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Playmates Trek Tek


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#1 Cpt. Phil T. Berns

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Posted 31 August 2006 - 06:58 AM

I have just about every Phaser and Communicator Playmates made. Here's my view.

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! wink.gif

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 Tiberius

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Posted 31 August 2006 - 09:20 AM

I prefer the Galoob version of the TNG Cricket phaser. I dont know how accurate it is, and it does have too many stickers, but it feels like the real thing. I am not necessarily discerning, but if it looks right/good, it is.

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 FHC

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Posted 31 August 2006 - 01:25 PM

Would I have to open the package to play along?? smile.gif

Propmaster this is your field where are you?

#4 Gothneo

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Posted 13 December 2006 - 09:43 PM

Well, I've been winning some auctions for some of these, and they are fun fun the price. I have no idea what these retailed for, but I've been picking them up for about $10 plus some shipping... usually about $5. I have the TNG Cricket and P II, I don't think they are thaat accurate and I agree with berns the the Cricket feels very over sized, but for $15 they are fun to me!

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 knightone

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Posted 14 December 2006 - 12:49 AM

QUOTE(Gothneo @ Dec 13 2006, 09:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
...and I agree with berns the the Cricket feels very over sized...



Just to give you an idea of how oversized it is:



#6 Cpt. Phil T. Berns

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Posted 14 December 2006 - 03:23 AM

The left one on that picture is the Playmates version. Way oversized, just like the unpictured Galoob version. The right on on the picture seems pretty accurate. There was a keychain made I think by IPI, that looked a lot more accurate than the Playmates version does.

#7 knightone

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Posted 14 December 2006 - 04:03 AM

The IPI keycahin actually went the other way. It was half the size of what it should be. Sorry for the bad pic above. I did it quick and handheld. Later today I'll try to set up the tripod and get a comparison of the Playmates, the replica, and the IPI keychain together. All my Galoob crickets are packed away somewhere and it would be a pain to dig them out, so I don't think I'm going to be able to include that one in there. The shape and [relative] dimensions on the Playmates version were a lot closer to the original than the Galoob version though.

#8 Gothneo

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Posted 14 December 2006 - 09:47 AM

He! I see some stickers on the box... apperently they sold for $10 retail originally... which is what I paid on eBay for them. I'm thinking keeping them all nice in the box for all those years didn't get it anywhere :-)

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 UFP-1701

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Posted 14 December 2006 - 10:26 AM

I honestly think DST is playing it too safe by not testing the waters with some new props, at least playmates was keeping items out there, given they were not that accurate but at least they where out there.

#10 Cpt. Phil T. Berns

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Posted 14 December 2006 - 02:27 PM

QUOTE(knightone @ Dec 14 2006, 11:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
The IPI keycahin actually went the other way. It was half the size of what it should be.


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 JMW326

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Posted 14 December 2006 - 02:33 PM

I had the TOS Phaser, the Klingon Disrupter, the TNG Tricorder, The FC Phaser, and the TNG and TOS Communicators. Unfortunately my house was broken into many years ago and they got all of them except the FC phaser and the TOS communicator.I ended up trading the communicator a while back but still have the FC phaser. I am actually loking to get rid of that one too if anyone is interested.

I hope That DST does start to branch out a little and do some of the stuff that playmates tried to cover.

#12 Gothneo

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Posted 14 December 2006 - 05:50 PM

What do you want for that first Contact Phaseer JMW326?


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 knightone

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Posted 14 December 2006 - 07:14 PM

Trek Tek is an untapped resource and DST is missing the boat. The STTE comm for $50 has been selling like hotcakes. It sold through two runs and there is supposed to be a third batch on the way. They must have moved tens of thousands of those things. I bet, for the same price range, DST and AA can do something even better in quality than the STTE communicator.

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 Gothneo

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Posted 14 December 2006 - 09:15 PM

That STTE Comunicator is such a great example Knightone!

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 Stormfury_Echo

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Posted 24 January 2007 - 01:49 PM

What did people think of the DS9 Bajoran props? I've thought about getting the phaser, but I'm just not sure. Feedback, anyone?

#16 slayerone76

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Posted 24 January 2007 - 05:18 PM

The Bajoran Trek Tek were some of my favorites of the entire series. The Phaser fit my hand well and I liked the lights and sounds. The tricorder, while a bit big, was detailed and again the sounds and lights were nice. I don't know how accurate they were, but I really liked them

#17 Gothneo

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Posted 22 February 2007 - 09:20 AM

Yeah, I'm thinking about trying to see if I can win some of the DS9 trek tek on ebay. It looks nice enough.

#18 Jedigreedo

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Posted 19 March 2007 - 09:08 PM

Anybody else still like these? I've been drawing up a custom phaser and pulled out my Playmates TNG and TOS Phasers and TNG Tricorder for inspiration and can't help but be amazed every time I pull them after years. They're just so wonderfully done in a way that they make awesome looking props and great toys, especially the tricorder. It's sad that most companies nowadays have to exaggerate scales, colors and/or details in order to make their roleplay stuff more "exciting", Playmates hit the nail on the head with these. Especially with including belt clips, that's just possibly the best part. Very useful when you make a mess looking for them but have nowhere to set them down when finally found. biggrin.gif

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 knightone

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Posted 19 March 2007 - 10:35 PM

For whatever reasons, they never made any of these things the right size (always too small or too big compared to the real things), but the cobrahead was about the closest they ever came to the correct proportions. After that, the TMP phaser was also nice, although it was too large. The TOS comm was another very good one. The TNG tric was nicely detailed, but also undersized. The assault phaser was nicely detailed as well, but was another one that was way undersized. Overall, this was a fun line and the I kept buying them even after I gave up on their figures and their ships. I really enjoyed them, although I think AA has done a much better job of making role-play toys (despite the Enterprise phase pistol also being undersized). I just wish they would make more.

#20 Stormfury_Echo

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Posted 20 March 2007 - 11:12 AM

QUOTE(knightone @ Mar 19 2007, 10:35 PM) View Post
For whatever reasons, they never made any of these things the right size (always too small or too big compared to the real things), but the cobrahead was about the closest they ever came to the correct proportions. After that, the TMP phaser was also nice, although it was too large. The TOS comm was another very good one. The TNG tric was nicely detailed, but also undersized. The assault phaser was nicely detailed as well, but was another one that was way undersized. Overall, this was a fun line and the I kept buying them even after I gave up on their figures and their ships. I really enjoyed them, although I think AA has done a much better job of making role-play toys (despite the Enterprise phase pistol also being undersized). I just wish they would make more.

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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