18 replies to this topic

[Artistix]

Hey all,

I was just thinking about Playmates 9" figures & those that were MIA.

I can't remember what the talk was at the time, but was the exclusion of certain characters like Neelix, Kes, Quark & Jake anything to do with the height issue?

Most other charaters of average height were lined-up but didn't make it (B'Elanna & Yar), but those other few didn't seem to be anywhere in sight!

I gathered it could be they simply did not quite get to them. Characters like Uhura & Troi, who are of the same kinda small stature as Quark/Kes etc, did make it into the line...& no-one seemed to mind the height, including Playmates I gather.

Any thoughts or knowledge Trektoyers? Did Playmates ever comment on these characters in the 9" line?

[knightone]

I think it was a popularity issue, with both the characters and the line itself as well as the decline in popularity of Trek itself. I think they probably thought the figures wouldn't sell enough to be worth it, especially since both the line and Star Trek itself began waning in popularity after the first few years of the line.

[Artistix]

Damn Star Trek....it should be more popular!!

9" is one of the lines for the new Trek I believe...I wonder if it will be all the same molds as before. I gather they wouldn't make all new molds when they already have some, though It would be nice if they added two more molds...a smaller male & female, that would cover a lot more bases.

[VulcanFanatic]

I think the 9" figures would have done well when they were released in the 90's had it not been that they were priced pretty high in many cases. The kb toys exclusives were priced at $35.99 to 39.99 each, which would have made me, a die hard Star Trek fan, think twice about buying them. The prices scared off kids or casual buyers of Star Trek stuff, and that hurt the line i believe. Playmates tried to play up the "Limited edition" thing by throwing on the "Limited Edition" stickers and numbers to try to influence collectors to scoop them up, but instead many just languished on the shelf and ended up in the bargain bins. ALL lines are a "Limited edition" whether its 400 made or 4 million made.

I liked the playmates 9 " figures, and the rest of the characters would have been neat to have, but more scales needed to be made for shorter characters and the slow sales probably made developing new scales unjustified.

[Artistix]

The kb toys exclusives were priced at $35.99 to 39.99 each, which would have made me, a die hard Star Trek fan, think twice about buying them.

Crap!

Thats the kinda prices you'd expect to pay for items over here...Not in the States!!

At the time I wouldn't have been a fan of Quark & co. on those same bodies, but in hindsight I would have preferred to see everyone regardless of scale issues.

Didn't someone say in another thread you could use the Quark head from the Hamilton dolls (or something like that) to make a custom?

[Tiberius]

I think you can make a custom Quark and Odo, using the AMT? Vinyl model figures. The "custom" heads of them are resin casts of said figures, if I recall correctly.

[Hirogen]

I have the entire collection for Voyager and always wondered why there wasn't a Torres or Neelix.

[WORF22]

I think you can make a custom Quark and Odo, using the AMT? Vinyl model figures. The "custom" heads of them are resin casts of said figures, if I recall correctly.

i was going to do this i went and got models of each fig but never got around to doing it. and now i have Odo i mite use the quark to make a borg

[Gordo]

I have the entire collection for Voyager and always wondered why there wasn't a Torres or Neelix.

Torres is one of the few 9" figures that was prototyped, and exhibited, but never actually released:

http://www.newforcec...ever9infigs.htm

(Thanks, Rick, for this awesome reference centre!)

I wonder if they never considered Neelix because of all the whiskery bits on his face? He might've been a bit complex to sculpt at that scale, particularly towards the end of the line.

I was amazed that we got a 9" Nurse Chapel...particularly given how dead the line was by that point.

[Gordo]

I think you can make a custom Quark and Odo, using the AMT? Vinyl model figures. The "custom" heads of them are resin casts of said figures, if I recall correctly.

I think you're right -- custom Odo and Quark heads turn up on eBay all the time, and they look suspiciously like the AMT ones.

In the late 90s, when Star Trek stuff was on discount just about everywhere, I managed to get a hold of all the AMT 12" figures models (Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Odo, Quark) plus six of the Geometric ones (Picard, Worf, Geordi, Riker, Troi, Data). It took me a few years to assemble and paint them all, but I'm still thrilled with how they turned out. They suffered a little damage in my three moves since then, but they're still in pretty good shape. (I can try to take pictures, if anyone's interested. I've been meaning to share pictures of my collection, anyway.)

I was really impressed with the quality of the Geometric models. Granted, you paid for it -- they originally released at about $50 US ($60 Can.) apiece. However, by biding my time, I managed to collect them all, one-by-one, for no more than about $30 Can. apiece.

I really, really, really miss "the thrill of the hunt" in collecting the Playmates figures, models, and so on. It's just not the same now -- we wait a few months for a new release of three or four figures, meaning you can collect them all in a single go.

[TrekCollector01]

I have the entire collection for Voyager and always wondered why there wasn't a Torres or Neelix.

You know, there is actually a custom-made B'Elanna Torres that you can get off a website.

[FHC]

Yes lets see if I remember it right. It's a Tuvok uniform on a Janeway body with the custom head. I have to be honest, I have seen two different versions of that head and they really don't look that much like her. Or you can just straight up use the Tuvok body whcih, if I rememebr right, makes her a litter taller then she should be. An unpainted head can be found at

http://www.startrektoys.com Again it was something like 50 bucks? I think I'll go check.

[TrekCollector01]

Yes lets see if I remember it right. It's a Tuvok uniform on a Janeway body with the custom head. I have to be honest, I have seen two different versions of that head and they really don't look that much like her. Or you can just straight up use the Tuvok body whcih, if I rememebr right, makes her a litter taller then she should be. An unpainted head can be found at

http://www.startrektoys.com Again it was something like 50 bucks? I think I'll go check.

You have to admit, though, that alot of the playmates figures don't look like the actual actor. And on the website where I found her, the finished figure was $200. Is that worth it?

[TrekCollector01]

[quote name='Artistix' date='Apr 1 2008, 08:47 PM' post='21102']
Hey all,

I was just thinking about Playmates 9" figures & those that were MIA.

I can't remember what the talk was at the time, but was the exclusion of certain characters like Neelix, Kes, Quark & Jake anything to do with the height issue?

Most other charaters of average height were lined-up but didn't make it (B'Elanna & Yar), but those other few didn't seem to be anywhere in sight!

I gathered it could be they simply did not quite get to them. Characters like Uhura & Troi, who are of the same kinda small stature as Quark/Kes etc, did make it into the line...& no-one seemed to mind the height, including Playmates I gather.

Any thoughts or knowledge Trektoyers? Did Playmates ever comment on these characters in the 9" line?
[/quotIts too bad they never released those figure...maybe if the new toy line for the movie is successful, they'll return to the older series and complete some of the older toy lines.

[TrekCollector01]

Damn Star Trek....it should be more popular!!

9" is one of the lines for the new Trek I believe...I wonder if it will be all the same molds as before. I gather they wouldn't make all new molds when they already have some, though It would be nice if they added two more molds...a smaller male & female, that would cover a lot more bases.

Don't damn the source...damn the people!

[TrekCollector01]

I think the 9" figures would have done well when they were released in the 90's had it not been that they were priced pretty high in many cases. The kb toys exclusives were priced at $35.99 to 39.99 each, which would have made me, a die hard Star Trek fan, think twice about buying them. The prices scared off kids or casual buyers of Star Trek stuff, and that hurt the line i believe. Playmates tried to play up the "Limited edition" thing by throwing on the "Limited Edition" stickers and numbers to try to influence collectors to scoop them up, but instead many just languished on the shelf and ended up in the bargain bins. ALL lines are a "Limited edition" whether its 400 made or 4 million made.

I liked the playmates 9 " figures, and the rest of the characters would have been neat to have, but more scales needed to be made for shorter characters and the slow sales probably made developing new scales unjustified.

Hopefully, they won't make the same mistake with the new toy line, in case they make 9" figures.

[TrekCollector01]

I think you can make a custom Quark and Odo, using the AMT? Vinyl model figures. The "custom" heads of them are resin casts of said figures, if I recall correctly.

I've seen those for sale on ebay.

[TrekCollector01]

I have the entire collection for Voyager and always wondered why there wasn't a Torres or Neelix.

You'd think they would have actually done Torres, since they planned her several times.

[BadBunnyMike]

Torres is one of the few 9" figures that was prototyped, and exhibited, but never actually released:

http://www.newforcec...ever9infigs.htm

(Thanks, Rick, for this awesome reference centre!)

I wonder if they never considered Neelix because of all the whiskery bits on his face? He might've been a bit complex to sculpt at that scale, particularly towards the end of the line.

I was amazed that we got a 9" Nurse Chapel...particularly given how dead the line was by that point.

LOL....if you like the New Force Comics reference center....you should take a look at what I am doing with it. I am helping Rick update it with all the Art Asylum stuff. It is still a few months from completion, but you should check it out hehe! The Art Asylum page is the basis for what I am going to be doing with the entire site.