39 replies to this topic

[Enterprisecrew]

Hello Fellow Trektoy Fans,

I hope this post is acceptable here.

My friend Dan Madsen, who you may know from his days publishing the Star Trek Communicator and Star Wars Insider, or as former President of the Official Star Trek Fan Club, asked me for our help. CBS Paramount is bringing back the Official Star Trek Fan Club this year with Larry Nemecek and Dan Madsen. The OFSTFC is going to make available exclusive Star Trek items. Some of the items might be DST action figures. Dan would like to get a group of fans to be an online focus group to make suggestions about products. He is looking for about 15 to 20 volunteers who would be emailed and asked their opinions about various Star Trek collectibles over the next few months or years. Whenever possible, the focus group would be rewarded with free collectibles.

He asked if I could gather the group. I immediately thought of the community of fans here at Trektoy. If you would like to be in the group, please email me at Enterprisecrew@comcast.net

Considering the great suggestions here about DST action figures, I am hoping that Dan Madsen might help some of the suggestions become available to us fans. Thanks!

John

[Jedigreedo]

I'm highly interested and have already sent off an email to the address. I admit I'm a little skeptical though, no offense, just it's the internet and this is a pretty random request.

[TheHSBR]

Id love to be a part of this even if I dont get any free stuff!

[Artistix]

Count me in.

Sounds very interesting.

[Enterprisecrew]

Hello,

Thanks so much for the emails or the posts.

This is a valid concern JediGreedo about the Internet. My wife Mary Jo and I are sociology professors at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois. You can read about us at Startrek.com http://www.startrek....icle/48015.html or this article from WGN http://blogs.trb.com...e_among_us.html

Dan is going to talk to our school this October. We are both featured in a documentary about Star Wars fans. Here is the link from the College about the event http://www.clcillino...ews.asp?nid=841 It is mentioned at Startrek.com http://www.startrek....le/2305724.html

I also write for Trekmovie.com about Star Trek.

I hope this helps with establishing our credentials of Star Trek! Dan is a friend and we are helping because he knows we from Trektoy love collecting, especially DST.

Thanks so much for the great group here!

Mary Jo, John, and Nicky Tenuto

[Enterprisecrew]

Hello,

Thanks to Trektoy forum fans for emailing or writing. We now have the 20 people needed for the focus group.

However, I would be happy to bring Trektoy forum writings to Dan Madsen. If you wish, could you list what would be Star Trek products you would like CBS Paramount to offer? There are no limits. Use your imagination. What Star Trek product have you thought they should offer? We are going to write Dan about the Guinian fans from Trektoy. While the focus group offer is closed because we have the twenty fans, it would be great to tell CBS Paramount what we the fans would like, especially regarding DST toys. We promise to bring every writing to Dan. Thank you for your consideration!

Mary Jo, John, and Nicky Tenuto

[JMW326]

Thanks guys,

I sent my email last night.


Here are a few things I would love to see:

Bring back ERTL and AMT style model kits
3 3/4" action figures from all eras of Trek
show and movie accurate props (from all shows and movies)

[thecapn]

Figures-wise, I'd have to go with "The Cage" figures. There seems to be a huge resurgence of popularity surrounding that version of Trek lately. I recently picked up a prop Cage Laser, and I'm itching for some figures!

[Wildcard]

Although I missed the chance for the focus group I do want to voice my opinion that I think everyone else on this board will concurr with:

Regardless of what products get produced the main thing that ALL parties need to be concerned with is the quality and consistancy of the product line. If you've looked at any of the product threads on this board you will realize that we all are sticklers for the finer details in a product. Take for instance the recently released TNG 4th wave line: Dr Crusher's shoulder joints, while going BACK to the more articulated option of previous DST lines (and not just the less articulated ball joint), she still has inconsistant color issues where one joint is painted black and the other is painted blue...which ruines the illusion of the joint and over all appearance of the figure.

Those of us who were on the old AA boards can also tell you horror stories of the Enterprise NX-01 ship's stand breaking for no apparent reason and the frustrating process in procuring a replacement piece.

But AA/DST isn't the only Trek licenser to have issues like this. Playmates had a tone of issues with their figure line throughout the production which ultimately led to their declined sales.

I also see disturbing indicators in the current and past few years in the Hallmark ornament line. (I.e. drastic changes in scale, lighting source, DETAIL AND PAINT APPLICATIONS which IMHO are simply unacceptable).

I realize that Paramount/CBS may not have an y direct control over the decisions licensers make regarding cost-effective product production, but it CAN take a stand on whether to approve a product if it's going to be inconsistant AND of poor quality.

[TheHSBR]

Im very happy to have received an email stating that I will be on the focus group. So if any of our forum memebers want to be heard I will definately pass any and all ideas along. I will also be creating a thread updating everyone on the happenings of this focus group. We have some great people here and all of us have great ideas about how to keep Star Trek alive and strong in the future!

Here are some of my ideas that I'd like to bring to the focus group:
1. At the very least keeping the DST/AA scale. If they can expand into other sizes thats great (ex 3 3/4") but Im concerned that we will get a whole new scale for the movie.
2. Creation of a Collectible Minatures or Tradable Card Game. Star Trek TCG was just voted as one of the top 100 games by Inquest yet we have nothing now. A Starship minis game or heroclix style game would be awesome in my mind. The universe is definately big enough to support it...especially the ships!
3. Trying to create product for the expanded universe and sort out what that actually is. Star Wars does a great job in keeping reigns on their books, comics, etc. I think Star Trek needs to do that as well!
4. A return to award winning PC Games and video games for the new consoles.
5. Build-a-something figure promotion. The most logical idea would be for a bridge. It seems to work for every other toy company!
6. This is the biggest DONT FORGET THE OLD STAR TREK WHEN THE NEW STAR TREK MOVIE COMES OUT!!!!!!


I think Star Trek was big in the 1990s because of the diverse field of product available. Casual fans would pick up an award winning PC game and might get hooked by the story. Without those products and the marketing push S|tar Trek has continued a downward spiral where 1701 figures is now enough for all of us. Where have all the Star Trek fans gone? Well I want to find out and bring them back to the fold!

[Wildcard]

^Re: #3 I'm not sure what you mean by that...I think Pocket Books' editors do an outstanding job keeping tabs on the novels.

The biggest difference between Trek and Wars is that all of Wars comics, novels, cartoons, etc. are treated as canon and part of the complete universe. Trek/Paramount (now CBS) has NEVER taken novels or comics into consideration in production of onscreen content. And I seriously doubt they ever will. It WOULD be nice because I'd love to see the DS9 continuation novels turn into canon. (*sigh* I miss that show more and more these days )

And where have all the fans gone? Ironically I think there are a lot of fans who are reluctant to buy from purely online markets. Also I have to wonder about economic considerations as well. i.e. peeps like me are now POH (that's poor for the uninitiated) compared to income we were making in the 90's and early 00's.

[pickard]

I think Star Trek was big in the 1990s because of the diverse field of product available. Casual fans would pick up an award winning PC game and might get hooked by the story. Without those products and the marketing push S|tar Trek has continued a downward spiral where 1701 figures is now enough for all of us. Where have all the Star Trek fans gone? Well I want to find out and bring them back to the fold!

Star Trek products were big in the 90s because the shows and movies were popular.

[Gothneo]

And where have all the fans gone? Ironically I think there are a lot of fans who are reluctant to buy from purely online markets. Also I have to wonder about economic considerations as well. i.e. peeps like me are now POH (that's poor for the uninitiated) compared to income we were making in the 90's and early 00's.

Well, I know many people that love Star Trek, but with-out a major (hit) TV show, the retailers just aren't interested, and w/o the retailers carying it so they can see & touch the merchandise, it simply no longer becomes a priority for them.

My friends are fascinated that I have such a collection, but I think people on forums like this are an exception in so much as we are willing to go the extra mile to collect them. When I tell them where they can get some of these things they sometimes pick some up, but once again, they don't know about or when new product is released, and sadly if you miss the product release of some things by a few months, you'll never find it at retail.

[JulesLuvsShinzon]

Although I missed the chance for the focus group I do want to voice my opinion that I think everyone else on this board will concurr with:

Regardless of what products get produced the main thing that ALL parties need to be concerned with is the quality and consistancy of the product line.

Yes! What Wildcard says is absolutely the truth! DST is currently getting a real panning over at the AA Boards for poor quality and poor customer service. It's becoming a huge issue with us collectors!

Congratulations to thehsbr for getting onto the focus group!

[reverie]

And where have all the fans gone? Ironically I think there are a lot of fans who are reluctant to buy from purely online markets.

I've got a friend like this. He's not much into buying things online, so I've been ordering for him lately in with my own order.

More figures are always great, but more exclusives scare me a little. I do wonder why everyone seems to be behind a fan-club exclusive figure, but hate DST for their 1701 figures?

[Kassle]

I'm action figure focused, but here are some exclusives I could see really working in a Fan Club arean:

1. Nurse Christine Chapel & Yeoman Janice Rand
2. Lt. Tasha Yar & Dr. Katherine Pulaski
3. "The Cage": Pike, Number One, Talosian

[Gothneo]

I'm action figure focused, but here are some exclusives I could see really working in a Fan Club arean:

1. Nurse Christine Chapel & Yeoman Janice Rand
2. Lt. Tasha Yar & Dr. Katherine Pulaski
3. "The Cage": Pike, Number One, Talosian

I'd pay $100 to join a fan club that would give me all those exclusives!!!

[Chalksquared]

Im very happy to have received an email stating that I will be on the focus group. So if any of our forum memebers want to be heard I will definately pass any and all ideas along. I will also be creating a thread updating everyone on the happenings of this focus group.

Thanks, thehsbr!
I am away from this forum for two days and mis out on all the good stuff!

[Jedigreedo]

If you wish, could you list what would be Star Trek products you would like CBS Paramount to offer? There are no limits. Use your imagination. What Star Trek product have you thought they should offer? We are going to write Dan about the Guinian fans from Trektoy.

I think I would most like to see:

- Build-a-bridge sets and more ships from DST

- Support given to DST to make sure these little representations of Star Trek are always of consistent quality, I know usually it's always the toy company that is responsible for manufacturing costs and such, but quality has often been victim to things not "costing out" and yet I feel the toys have always had an important place in Star Trek fandom. I, personally have had a rejuvenated interest in Star Trek since I started collecting the DST figures. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

- Star Trek miniature ships were and are always very popular, from the Fasa days to the huge hit of Galoob's micro-machines. Nowadays, people can only depend on Japanese companies to make short runs of Trek miniature ships, as well Johnny Lightning (who are handling it horribly). However, many ex-micromachine collectors would love to see Hasbro's Titanium line (which supports several franchises like: Marvel, Star Wars, Transformers and Battlestar Galactica) include Star Trek. It's unlikely for Hasbro to pursue this anytime soon because they generally go after high-interest franchises, but it might be different if CBS/Paramount approached them?

- Spike and G4 are the focal points for Star Trek on TV, perhaps contests/special promotions through them would be helpful to boost interest in more fans, especially for things such as Master Replica's prop replicas, DVD sets, etc.

[Artistix]

They accepted me as well for the group.

Will be interesting to see if this helps us at all.