Hallmark Star Trek Display #278
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Category Archives: Kevin Dilmore
Discontinued Hallmark Legacy Cords in High Demand (2021) *UPDATED*
The Legacy Cord powers up to four Magic Keepsake Ornaments produced in 2009 and earlier. Unfortunately, it was discontinued and not available this year. This means there are 15 Star Trek ornaments (and hundreds of other Hallmark ornaments) that will remain dark, quiet and motionless if you are without.
The cord can be found secondhand on eBay at a premium. So far this month 20 Legacy Cords have been sold on eBay averaging more than $180 each. Considering each cord only lights four ornaments you would be paying $45 to power each ornament.
Hallmarkstartrekornaments.com has had more than 7,500 searches for Hallmark’s Legacy Cord just in 2021. There is no doubt Hallmark should bring back the Legacy Cord for the longtime Hallmark faithful.
“I am desperately looking for legacy cord.please bring it back.”
–Nelda Cummings September 28, 2021 at 2:06 pm
“Really need to bring these back for those of us that just want to enjoy our ornaments. eBay prices are outrageous!!!!”
–Camille Johnson October 24, 2021 at 4:40 pm
“Please bring back the legacy cord. Missed it the first time — will not if you bring back.”
–Pat November 21, 2021 at 10:08 pm
“Why stop making The legacy cord? I have many ornaments prior to 2010 that I now cannot use. We enjoyed them and spent a lot of money on them. Come on Hallmark!”
–Paula Page November 24, 2021 at 11:29 am
“I have been a collector of your Hallmark Ornaments for many years, especially the Peanuts Plug Ins plus many others. I have so many that one cord would be enough to power up my ornaments. I can’t afford to pay the high ridiculous prices for the few i find on the secondary market. How can we enjoy these ornaments with no source of power? Please bring these Legacy Cords back so we can have a Merry Christmas and keep the tradition alive.”
–Ellen Van Handel December 4, 2021 at 11:41 pm
“I agree with all of the comments! I would love to power my Star Wars Hallmark Ornaments with the Legacy Power Cord and not have incandescent light bulbs interfere with the new LED ones. Please bring it back, Hallmark, for us collectors.”
–Josh December 7, 2021 at 12:58 am
“I have quite a few of the older Star Trek ship ornaments that plug into the older style Chrismas lights. Does Halmark sell any kind of powered strip with these older connections?”
–Geoff H., email, December 7, 2021
“Good evening, do you know where I may be able to locate and procure the Legacy Power Cord? I have several Star Trek ornaments that I would love to display. Any help you could provide would be gratefully appreciated.”
–James, email, December 8, 2021
“Have spent hundreds of dollars on hallmark ornaments, this is bs that you no longer sell the cord to connect the magic star trek, journey to space and all the other that i paid at least 25.00 and more for.”
–terri zwingle December 11, 2021 at 4:07 pm
“Please bring the legacy cord back. I have collected your ornaments since 1978. I purchased the movement ones and enjoyed them. Now I can’t find any where they work. Please bring back the legacy cord or something similar. Thank you I am disgusted that I paid the extra money for the motion ones and now Hallmark does it support them? I have a dated Hallmark ornament for every year from 1978 forward and would like all of them on my tree….”
–Joni Marusak December 12, 2021 at 11:40 am
I understand and appreciate people’s concern about the Legacy Cord. I do believe there’s an alternative in the marketplace that will offer a solution.
Hardware stores, home-improvement stores and online retailers still offer strands of lights that accommodate the outdated “pigtail” connectors. Do a search or read the packaging for “incandescent Christmas lights” with incandescent being the key word. A Lowe’s in my area currently is offering a strand that would work for less than $3, which is a bit of a savings over eBay. If you want to make sure a strand will work, slip one of your less-valuable ornaments in your pocket and check the connection for yourself at the store.
A new incandescent strand also gives the bonus of additional lighting that a Legacy Cord doesn’t. One rule-of-thumb from my engineer friends: plug no more than four pigtails into any one strand of lights. They can be a power drain on the whole cord as it is and plugging in five or more risks blowing a fuse on the strand.
Hope this helps. Merry Christmas and keep those tree photos coming!
Kevin Dilmore, Dec 13, 2021 3:49 PM
Please bring these back. I spends thousand of Dollars at Hallmark and it’s not fair that I can’t power these ornaments anymore.
-Kimmkr, Dec 24, 2021 6:21 PM
Sorry, This is a poor excuse from Hallmark. They have been in very short Supply for years. My store only ever got a few of them ever year. I finally had it lined up to snag one this year and they discontinued them. I dont want to use older style lights on my pre-lit tree so these options are not even options. Hallmark is just being greedy and sees it as a reason to force folks to buy newer versions.
-Scott, Dec 28, 2021 1:00 PM
None of the current incandescent strings that I checked out fit the Magic Ornaments. The sockets are too small. I checked many big-box retailers like Home Depot, Ace Hardware, Target, and Walmart and all the light sockets were too small. The only exception was the set of Phillips incandescent lights I purchased. Those were too large. I have one string of older lights that fit when I hold them in with electrical tape. Kevin, if you know of a specific brand of newer incandescent lights that fit the Magic Ornaments, I’m all ears. If I find one that fits, I’ll update this post.
-Lisa, Dec 28, 2021 6:02 PM
I am trying to power my old Star Trek ornaments. I have tried what you suggest and it doesn’t work. Others have had the same experience as shown in the comments below. Do you have a better answer?
-Patrick Sharp, Dec 31, 2021 1:45 AM
Please, please, we are also desperate for a legacy cord. I thought I had ordered one but received a magic cord instead. So frustrated!
Jody Yoxsimer, January 9, 2022 8:03 pm
I want one so bad! Why are they SO expensive on eBay?
Megan, January 10, 2022
Hallmark Star Trek Ornaments compatible with the Legacy Cord:
1991 Enterprise, 1992 Galileo, 1993 Enterprise D, 1994 Klingon Bird of Prey, 1995 Romulan Warbird, 1996 Voyager, 1997 Defiant, 1998 Enterprise E, 1999 Rio Grande, 2000 Borg Cube, 2002 Delta Flyer, 2003 Scorpion, 2004 Vulcan Command, 2004 “The City on the Edge of Forever”, 2005 Locutus of Borg
By the Numbers: Enterprise B Day!
Today, November 18, 2021, is the 27th anniversary of the release of Star Trek Generations and with it comes the stark reminder that we are still without a Hallmark Enterprise NCC-1701-B ornament. How can any collection be complete with this infamous Excelsior-class starship missing. This was the site of legendary James T. Kirk’s “death”!
An upgrade of the Excelsior-class, she was the third Federation starship to bear the name Enterprise.
During her maiden voyage under Captain Harriman, the starship received a distress call from two El-Aurian transport vessels caught in a strange, mysterious energy ribbon. Kirk, on board as an honored guest, assisted in the rescue while the Enterprise-B got caught in the Nexus.
Kirk was integral in saving the ship, but as the Enterprise pulls away, the ribbon suddenly strikes the starship, tearing a large gash through the hull.
In its wake, it left only a gaping hole in the bulkhead where Captain Kirk once was.
startrek.com
Hallmark has produced no less than 24 Enterprise ornaments over the course of 30 years and still we wait for the NCC-1701-B.
Star Trek Generations was released in 1994 and Hallmark has missed opportunities at the 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th anniversaries. Generations’ 30th anniversary is only three years away and it would be a perfect opportunity to “right the ship”. Hallmark, you’re on the clock!
OOF! 😉
Okay, let’s all sit down and have an honest chat about the B. I assure you that we’ve had her on our sensors for a long time. (As also the U.S.S. Excelsior—and yes, we are very in tune with the design differences between the starships.) The short answer is, sure, we could do the B . . . but you wouldn’t be so happy about it.
I’m hoping I can get an assist here with some top and side profiles (hint hint). I know a lot of us could do a pretty good job sketching the B from memory but take a good look at the design here. To do the B the way we would want to—with light in all the right places—that’s not an easy trick. We have to pack those skinny nacelles (these are hardly ample, Scotty) with wires and lights and plot the placement of circuit boards and battery housings and all the things either in the primary hull, which is pretty shallow as well, or the pot-belly of a secondary hull that isn’t quite as accommodating as you think.
One solution is just to make the whole ornament big enough to do everything you’d expect it to do . . . leaving you with a B that is unpleasantly out of scale with the rest of your collection and possibly a price point that would be a bump up, too.
Part of the wait we’re all experiencing is on technology. Advancements in consumer electronics, many of which come with price reductions, happen all the time. It was the introduction of a tiny wireless RF chip at the right price that unlocked our ability to do our Storytellers ornaments. I’m hoping you’ve enjoyed what’s come of that so far. 😉
In my own personal experience (and it’s matched by that of plenty of others) the B is the second-most requested Star Trek Keepsake Ornament I’ve heard. The only request I’ve heard more over the years is for a U.S.S. Enterprise tree topper and you know how that story ends. We get it; we want the B, too. I can tell you that it’s not an “if,” it’s a “when.” We just don’t know when.
I’d be remiss if I signed off without thanking each of you for your support of what we’re doing with the Star Trek license. I’m over the moon from your responses to Star Trek Storytellers—it’s among my associations with Star Trek of which I’m most proud. I’m so eager for next year’s additions to complete the story. You’re all terrific and I appreciate you greatly.
Kevin
PS—if you’re gonna make a pitch of reasons to do the B, I might reconsider the mention of it being the place where Captain Kirk died. We’ve done a Star Trek death scene before and I still remember the social media response to THAT one. haha 😉
-Kevin Dilmore, 11/18/21 aka Enterprise B Day
More Enterprise B articles…
Hallmark Star Trek Display #169
We Need a USS Protostar NX-76884 Ornament!
The main title sequence for Star Trek: Prodigy has been released and with it a look at the U.S.S. Protostar NX-76884. The opening sequence appears to be a blend of Voyager’s and Discovery’s and is accompanied by gorgeous animation and a fantastic theme. Could we be seeing a Protostar ornament in the next couple years?
The Curious Case of The Scorpion and the Copious Colors of Canopies
2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis included a scene with Picard and Data escaping in a Scorpion-class ship. In 2003, Hallmark released The Scorpion ornament and it is the only Star Trek ornament that involved both Lynn Norton (ship sculpt) and Anita Marra Rogers (character sculpts) together. Each artist was known for sculpting dozens of Star Trek ornaments during their career. Unfortunately, The Scorpion went under some last minute changes and Rogers work has gone mostly unseen for years.
Look closely beyond the smoked canopy of the Scorpion ornament, and you may discern painted figures of Captain Picard and Data in the cockpit as sculpted by Keepsake Artist Anita Marra Rogers. Original designs for the ornament included a transparent canopy on the ornament, but changed to match the studio model used for filming. The change came too late to alter photographs on the ornament’s retail box and other Hallmark publications, which clearly show the figures.
Kevin Dilmore, startrek.com
I recently received an email from a reader who was following up on our conversation about the canopy’s shading in The Scorpion’s comments section two years ago.
I am the original poster who inquired about the lighter canopy Scorpion ornaments a couple years back. I see that there were some recent updates on the thread and I thought I’d comment on what I’ve found out regarding the topic. Please feel free to post any of this info to your website if you think it is useful.
While I have never found an ornament with a completely clear canopy as shown on the box, I can confirm that there are contrasting shades of canopies that differ from ornament to ornament. I’ve attached some photos of an ornament I acquired on ebay earlier this year with a lighter canopy next to an ornament with a darker canopy that I’ve had for some time. The difference looks somewhat subtle on camera, but is more apparent in person. I used to have an ornament with an even darker, almost black canopy which I sold off some time ago in favor of one with more visible figures.
So I’ve found that there are multiple variations of this ornament to suit your taste. You can own one with a very dark canopy which is more faithful to the film, or a lighter one which better shows the figures in the cockpit. Most seem to be somewhere in the middle. The good news is that this is one of the more affordable ornaments on ebay and other online marketplaces, so it is cheap to acquire the one you want or to collect multiple variations if you are so inclined.
I hope this information is helpful or at least interesting for someone.
Thanks,
Rob
P.S.
Thank you for all of the great information on this website. Because of you, I was able to acquire an HMS Bounty ornament last week to add to my collection. So as always, thanks and keep up the good work!
There seems to be a wide range of tints available on The Scorpion which result in quite different ornaments. If you have the blackened canopy the ornament could be almost any spaceship since it isn’t one of the recognizable iconic ship designs known in the Star Trek universe. If you have a clearer canopy, the images of Picard and Data turn the ornament from a generic sci-fi spaceship to a true Star Trek ornament.
A big ‘thank you’ to Rob for the information, his photos and the very kind words.
eBay Has a Bounty of Bounties!
With the SDCC event less than an hour old eBay is booming with more than 75 new HMS Bounty offerings. Currently, the lowest asking price is $89.00.
2021 Keepsake Ornament Debut Delayed Two Weeks
NEW EVENT DATES! Ornament Debut | October 16-24
Shipping challenges are affecting Hallmark’s product availability for the holiday season. To ensure the best selection possible, they have rescheduled this event to October 16-24 (previously Oct. 2 – 10), with early KOC shopping available on Oct. 15. Holiday Open House (HOH) has moved back by one week to Nov. 12 – 21 (previously Nov. 5 – 14).
Although a number of October ornaments have been pushed back to November there is no word of either Star Trek ornaments being delayed.
Resellers Overcharging for the Star Trek™ HMS Bounty Klingon™ Bird-of-Prey Metal Ornament
A word of warning not to buy/preorder the overpriced HMS Bounty that is showing up on eBay. The event exclusive ornament will be available to buy from home on July 23, 2021 at Noon E.S.T. and October 7, 2021 at Noon E.S.T. There will be a limited amount so be sure to log in early.
HOW TO PURCHASE POPMINDED EXCLUSIVES
This year, we will offer event exclusives ONLINE ONLY in conjunction with the following events, typically attended in person: Comic-Con@Home, scheduled July 23-25, 2021, and New York Comic Con, scheduled October 7-10, 2021. Product allotments will be divided evenly between the two convention timeframes. Exclusives will be sold on a first-come basis starting at Noon Eastern Time (9 a.m. Pacific Time, 11 a.m. Central Time) on the first day of each convention.
Additionally, small quantities…will be allotted for sale to Keepsake Ornament Club Members. For more information on membership, go to hallmark.com/ornaments/keepsake-ornament-club.
For details on how to purchase exclusives, visit PopMinded.com/Events and expect the PopMinded convention shop to return in-person, to a full line-up of events in 2022.
For more information about PopMinded by Hallmark and the products offered, visit PopMinded.com.
Hallmark.com
Product Details
- Designed by Jake Angell, this metal Keepsake Ornament comes pre-packaged in a box for easy gift giving, preservation and storage. Dated 2021 in copyright.
- PopMinded™ event exclusive ornament and one of only 3,750 issued. Limited availability while supplies last, not available in stores.
- Originally created for 2021 San Diego Comic-Con, New York Comic Con and select events.
- Metal Christmas tree ornament measures 4.5″ W x 0.58″ H x 2.89″ D.
Star Trek Communicator Article, 1998
1998, Deep Space Nine and Voyager were on the air and Star Trek: Insurrection was in theaters. Hallmark had only released its 16th and 17th Star Trek ornaments and Kevin Dilmore interviewed longtime Hallmark Star Trek artists Anita Marra Rogers and Lynn Norton for Star Trek Communicator magazine. The magazine, a bimonthly publication of the Official Star Trek Fan Club, folded in 2005.
A big ‘thank you’ to the wonderful reader who sent me this article.
“It is Paramount’s criteria that the characters do not have a hook in any part of their bodies. Therefore, we have to incorporate a part of their environment with them as a vehicle to place the ornament hook.”
Anita Marra Rogers
Within two years Seven of Nine would have a hook driven into her cranium, a practice that continues with character ornaments to this day.
Top Right: In the early days, Hallmark would sometimes implement a ‘fish hook’ design which swept a hook over a character’s head.
Bottom Left: Seven of Nine’s head wound in 2000.
Bottom Right: Picard’s unfortunate hook placement in 2017 resembled some sort of torture device. “THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!”
Artist Inspirations: Storytellers
Right: The blade of the dagger is turned fat side out so you can see it from your couch when the ornament is hanging on the tree.
Artist Inspirations: Uhura (2007-2020)
Right: The 2009 convention exclusive ornament is a simple repaint of the 2007 Uhura in red, happily, she strikes her famous pose wearing gold in the “The Carbonite Maneuver” (S:1, E:10). The back of the Hallmark box states Uhura had only wore gold in that one episode although she had donned it previously in “Mudd’s Women” (S:1,E:6).
Right: 2015 Legends Series: Uhura ornament with slightly less hair and missing the front overlap on her skirt.
Right: 2020 Storytellers Series: Uhura ornament.
How Much Will the HMS Bounty Cost? *UPDATED*
It is still announcement day for the 2021 Hallmark Star Trek Event exclusive ornament and we have a contradiction in pricing. Corporate and PopMinded have pricing at $35 while the main order page has the Keepsake listed at $40 (See below for screen shots).
6/29/21 UPDATE:
Pricing on Hallmark’s website has been adjusted down to $35:
Artist Inspirations: Scene Ornaments (2004-2019)
The action shot of Spock and Kirk jumping through the portal is a sculpt inspired by their jump from the past (middle), not to the past (left).
“Star Trek: First Contact”, Borg Queen and Locutus.
Unfortunately, Kirk’s eyes closely resemble Mr. Magoo’s in this otherwise accurate sculpt.
Kirk and Spock are at slightly different angles to Pike compared to their position in the episode. The ornament has Kirk turned toward Pike 45 degrees while Spock is more squared up and perpendicular to him.
Any slight difference in the positioning of the Vulcan lirpas is quickly drowned out by the fantastic battle music that accompanies the ornament. Unfortunately, the sculpt depicts Kirk moments before his shirt is sliced open. We could use a torn-shirt Kirk ornament in a bad way.
In the episode, McCoy is pressed against the computer bank. In the sculpt, there is distance between him and the wall and his head in leaning back.
If you are wondering why the artist has the Spocks standing in front
of a wall adorned with the Federation’s delta insignia…
“Put aside logic, do what feels right”.
(A,B) The Gorn approaches a trapped Kirk and (C) raises his dagger, (D) the episode breaks for commercial, (E) the Gorn reaches out toward the rock, (F) grabs the rock and (G) pulls it away allowing Kirk to escape
This ornament is a view we never see on screen. It is the moment that occurs in image (F) but from the camera angle we are familiar with from image C. No explanation why the ornament does not include the vine netting around Kirk’s leg.
Spock’s elbows are bent and his forearms placed more vertically on the close shots (bottom left) while in the long shots his arms are more outstretched with his forearms horizontal (top). Spock’s boot and legs are exact copies from the long shots. The ornament is a blend of the different shots.
While most (WARNING: 39 year old spoilers ahead!) of Spock’s death scene in The Wrath of Khan is shot from Kirk’s side of the glass, from the moment Kirk puts his hand on the glass until Spock’s actual demise, the scene is all shot from Spock’s side of the glass. While the ornament can be viewed from both sides it is impossible to reproduce the movie camera’s perspective from the back of the ornament. In the end, we get an ornament of a classic scene from Kirk’s perspective.
Kirk and the Salt Vampire.
(A) Sulu enters the bridge, (B) Sulu’s guard arm is raised in the scorpion position, (C) Kirk ducks Sulu’s lunge, (D) Kirk jumps over the bridge railing to the lower level, (E) Sulu resumes the scorpion position, (F) Sulu holding Uhura faces Kirk, (G) Uhura’s struggles draws Sulu’s attention, (H) Uhura breaks away
Sulu’s likeness is captured from image B or E. Kirk’s stance is closest to that of F or G. Kirk’s position to the sword is never closer than that in image C. The Naked Time ornament marries two different moments in the scene to capture an iconic but nonexistent moment in time.
Burnham gives Georgiou’s telescope to Saru in the first season episode “Choose Your Pain”. In the episode, the pair simply stand in front of the telescope case which sits on a table and the ornament depicts them in a similar standing position but with Saru holding the case, a moment we never see appear on screen.
2021 Top 10 Hallmark Star Trek Ornaments: #1
#1: 2001 Space Station Deep Space Nine
Retail: $32.00
2021 Secondary Market: $67.95
Size: 5 1/2” Dia. x 3 1/4” H (4 1/2” H with base)
Code: QX6065
We have finally reached #1 on our Top 10 list! The Deep Space Nine space-station of 2001 is a gorgeous sculpt and stands head and shoulders above the others. The ornament was sculpted by longtime Star Trek ship artist, Lynn Norton:
“I have to say that the “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” space-station ornament is still my favorite. It was the most challenging sculpture for me and the Keepsake engineering staff,” he says. “My idea to offer it with docked miniature starship ornaments turned out to be a winning combination with Star Trek fans.”
Lynn Norton, hallmark.com, 2016
The Hallmark space-station includes a detachable base. When off the base the ornament can be hung from a tree and when attached it can be displayed on a desk or shelf and enables the Magic Light and Sound function. The display base is powered by two AAA batteries and, once the button is depressed, it illuminates yellow lights at the primary docking ring airlocks and a red light at the fusion reactor.
The base also powers the audio function which allows you to hear the words of Captain Sisko from the series finale of Deep Space Nine:
“To the best crew a Captain ever had. No matter what the future holds, no matter how far we travel . . . a part of us will always remain here, on Deep Space Nine.”
-Captain Sisko, “What You Left Behind”
To top everything off, this is an ornament that actually displays six other ornaments. When Hallmark’s Ships of Trek was released six years earlier there really wasn’t a place the three pack of miniatures could be safely hung on the tree. The mini ships of 1995 and 2001 (see below) were way too small to display properly on a tree and there was always a danger of them being accidentally tossed out with the tree in January. The space-station includes a hook on each of the three upper docking pylons and three on the docking ring. Although not to scale, the ships look fantastic and take the Deep Space Nine ornament to another level.
We have reached the end of our list and it wasn’t easy winnowing it down to just ten ornaments. It was difficult to not include ornaments like 2000’s Borg Cube, 2002’s Enterprise NX-01, 2010’s Amok Time, 2013’s Arena and 2016’s The Man Trap. Depending on the day any one of those ornaments could make the Top 10 but there is never a question that the #1 spot will still belong to the Deep Space Nine space-station.
2021 Top 10 Hallmark Star Trek Ornaments: #2
#2: 2011 U.S.S. Defiant
Retail: $32.95
2021 Secondary Market: $2,499.95
Size: 5 1/4” L x 2 1/2” W x 1 3/4” H
Code: QMP4068
Quantity: 700
When I was a youngster one of my favorite cereal prizes were those that glowed in the dark. It was a rare day for any box of cereal to make it from the brown paper shopping bag to the cabinet before I ripped into the box to dig out my reward. When a box would show up with a glow-in-the dark prize it was an even bigger event.
It would be the same process every time: rip open the cereal box, plunge my grubby hands down into the box up to my elbows; first on one side of the box and then the other side. I remember that brief moment of panic when the prize would be hidden extra deep. Then my fingers would hit that familiar cellophane wrapper and the buried treasure would slowly rise from the depths, cereal spilling out across the table.
I would attempt to close up the box but it would now have that bloated center where the cardboard packaging had stretched out and the tab would no longer reach the slot on the opposite flap. But this was no time for food storage etiquette so off I would go, leaving behind the opened box of tomorrow’s stale breakfast. After a brief stop at the highest wattage in the house, my hands dangerously close to a light bulb, I was off to the darkest place in the house…the family bathroom. It was there that skeletons would magically dance in the mirror’s blackness, warning stickers would reveal themselves in all their glory, or spiders would come alive. The glow-in-the-dark technology was beyond that of rocket science to a six year old boy, it was magic.
Fast forward nearly four decades and Hallmark produces a repaint exclusive of their 2006 Enterprise ornament:
Commissioned in the mid-23rd century, the U.S.S. Defiant served as one of 13 Constitution-class starships that explored strange new worlds on behalf of the United Federation of Planets. In the classic Star Trek episode “The Tholian Web” (1968), the Defiant became trapped in an area of spatial interphase between universes, the properties of which gave the starship an eerie green glow before it was consumed by a rift to suffer an uncertain fate. This special edition ornament is one of 700 issued for and only available at the 2011 New York Comic-Con Event.
2011 Defiant Keepsake Box Text
Every Christmas season since 2011, Hallmark reintroduces me to the glow-in-the-dark technology of my childhood. When the Christmas tree lights go off at the end of a long day, the Defiant Keepsake remains glowing in the darkness of space and always bringing a smile to my face.
The glowing aspect of the ornament may not bring back childhood memories for everyone. The secondary market prices may put a stale taste in the mouths of collectors but this ornament does exactly what it sets out to do in the simplest of ways. No batteries. No cord. No Magic sound. No Magic lights. No Magic motion. Just good old fashioned magic, glow-in-the-dark magic, the magic of childhood.
NINE down, one to go. Next time we reach #1 on our Top 10 list.
2021 Top 10 Hallmark Star Trek Ornaments: #6
#6: 2016 Enterprise “Pilot” Painted Event Edition
Retail: $30.00
2021 Secondary Market: $395.95
Size: 6” L x 2 1/2” W x 1 1/2” H
Code: QMP4099
Quantity: 3,450
#6 on our list is a repaint of the 2016 50th anniversary Hallmark store ornament. The Keepsake available in stores was an all gold version of the early Enterprise while the Event Edition, which was released the same year, was a screen accurate painted version. Both ornaments played Kirk’s opening monologue and the Star Trek theme song.
Lynn Norton commented about his work on the the ornament in a 2015:
“This is the one that I really went out of my way to make as accurate as possible. I based it on the original shooting model with its larger bridge dome, larger deflector dish and nacelle features as a tribute to the series’ 50th anniversary. Assuming it’s able to maintain all of its details in final production, it’s more accurate than anything I’ve done before.”
startrek.com
The decision seems odd for Hallmark to make the gold Enterprise the more widely available ornament and the painted version available as the Event Exclusive. It seems both versions would have benefited in the other’s release plan. The recognizable repaint available to the mass market would have been a safe and possibly more successful way to go and the limited gold version would have still been sought after by collectors.
Below: 11’ Enterprise model pictured on December 29, 1964.
Star Trek is one of those rare television shows that had two pilots. The original 11’ Enterprise model that was made for Star Trek’s pilot, The Cage filmed in late 1964, would be altered between pilots and again before the series aired. Most notably, lights were added to the model for the filming of Star Trek’s second pilot Where No Man Has Gone Before filmed in July of 1965. The easiest way to discern the differences between the first and second pilot ship designs is the vent grating at the back of the warp nacelles.
Middle: Second pilot (Where No Man Has Gone Before) Enterprise with vent grating.
Bottom: The Star Trek series Enterprise with space matrix restoration coils.
As you can see, the Event Exclusive Enterprise’s vent grating is present placing the ship firmly as a Where No Man Has Gone Before ornament. Once the series began filming its official run in May of 1966 the Enterprise would again be altered dropping the needles on the front of the nacelles and adding the space matrix restoration coils* on the rear.
The endcaps in “The Cage” has the vertical vents shown on the side. –culttvman.com
The warp engine endcaps for the second pilot has rows of holes. There are 6 rows. the top row has two and the rest alternate between seven and eight with a gap between rows 4 and 5. –culttvman.com
Space matrix restoration coils. –cygnus-x1.net
*I’m not really a nerd but more of a researcher**
**Okay, running a Hallmark Star Trek Ornament website constitutes me as a nerd. I get it!
The next time we DROP in on the Top 10 it will be at #5.
2021 Top 10 Hallmark Star Trek Ornaments: #7
#7: 2004 “The City on the Edge of Forever”
Retail: $28.00
2021 Secondary Market: $59.95
Size: 3 5/8” H x 4 1/8” W x 2 3/4” D
Code: QXI4094
The City on the Edge of Forever is probably the best hour in all of of Star Trek television. We witness the tragic love story of Kirk and Edith Keeler in this time traveling episode. The Enterprise crew comes across the Guardian of Forever, a doorway to any time and place, where we see Kirk and Spock take that fateful leap into Earth’s past.
The ornament portal flickers to the booming voice of the Guardian which sets this apart from most other Hallmark ornaments with show dialogue.
Captain Kirk: What are you?
The Guardian: I am the Guardian of Forever.
Captain Kirk: Are you a machine or being?
The Guardian: I am both and neither. I am my own beginning, my own end.
Spock: A time portal, Captain. A gateway to other times and dimensions, if I am correct.
The Guardian: Behold! A gateway to your own past, if you wish.
The Guardian: Time has resumed its shape. All is as it was before. Many such journeys are possible. Let me be your gateway.
Unfortunately, this ornament is notorious for failing. There is a capacitor that overheats and causes the sound to quit working. Not all is lost, you can find YouTube repair videos and eBay restoration services online to get your ornament back in working condition. This is an awesome ornament when it is working as intended and deservedly sits at #7 in the Top 10.
The action pose of Spock and Kirk jumping through the portal is precise although the sculpt is inspired by their jump from the past, not to the past. The placement of the activation button is cleverly hidden in the front pillar and the light and sound is powered by a pigtail cord which plugs into an approved light strand. Hallmark would discontinue the pigtail design two years later.
Right: Hallmark’s The City on the Edge of Forever ornament.
2004’s The City on the Edge of Forever ornament was Hallmark’s first scene-centric diorama ornament. Ornaments capturing a famous scene in the Star Trek universe would go on to become an annual offering alongside the Star Trek ships and characters.
Check back next time as we WARP SPEED to #6 in our Top 10 Hallmark Star Trek ornaments of all time.
2021 Top 10 Hallmark Star Trek Ornaments: #9
#9: 2018 Lt. Arex & Lt. M’Ress
Retail: $40.00
2021 Secondary Market: $149.95
Size: 1.38″ W x 4.32″ H x 1.23″ D
Code: QMP4046
Quantity: 2,800
#9 on our Top 10 list has defeated all of the odds. The journey? A struggling sci-fi series of the sixties that only lasted three years spawning a two year animated series of the seventies which begat two of the least known character Keepsake ornaments nearly a half century later. These ornaments were made for the deepest of Star Trek fans and finally gave Star Trek: The Animated Series the recognition it deserves.
Not only did we get our first representation of Star Trek: The Animated Series in the Hallmark Keepsake line but we were treated to two ornaments in the same box! 2018’s two ornament package was an exclusive run of 2,800 pieces, and in a rare decision by Hallmark, the year’s event exclusive ornament was not a repainted mold of a past ornament. Repainting an older ornament has been the norm for limited ornaments since it is less expensive to produce. Hallmark’s all new sculpts of Lt. Arex and Lt. M’Ress were fantastic three dimensional likenesses of their two dimensional cartoon counterparts.
Lt. Arex, voiced by James Doohan, was a three armed, three legged Endosian Starfleet navigator. His third leg was thoughtfully placed behind him but his third arm was horrifying. Arex’s extra upper appendage originated in the center of his chest in the most unnatural and disturbing way.
“He appeared in fourteen episodes, “One of Our Planets Is Missing”, “The Lorelei Signal”, “The Infinite Vulcan”, “Once Upon a Planet”, “Mudd’s Passion”, “The Terratin Incident”, “The Ambergris Element”, “The Eye of the Beholder”, “The Pirates of Orion”, “Bem”, “The Practical Joker”, “Albatross”, “How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth” and “The Counter-Clock Incident”. Although he appeared in fourteen episodes, no background information about Arex was revealed in the animated series, and he was never given a first name.”
Curt Danhauser’s Guide to the Animated Star Trek
Lt. M’Ress, voiced by Majel Barrett, was a lion-like Caitian Starfleet communications officer. Her appearance wasn’t quite as disconcerting as Arex’s. In fact, her purring accent was the audial antidote to the visually jarring Arex.
“M’Ress’s first appearance was in “The Survivor.” She only appeared in six episodes: “The Survivor”, “Once Upon a Planet”, “Mudd’s Passion”, “The Eye of the Beholder”, “Bem” and “Practical Joker.” (Her name is pronounced: Mmm-ress, not Em-ress). No background information about M’Ress was revealed in the animated series particularly since she only appeared in six shows, and she was never given a first name.”
Curt Danhauser’s Guide to the Animated Star Trek
Kudos to Hallmark for giving fans these lesser known peripheral Star Trek characters the ornament treatment. Star Trek: The Animated Series will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2023 and it is doubtful we will see another ST: TAS ornament. But if Hallmark needs an idea, an old television console with the animated series playing on it would be welcomed. We wouldn’t even need a new sculpt, they could do a repaint of the 2009 Twilight Zone ornament or maybe even the 2020 Kanine Krunchies Keepsake…dogs like Trek too.
We PAD out the Top 10 next time with #8 on the list!
1991 Newspaper Article Reports High Demand for Enterprise Ornament
Article text:
Twenty-five years after embarking on its mission to “boldly go where no man has gone before” the USS Enterprise has crossed another frontier – onto Christmas trees across the country.
And even the stoical Mr. Spock would no doubt be tickled at its success.
Hallmark Cards has turned the famous starship into its newest Christmas ornament. The tiny model – about 5 inches long – features blinking red and green lights! Authentic markings and sells for $20.
The ornament immediately caught the fancy of Trekkies when it arrived in stores in July. Retailers now can’t get enough of the item to satisfy demand. Fans who want the Federation starship on their tree the Christmas are advised to get their names on a waiting list right away.
Dallasan Hallmark in Casa Linda Plaza has sold out of its stock three times, plus the display ornament, and is waiting for more.
That is, except for one ornament, whispch is tucked away out of sight of customers.
“I’m a Trekkie,” says cashier Josef Caldwell. “It’s for me.”
“It’s the biggest demand we’ve ever had for a single ornament,” said Betsy Helgager, spokeswoman for Hallmark in Kansas City, Mo. “We’ve heard about the waiting lists and all that. We expected it to do well, but… (Mitchell Diggs, Scripps Howard News Service)
Hallmark Star Trek Ornaments 