Playmates Trek Tek
#1
Posted 31 August 2006 - 06:58 AM
TOS Phaser: Awfull. The P1 doesn't come off, the handle is too wide and the overall shape is wrong.
Pike's Laser: Still the best toy version around (also the only toy version around). Overall not really bad.
TMP - TWOK Phaser: Not bad at all, I actually like it a lot.
TSFS - TVH Phaser: SADLY NON EXISTING! Seems like no toy company ever made such a Phaser. Daisy made a "gun" from one of those movies, but it didn't even look like a Phaser. It looked like a white Klingon BOP without nacelles and with a gun's handle underneath.
TFF - TUC Phaser: Not bad for a scaled-down version. But really way too small.
TNG P1: Not that the original design looked like a gun (blame Roddenberry) but this one was way oversized. As if they wanted to avoid choking hazard, which does say something about TNG fans!
TNG P2: Again, the original design didn't even look like a gun. What was Roddenberry thinking? Exept for the red transparent nuzzle and the slightly wider frame (to fit the speaker for the sound effects) not bad, but I prefere the IPI Laserpointer version.
FC P2: Another one that feels like a banana in your hand. This one is again way oversized and the color is wrong.
INS P2: A repained FC P2. The color is closer to what it should be.
#2
Posted 31 August 2006 - 09:20 AM
The TMP phaser might seem right to you, (and the TOS tricorder is kid size) so what the heck were they thinking when they made the TMP communicator? That is one mutha of an accessory. The thing is as big as the TOS communicator...
OH, the TOS phaser was probably the thing that brought me into the internet collection of Trek in the first place. I am in an isolated country called Canada, we barely receive anything that I like. The other stuff was unknown to me, if it didnt make it here.
Until I went to California on a trip, and checked out a toy store that had it, but couldnt buy it at the time, I did research. Eventually I located an online seller, which got me perusing the web. That led me to some forums, like this one, that provided me with more information about toys.
oops, I hope I didnt hijack your thread
#3
Posted 31 August 2006 - 01:25 PM
Propmaster this is your field where are you?
#4
Posted 13 December 2006 - 09:43 PM
I picked up a few Playmates figures but they never really did anything for me, but I think I'm hooked on the trek tek!
#5
Posted 14 December 2006 - 12:49 AM
Just to give you an idea of how oversized it is:
#6
Posted 14 December 2006 - 03:23 AM
#7
Posted 14 December 2006 - 04:03 AM
#8
Posted 14 December 2006 - 09:47 AM
Hmmmm now you making think I shoudl check out some Galoob Trek Tek!
Still... for what it is and what it cost, it's a fun little toy and I think someone either here or on the AA board mentioned that while not always accurate, at least Playmates was getting stuff out.
It's a bit of testiment that years latter a newer collector (like myself) to trek stuff is going back to pick up some of those bits because AA isn't putting anything new out!
#9
Posted 14 December 2006 - 10:26 AM
#10
Posted 14 December 2006 - 02:27 PM
Yes, the IPI was too small. But it was closer to the original size than the Playmates was.
Anyhow, I never quite liked the design of the 24th century Phasers. They didn't even look like guns. I know that's what Roddenberry liked, but I don't think Roddenberry ever understood his own creation the way Harve Bennett did. In fact, I think even JMS (of Babylon 5 fame) understood Trek better than Roddenberry.
#11
Posted 14 December 2006 - 02:33 PM
I hope That DST does start to branch out a little and do some of the stuff that playmates tried to cover.
#12
Posted 14 December 2006 - 05:50 PM
I agree 100% that DST is playing it a bit too safe! I would have gladly forked over $40 ea for a TNG or TOS Tricorder. I see playmates even did a bunch of Bajoran props! and I'm sure if I'm vigilant I can pick most of them up for around $15 or $20 inc the shipping... the thing is that once I pick those up DST needs to raise the bar a bit to get me to buy more! It just a missed sales opertunity for them. And where there's one consumer like me there are sure to be others!
#13
Posted 14 December 2006 - 07:14 PM
MR too is missing a perfect opportunity. STTE copied almost completely the MR comm and are making a killing off of it. With their FX line already established, MR should have been the ones that cleaned up on budget versions of their Trek props. Even now, they haven't seen the potential of such an addition to their Trek lineup. If STTE could make a cheaper knock-off of one of MR's props, why can't MR themselves? Look at the features and quality of the FX lightsabers. Surely they can make a boomerang phaser for the same price or less. A lot of people didn't buy their LE boomerang, but from what I hear on some boards was the price tag is what drove customers away. If they could get a boomerang out at a price range of between $50-$120, they would definitely move.
The FX lightsabers have a mostly metal body and full featured electronics with multiple sound effects, a string of 64 LEDs, motion and impact sensors, all programmed to respond with multiple effects sequences from multiple actions at less than $100 then they can surely make a lower cost version of something like their First Contact boomerang phaser for about the same as what the lightsaber cost or even much less. The MR phaser only had 17 LEDs and six sound effects. And if MR can produce their lightsaber for less than $100 with all of its features and metal contruction, then DST can surely produce a plastic bodied boomerang phaser with similar electronics (or, at the very least electronics that give the same effect in a more simplified way) for an extremely reasonable cost.
Yet, so far, no one seems to be willing to take a chance. I think the market for lower cost props/higher grade role-play toys is relatively untapped but holds a lot of promise. With the STTE communicator selling as well as it has, I think a lot of customers are hungering for more and no one is willing to feed them. Someone better do it soon because they are either going to lose those customers because they lose interest over the amount of time they are wasting waiting for something to come along, or they get pissed off because they've wasted time waiting for it, or a combination of both. They better get the lead out because I'm willing to bet whoever gets this level of product out first is really going to rake in the cash, including a lot of mine.
#14
Posted 14 December 2006 - 09:15 PM
I bought it because I thought the AA/DST haser was cool and wanted to round out my "Star Fleet Gear" just like you get wit hyour AA/DST TOS figure!
I looked everywhere before I found that STTE would sell you one and happilly shelled out the cash for it. I love it. But had AA/DST had the vision to offer a Communicator, Phaser and Tricorder that people can go get for $50 ea, they would have had my money!
#15
Posted 24 January 2007 - 01:49 PM
#16
Posted 24 January 2007 - 05:18 PM
#17
Posted 22 February 2007 - 09:20 AM
#18
Posted 19 March 2007 - 09:08 PM
Now I feel compelled to pick up the ones I missed, especially since they don't go for very much on ebay even boxed.
#19
Posted 19 March 2007 - 10:35 PM
#20
Posted 20 March 2007 - 11:12 AM
I don't believe that the Enterprise Phase Pistol was undersized. After all, they did use an AA Phase Pistol to blow up the Romulan Drone Ship in Season 4. From what I can tell, the phase pistol is correctly proportioned. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that they used an AA TOS Phaser in "In a Mirror, Darkly", ENT. That phaser that Archer carried around the entire second half of the two parter was a simple AA Phaser, right out of the box. I don't even think that they puttied the seams or anything. Simply amazing.
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