selling out at toy stores and department stores soon after hitting the shelves. This forced many collectors to begin looking for the figures in the secondary market at sci-fi and comic book conventions or through their local comic book and hobby shops which offered the figures at much higher prices and sometimes would have them available before they hit the major retailers.


Print ad for Playmates' Next Generation ships and accessories line.

By 1993 TNG had hit its stride and Paramount was gearing up for a second Trek spin off: Deep Space Nine. By the summer of that year a new wave of figures hit the market focusing on some of the same characters from TNG but this time offered in their first season uniforms. Shortly after more secondary characters from the show joined the line up and the first wave of figures based on the new show -- Deep Space Nine, was released.


Advertisement for Deep Space Nine toy line.



By the end of the year fans also get the first playsets to add to their collections with a working transporter room playset and an Enterprise-D bridge playset. The first figures based on the Original Series were also released as a limited edition set. Other highlights included a limited edition gold painted version of the U.S.S Enterprise-D.


Print ad promoting the limited edition classic Star Trek set.


Print ad for Playmates' 9 inch figure line.

By 1994 Star Trek had become one of the most profitable pop culture phenomenons of our times. With the final season of TNG on the air and the long awaited reunion of members from the original cast and the Next Generation on the big screen Playmates offered an impressive array of figures and collectibles to satisfy fans of any of the multiple Trek incarnations.
Almost two dozen more figures were added to the TNG line as well as more ships and role play accessories. Also a full line of toys based on the feature film Star Trek Generations hit shelves in the fall. For the new feature film costume designer Bob Blackman had decided to change the now familiar Starfleet uniforms. Shortly before principal photography began the producers decided to stick to the uniforms seen on The Next Generation and the jumpsuits worn by officers on Deep Space Nine. Due to the nature of toy production and the schedules required in order to have toys on shelves by the time the film is in theaters the figures were already in production when the change was made. The figures all feature uniforms different from what was seen on screen.


Star Trek Generations action figure line up.


Battle Damaged Enterprise-D from Star Trek Generations.

One of the coolest pieces to come out of the Generations line was the Engineering playset.
The set featured an amazing ammount of detail including a warp core with pulsating lights and sound effects just like the one on the show. Of the entire Playmates line this is still one of my favorite pieces. It was not available for long at retail.
Also in 1994 we were treated to one of the oddest bits of cross promotion in toy history with the debut of the Star Trek line of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles featuring all four turtles in Starfleet uniforms from the Original Series.


Star Trek Ninja Turtles ad (1994).


Print ad for Playmates' classic Star Trek role play accessories.

In order to help promote their next wave of Deep Space Nine figures Playmates toys in conjunction with Paramount Pictures put together the Design an Alien contest. The Grand prize winner would receive a walk on role on Deep Space Nine appearing in make up as the Alien he had designed.


Design an Alien contest advertisement.

After receiving thousands of submissions from fans everywhere Trek Producer Rick Berman, costume designer Bob Blackman, make up artist Michael Westmore, and Trek fan club president Dan Madsen went on to pick John Paul Lona's design as the winner.
Lana, originally from Scranton PA was awarded with the walk on role for his character of a Rasiinnian Ambassador named Runepp. The Alien had an exo-skeleton, and glowing eyes that would give away his mood. The winner was announced in the pages of Star Trek Communicator, the magazine of the official Star Trek Fan Club.


Design an Alien contest winning entry.

For 1995 Playmates introduced a total of 90 new action figures, 18 accessories, 5 role playing items, and a series of new Innerspace mini playsets. By then toy buyers were able to choose their favorite character in 9 inch, 7 inch talking, 4.5 inches, or mini figures measuring less than 1 inch.


Some of the offerings from Playmates for 1995.


1995 action figure assortment print ad.


Innerspace collection ad.

Also in 1995 the line expanded to include the first wave of toys from the third TREK spin-off: VOYAGER. The line was not as successful and was limited to two waves and a toy replica of ths USS Voyager ship.


Star Trek Voyager action figures wave 1.


Playmates' USS Voyager.

We also got one of the best assortments from Playmates with the Classic Star Trek Movies assortment. This line included such characters as Khan, General Chang, Lt. Saavik, and Commander Kruge. Ships and role play accessories from the first 6 films also joined the line.



Following waves of figures were all consolidated under a Star Trek unified line to include figures from all the shows and movies together instead of individual waves for each show or movie.



By the fall of 1996 Playmates was realizing it was time to spice things up with their Trek offerings if they were to continue having successful sales. The first of these changes came with the introduction of the Starfleet Academy line. Featuring TNG characters as they would've looked during their Academy years in their training suits (flight training suit, geo-hazard suit, radiation protection suit, night reconnaissance suit). Each figure included a CD=ROM disk and multiple accessories.


Playmates' Star Trek First contact ad (1996)

For their Star Trek First Contact offerings, Playmates went on to make further changes. This time around the figures were sculpted at 6 inches in order to include more detail. Before the line made its public release a special Borg figure in tri-fold packaging and limited to only 500 pieces was sent out to licensees. The figure soon became a very popular commodity in the secondary market.


Star Trek licensees promotional figure.

One of the most crippling blows to the Playmates Trek line came in the form of 3 limited edition figures based on the characters of Picard, Barclay, and Tasha Yar. Each of these figures were limited to a production run of 1701 editions. Fans could barely find them and many were sold off at conventions for ridiculous amounts of money. Those fans who never found the figures began to get tired of Playmates strategy of ultra limited releases. Those who ponnied up tons of cash to obtain the figures got even more upset when playmates released the 3 figures as a 3 pack the following year. The set was available at most retailers carrying the line, making the original release of these figures not as special anymore.

After years of planing, The Official Fan Club was finally able to offer its very own exclusive Trek figure with the release of Captain Calhoun from the New Frontier series of Novels in the Fall of 1998. The club had been taking pre-orders for months and finally began shipping the figure in September. Unfortunately the character was not popular enough to move enough units in sales and in a about a year the figure was bargain priced to members. Soon after it was given away to anyone who ordered a copy of the book collecting "The Captains Table" novels.



With the decline in sales of the action figure line Playmates released a few more waves before focusing its attention on other items such as the larger scale 9 and 12 inch lines which still sold pretty well to collectors.


Playmates 12 inch assortment (1999).

Playmates kept trying their hand at the popular small scale lines with the Strike Force collection, featuring ships and accessories which open up to reveal mini figures and play environments. By this time kids were not buying the action figures enough to justify future waves at mass retail chains. Playmates opted to offer their next waves of figures as Target exclusives.


Target exclusives print ad.

For the release of Star Trek Insurrection on November of 1998 Playmates opted not to produce any action figures, focusing instead on the 9 and 12 inch collectors figures market. They also reissued the Enterprise-E and the previously available Phaser weapon -- this time around in new Insurrection packaging. The figures did not sell well and could be found bargain priced months later at most Toys R Us and Kay Bee Toy stores as well as through the official fan club catalog.



The last 4.5 inch action figures offerings came in 5 waves known as the Warp Factor Collection and featured such long awaited characters as the Borg Queen, Edith Keeler, and a partially assimilated Seven of Nine.



During these last efforts from Playmates came one of the most clever wave of figures with the release of the Transporter Series featuring light up transporter room platform bases packaged with action figures painted to represent the beaming effect.


Star Trek The Next Generation Transporter Series.

Near the end Playmates began to pay more attention to the high end collectors market and developed a line of Ultra & Latinum figures and dioramas. These pieces were produced using cold cast resin and featured an incredible amount of detail. Sculpted by Steve Varner this line kicked off with 12 inch statues of Captain Picard and the Borg Queen as seen in First Contact. They where limited to 5,000 pieces each. Along with the two statues a 6 inch diorama of the Borg Queen and Commander Data was also released.



The line continued with 12 inch statues of Seven of Nine, Captain Kirk, and a very rare Vulcan statue from First Contact which was only released internationally.





Two 6 inch Ultra Trek figures closed out the line -- Locutus and the Borg Queen.



For seven years Playmates was able to produce a staggering amount of highly detailed and fun filled items to satisfy the most demanding collectors as well as the kids who just wanted to recreate their favorite adventures in the final frontier. No other toy line in the decade was as impressive in terms of scope and variety. The figures were perfectly executed and resembled the performers portraying the characters a great deal. The ships and accessories were packed with lights, sounds, and action features. Plus they looked gorgeous when displayed. The role play line provided us with some of the most affordable and detailed props we had ever gotten. Remember there was no Master Replicas back then. Plus the price point on all these pieces made them too good to pass up.


Playmates' impressive Alien Combat figures, sculpted by Art Asylum.

By the end of the line Playmates toys had released well over 500 Star Trek items. Most of them for mass release as well as some store exclusives for such venues as Spencer Gifts, Target, New Force Comics, Toyfare Magazine, Kay Bee Toys, Paramount Home Video, Star Trek Communicator, and The Official Star Trek 30th Anniversary Convention. If Playmates brings the same great level of attention to detail to their new line then we are all in for quite a treat. Their new offerings should be in store shelves everywhere beginning in April. Make sure to join me next week when I'll be sharing my list of favorite pieces from the Playmates collection with many images from my personal collection.