Looks like I'm super-late to this party, but I'm so stoked to see so many people fondly remembering Playmates Star Trek. They were (are) a near obsession for me as a kid. In Australia, we never even got all the figures (or had truncated waves released) so I went kinda nuts once I discovered eBay!
I maintain a tiny blog which attempts to preserve the visual pre-internet history of these toys (if anyone is interested)
http://upcloseandplastic.blogspot.com/
Oh and to the dude who built the custom ops playset - sweet jesus - that is a thing of beauty!!
That's awesome! There used to be a site hosted by New Force Comics which had loads of background on the Playmates line, including prototypes and unproduced products. You're doing a great job capturing some of that.
The Galor looks very detailed, too bad they didn't release itAnd the type III TNG/DS9 rifle! I do have the I and II, and the tricorder, but damn I wanted that rifle as well... and they wanted to make a Romulan disruptor too? Was there any difference between the FC and INS phasers?
Playmates pretty much lost me with the decision to go with a 6" scale for "First Contact," as well as a very small number of DS9 characters in that scale. They still had the stylized plasticky look of the 4.5" figures, but you couldn't put them together for play, setting up dioramas, etc. with the dozens of figures that were available in the 4.5" scale.
THAT is just insane:
![]()
Though I enjoyed the First Contact line when it was released, in retrospect it was a missed opportunity. I mean, I get that Playmates was reticent to release yet another set of figures featuring the same characters (especially when the Generations line was still warming pegs), but they could have done some re-sculpts.
The larger scale seemed to add nothing. Sure some of the facial sculpts are nice (Picard, Worf, Lily), but others seem rushed and cartoonish (Beverly being the worst example). Phaser rifle aside, none of the accessories seemed improved - just sized up versions of the 4.5 inch figure versions.
Add to that, the Voyager style "re-used" bodies that gave the wave a feeling of sameness, and this line looks a little mediocre and dated at the time. Especially considering that McFarlane's Movie Maniacs were just round the corner.
It's hidden behind that protective coverPft -- that Data IS NOT "Fully functional". In fact, he lacks anything to function with down there!
Ken has a bigger bulge than that!
Probably the latter, kinda like Durst in VOY Faces
The story I heard was that LeVar Burton was not happy with the sculpt for the First Contact figure so withheld approval for any more Geordi figures.They couldn't even stretch to making a new head for Geordi sans-VISOR, so he was left out!
Yeah i have a Data figure from the line and articulation is lacking but TBH like the scrapped uniforms that were supposed to be in the Movie. Like a cross of TNG and TOS movie uniformsDue to the longevity of the Playmates line, there resulted in quite the variety including figures most certainly not likely to be done again. Captain Dathon, Tosk, even Morn! And the variations on the main characters we got. Picard and Data in Romulan disguises from Unification, Picard as Dixon Hill, Worf in 19th century costume, mutated Tom Paris from Threshold, Geordi from Identity Crisis. The Playmates line almost rivaled the Kenner/Hasbro Star Wars figures for sheer thoroughness of the franchise.
I remember when I was twelve I glued a pin onto the back of one of the insignia resembling bases to stand the figures on and made it my own comm badge. Then I left it on my shirt when it went in the wash.
Yeah, I remember that. For some reason the Generations figures lacked articulated elbows and knees, despite being a common feature on the rest of the line. Never understood why they did that.
Its an awesome quality figure and you can get it for peanuts onlineLocutus is indeed one of the great sculpts of the entire playmates Star Trek line. No wonder they re-used it so frequently
I have a Beverly Crusher figure from that line, I picked it up from a collectables store on Long Island about 5 years ago, along with a Reman Viceroy.Yeah i have a Data figure from the line and articulation is lacking but TBH like the scrapped uniforms that were supposed to be in the Movie. Like a cross of TNG and TOS movie uniforms
Not in the UK sadly! They're all cheap as chips in the US, but considerably rarer in the UK. They still aren't massively expensive, but the going rate is about £10-20 delivered for a carded figure (around 15-25 USD).Its an awesome quality figure and you can get it for peanuts online
We use essential cookies to make this site work, and optional cookies to enhance your experience.