Category Archives: Hallmark Discussion

Artist Inspirations: M’Ress (2018)

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There are two images that have been found that closely resemble the Hallmark Keepsake. How each are related is a little fuzzy but it seems certain the inspiration for the 2018 Special Event M’Ress ornament originally came from an image from a March 1987 comic book entitled Who’s Who in Star Trek (below left). The ornament has substituted the board and pen/stylus for a tricorder.

A second image was found on a Wiki page (below middle) that looks almost identical to the ornament (below right), most notably in the face and ears and how it differs so much from the comic book. The Wiki image appears to have been copied from the Hallmark image and embellished with the tricorder strap, the addition of a seam and pleat in her uniform, larger tail and feet, and more detail in the sleeve fabric.

Left: Illustration from Who’s Who in Star Trek by Ken Penders & Romeo Tanghal, Source: Memory Beta
Middle: Source: Star Trek Timelines Wiki
Right: 2018 Hallmark M’Ress ornament.
Illiustration from Who’s Who In Star Trek Issue #1.
Page from Who’s Who In Star Trek Issue #1, 1987, DC Comics
Image from They Boldly Went

Personal Data
Name: M’Ress
Occupation: Communications Specialist
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: Starfleet
Base of Operations: U.S.S. Enterprise
First Appearance: “The Survivor”
Height: 6’ Weight 160 lbs
Eyes: Gold Hair: Orange
Current Status: Science Department, U.S.S. Enterprise

History
Communications Officer M’Ress is a Caitian, one of several felinoid civilizations know through the United Federation of Planets (see U.F.P.).

Caitians are approximately the height of human males. They are bipedal, with manes and hairy coverings that occur in various colors. M’Ress’ fur is orange and brown. Her eyes are golden, and look like that of a Terran cat.

Her voice is soft, with a purring sound that becomes more of a hissing when she is emotionally agitated.

M’Ress’ uniform does not include boots, as her paws are padded and do not require protective coverings.

M’Ress is usually selected for landing party duty on planets lacking bright light. Like all felinoids, she sees better in the dark than she dies in bright light.

M’Ress uses her long tail for a variety of purposes which include keeping her balance, sensing temperature changes (she has no whiskers), and sensing the vibrations of approaching individuals.

Her musculature gives M’Ress the strength of two average Terran males. Her disposition, however, is gentle, and she will only use her strength to defend herself or to protect other lives.

After serving aboard the Enterprise for over a year, M’Ress transferred back to the planet Cait, where she worked as a communications analyst (see Enterprise). Missing the adventure, M’Ress returned to Starfleet (see Starfleet) and requested assignment aboard the newly commissioned Enterprise.

Left: Issue #1 Andorians thru Dr. Mccoy.
Right: Issue #2 Marla McGivers thru Vulcans.

Artist Inspirations: Storytellers

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Evil Spock in the Transporter room “welcoming” the away team.
Spock went from arms crossed to the Terran Empire’s salute. I’m glad they didn’t make the ornament based off the far right image.
Good Uhura just after shutting down Evil Sulu’s advances.
Evil Chekov in an attempted coup after disembarking the Turbolift with Kirk.
Left: Evil Sulu in a second attempted coup.
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.
In the episode, “Mirror, Mirror”, Kirk is never seen in the power stance with arms akimbo like the ornament depicts (A). He can be seen most of the time in his space-cowboy-strutting position (B) and once in the I-found-a-new-woman-in-my-room pose (C) and once in his I’m-gonna-kick-bad-Sulu’s-butt position (D). Kirk is the only Storyteller of the five released so far that isn’t based on a screen image from the episode.

Artist Inspirations: Uhura (2007-2020)

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Uhura in her iconic pose, left hand up to her ear and elbow pointed out, was recreated in Keepsake form in 2007.
Left: Uhura in “The Carbonite Maneuver”.
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).
Left: Nichelle Nichols as Uhura in a 1966 publicity still.
Right: 2015 Legends Series: Uhura ornament with slightly less hair and missing the front overlap on her skirt.
Left: Uhura in “Mirror, Mirror” (S:2, E:4).
Right: 2020 Storytellers Series: Uhura ornament.

By the Numbers: How Exclusive is the HMS Bounty Exclusive?

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Fans have a love/hate relationship with Hallmark’s event exclusive ornaments (formerly convention exclusives). Fans love getting a new Trek ornament but for the completists it likely means paying higher prices from resellers who were able to attend the conventions in person. Luckily, there are a couple of things working in favor of the collector this year.

This year’s HMS Bounty will have highest production count (3,750) of any Star Trek exclusive yet.

Along with the higher production number, it has never been easier to acquire a new Trek exclusive than it will be this year. Like 2020, Hallmark will not be present at conventions this year so event exclusives will only be available online:

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. Sales permit one of each exclusive product to be sold per person, per transaction while supplies last. We will miss seeing fans in person this year, but look forward to seeing everyone again in 2022.

Additionally, small quantities of each of the three Keepsake Ornaments will be allotted for sale to Keepsake Ornament Club Members. For more information on membership, go to hallmark.com/ornaments/keepsake-ornament-club.

There is no need to travel to San Diego or New York, simply ‘save the date’ of the convention opening days or join the Keepsake Ornament Club.

Expect to see the Klingon Bird-of-Prey to sell this year for $80-$120 on eBay and only rise in price over time. Hallmark is expected to attend conventions in person next year as life continues its return to normalcy. In this case, normalcy will also mean a return to eBay prices for many of us.

How Much Will the HMS Bounty Cost? *UPDATED*

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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).

corporate.hallmark.com
PopMinded.com
Hallmark.com



6/29/21 UPDATE:

Pricing on Hallmark’s website has been adjusted down to $35:

Artist Inspirations: Scene Ornaments (2004-2019)

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The City on the Edge of Forever (2004)
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).
Locutus of Borg (2005)
“Star Trek: First Contact”, Borg Queen and Locutus.
The Trouble with Tribbles (2008)
Unfortunately, Kirk’s eyes closely resemble Mr. Magoo’s in this otherwise accurate sculpt.
The Menagerie (2009)
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.
Amok Time (2010)
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.
Mirror, Mirror (2011)
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.
An Extraordinary Meeting (2012)
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”.
Arena (2013)
(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.
The Devil in the Dark (2014)
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.
The Needs of the Many (2015)
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.
The Man Trap (2016)
Kirk and the Salt Vampire.
The Naked Time (2018)
(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.
Saru and Burnham (2019)
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.

Cloaked Ornaments – Star Trek: Enterprise Opening Titles

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Just when you thought you had all of Hallmark’s Star Trek ornaments it turns out you may have just needed to look a little deeper. Many Trek related ornaments have been hidden in plain sight the entire time. Cloaked ornaments are the not-so-obvious ornaments that could be on your Star Trek tree. Our first stop is the opening titles of Star Trek: Enterprise.

2002 Peace on Earth Harmony Bell, 1981 Sailing Santa in Hot Air Ballon, 1996 Freedom 7, 2000 Spirit of St Louis.
1995 Space Shuttle, 1997 The Flight at Kitty Hawk: Sky’s the Limit #1, 1994 The Eagle Has Landed, 1998 Apollo Lunar Module: Journeys into Space #3.

Enterprise opening credit images courtesy of Memory Alpha.

2021 Top 10 Hallmark Star Trek Ornaments: #1

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#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.

Blueprints courtesy of universostartrek.com.

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.

1995 Ships of Trek (left), 2001 Star Trek Legends (right)

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

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#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.

Artist Inspirations: Seven of Nine (2000)

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This is the first in a new series where we will be looking at Hallmark Star Trek Keepsake ornaments and the images that likely inspired the artist’s sculpts, a topic that spawned from this recent Top 10 article.

2000’s Seven of Nine ornament was crafted by Anita Marra Rogers and depicts Seven donning a silver Borg Exoplating Emulation Suit (read: catsuit) with her left hand on her stomach and her right hand on her thigh. It is an iconic pose that was taken from Jeri Ryan’s publicity shoot which preceded her 1997 Voyager fourth-season debut.

In the first image (above left) we see the familiar blue bodysuit that also appears on the ornament (above middle). Rogers seems to have gotten her inspiration for the ornament from the pose in the silver bodysuit (above right). The feet, legs, arms and hands are all identical and only the head position and shoulder angle are not in alignment. Looking at a second image from the same photo shoot we find a perfect match. Comparing the ornament and the second publicity shot (below), everything seems to match up with the exception of her right pinky finger.

So, why did Rogers change Seven’s clothing from silver to blue? John Orquiola explains the production issues with the silver suit:

“Ryan wore the silver suit for a few episodes, but it was retired because of the many issues it caused for the actress. The catsuit, with its corset complete with molded breasts, was so restrictively tight that Ryan had trouble breathing. In fact, nurses with oxygen tanks were present on the set and Ryan passed out four times during production. In addition, not only did the corset prevent Ryan from bending but it took her 20 minutes to go to the bathroom, and production would need to be halted just so the actress could relieve herself.

”The silver catsuit with the high collar, of course, is what Ryan wore as Seven of Nine in publicity photos for Star Trek: Voyager, but the actress spoke up about her discomfort and her uniform was changed. Less restrictive (but no less form-fitting) alternate costumes were designed in various colors. A brown costume had no collar, which allowed Ryan to turn her neck, and throughout the four seasons she starred in, Seven rotated between cobalt blue, grey-blue, and plum-colored versions of her catsuit.”

ScreenRant

Jeri Ryan had not worn the silver bodysuit for over a year when Rogers would have likely begun the design process for the 2000 ornament. It stands to reason that the artist liked Seven’s pose from the publicity shoot but made the bodysuit color change to match what Ryan was wearing on screen…likely from the direction of CBS.

2021 Top 10 Hallmark Star Trek Ornaments: #3

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#3: 1992 Shuttlecraft Galileo

Retail: $24.00
2021 Secondary Market: $22.94
Size: 3 1/2” L x 2 1/2” W x 1 1/4” H
Code: QLX7331

#3 on our Top 10 is Hallmark’s follow up to the inaugural Enterprise ornament with 1992’s Galileo. The Galileo was a shuttlecraft assigned to the USS Enterprise, and appeared in the series five times beginning with the episode “The Galileo Seven”.

Left: Galileo screen image. Right:1992 Hallmark ornament.

The shuttlecraft is a simple but accurate sculpt with a pigtail cord that plugs into a light string. When activated the Galileo’s front window and aft thruster arrays light up. Once the button is pressed Leonard Nimoy’s voice can be heard from the the underside speaker…”Shuttlecraft to Enterprise, Shuttlecraft to Enterprise. Spock here. Happy Holidays. Live long and prosper.“

Hallmark recognized the strength of the Star Trek fan base from the previous year and put on Galileo Landing Party events at stores across the country. These events included costume contests, coloring contests, Enterprise mobile giveaways and motorized store displays of the Galileo orbiting a moon. Hallmark’s Galileo ornament advertising was everywhere, most notably in a commercial with Leonard Nimoy.

  • Leonard Nimoy: ”Excuse me. I’m interested in the new collectors ornament from Hallmark.”
  • Hallmark Employee: “Ahh…the shuttle craft Galileo from the starship Enterprise.”
  • Leonard Nimoy: “Precisely.”
  • Hallmark Employee: “You know? It lights up when you plug it in. And listen…”
  • Spock Ornament Recording: “Shuttle craft to Enterprise. Spock here. Happy holidays. Live long and prosper.”
  • Leonard Nimoy: “Fascinating.”
  • Voiceover: “For a store in your sector now carrying the Star Trek ornament call 1-800-HALLMARK.”
  • (Leonard Nimoy holds hand up in Vulcan salutation)
  • Hallmark Employee: ”Live long and prosper, right?”
  • Leonard Nimoy: “No, I’ll take five.“
Stills from Hallmark’s Galileo commercial featuring Leonard Nimoy.

Hallmark wasn’t going to be caught in short supply like they had in 1991. Kevin Stevens best explains,

“Anticipating a repeat of the response to their Enterprise ornament, Hallmark produced the Galileo in greater numbers. Retailing for $24, this ornament was so available to retailers that demand never exceeded supply. Fans and collectors bought the Galileo in quantity. Hallmark heavily advertised the ornaments in science fiction and Star Trek publications. This exposure, combined with the increased production numbers, meant that fans interested in obtaining the ornament were able to do so easily at retail prices”

Strange New Worlds

The sheer number of Christmas trees that had the Galileo on them makes this the most famous of Hallmark Star Trek ornaments and a favorite for nearly 30 years. To many the Galileo was their first and possibly only Star Trek ornament and, like a first love, holds a special place in one’s heart.

Check back next time to see what ornament SHINES through at #2 on our Top 10!

2021 Top 10 Hallmark Star Trek Ornaments: #4

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#4: 2020-2022 Storyteller Enterprise Tree Topper

Retail: $149.99
2021 Secondary Market: $179.99 (still available in stores through 2022)
Size:  6.59″ W x 9.89″ H x 15″ D.
Code: QXI6004

Star Trek fans and collectors have been clamoring for a tree topper for years. 2016 brought the Death Star tree topper to Star Wars fans. In 2019, Harry Potter fans got their tree topper in the form of the Hogwarts Castle. Finally in 2020, the centerpiece of Star Trek Christmas trees everywhere soared into homes. A mammoth 15” long Enterprise Tree Topper places #4 on our Top 10 list. Standing at almost 10” tall it is the bane of Christmas trees everywhere that may have already been brushing the ceiling.

Storytellers by Hallmark are a series of themed ornaments that are linked together to recreate a story. Disney, Harry Potter, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Peanuts and Star Wars are all brands that have received the Storytellers treatment in recent years.

The chosen Storyteller episode is Mirror, Mirror, one of the rare times all the main characters had a substantial part to play. In this episode, we encounter the evil version of our loved crew who are now a part of the Terran Empire instead of the United Federation of Planets. The characters in the Mirror Universe are aggressive and mistrustful in personality.  This is a universe where advancement is more likely achieved by murder rather than promotion. Mirror, Mirror is a much beloved episode of Star Trek and the mirror universe would be revisited in five episodes of Deep Space Nine, two episodes of Enterprise and nine episodes of Discovery.

By far the heaviest ornament to date, the Enterprise tree topper comes with a rigid plastic rod that Velcro’s to the top of your tree. Once the rod is secured, the Enterprise mounts onto it and the end result is a surprisingly stable topper. The ornament is then connected to a power adapter (included) which needs to be strategically hidden within the tree. Press the button on the remote control or on the base of the tree topper to watch it illuminate in blue, green, purple, red, white, and yellow lights. The sound effects range from Star Trek’s theme to thunder to the transporter chamber and many other sound effects.

The tree topper is a beautiful sculpt by Jake Angell who has been doing ornament designs since 2012. The Enterpise is activated by a Starfleet Delta remote which is an ornament of its own in disguise. The upper and lower main arrays glow in a stunning white but the standout is the rotating nacelles. This ship is the real deal.


When linked with other Star Trek Storytellers ornaments you will hear dialogue from the episode. The beauty of the design is that the ornaments communicate whether you own two ornaments or all eight that are planned in the series. The ship’s main function when other characters are connected is that of ship sound effects which gives the scenes a true Star Trek atmosphere.

Mirror, Mirror Storytellers Series
Enterprise Tree Topper (July 2020)
Kirk (July 2020)
Sulu (July 2020)
Uhura (October 2020)
Spock (July 2021)
Chekov (October 2021)
McCoy (2022)
Scotty (2022)

There is no reason to pay inflated prices on eBay or secondhand sites. All of the Storytellers that have been released will be available in Hallmark stores through 2022. The only time the entire set will be for sale at once will be October through December 2022. The set will not be available after Christmas 2022.

Image from hallmark.com review

This ornament will stand proudly atop your Christmas tree.
This ornament has a remote control.
This ornament has lights.
This ornament has sound.
This ornament communicates with other ornaments.
This ornament can be displayed on its own.
This ornament would bully its way into any Top 10 list.
This ornament is three pounds of Christmas goodness.

Next time, LOGICALLY, we discuss #3.

2021 Top 10 Hallmark Star Trek Ornaments: #5

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#5: 2008 “The Trouble with Tribbles”

Retail: $28.00
2021 Secondary Market: $59.95
Size: 4” H
Code: QXI4291

In 2008, Hallmark released an ornament depicting a scene from the most famous episode in the Star Trek franchise. With a clever design, the ornament recreates the moment at the end of the episode, The Trouble with Tribbles, when dozens of the furry creatures descend onto Kirk’s head from an overhead compartment.

Once you look past the fact that Kirk appears to be selling tokens in a subway booth and his lack of eye detail it is a welcome surprise to see Kirk’s green Captain’s uniform with the plunging neckline. According to starfleet.ca, Kirk wore a version of the green wraparound four times in the first season and nine times in the second. Ultimately, you only had a one in six chance of seeing Kirk in green. Or did you?

“The Command uniforms had never actually been gold at all in The Original Series thanks to a trick of light and early color television. Star Trek premiered in 1966, just after the color television transition of ’65, when most networks began switching their broadcasts to at least 50% color. Desilu Productions, the studio producing Trek for NBC, wanted to capitalize on this and demanded a color palette of bright, primary colors. In accordance with this directive, William Ware Theiss, the designer of the original Starfleet uniform, chose a distinctive palette for the crew: a bright cherry-red, a steel-toned blue, and lime green. The red and blues of the on-set fabrics maintained their color on the film stock of the day. But the green uniforms appeared gold on screen through a combination of studio lighting, velour material, and the film stock used.

“After The Original Series, the gold design of the command uniforms was further cemented into Trek lore in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “Trials and Tribble-ations.” In that episode, Dr. Bashir is confused about the uniform conventions of the era after traveling back in time to the original Enterprise, but is set straight by Chief O’Brien and Captain Sisko. It marks the first time that the original gold uniform code is mentioned in dialogue and is a nod to fans “in the know,” who would often engage in the gold vs. green debate. The gold appearance of the TOS uniforms had been officially retconned into the franchise.“

ScreenRant

Upon further inspection there is a lot of gray on this ornament. A lot! The gray is only broken up by the metallic Q*Bert-style stickers on the sides. The Sound and Motion activation button is prominently displayed front and center (but is conspicuously missing on the ornament’s box image). Pressing the Magic Sound and Motion button activates the ornament and it cycles through three pieces of dialogue emanating from a delta-shaped speaker while a barrage of Tribbles rain down on Kirk.

Tribbles: (cooing and falling).
Kirk: I want these things off the ship. I don’t care if it takes every man we’ve got I want them off the ship.
Tribbles: (cooing and falling).

Tribbles: (cooing and falling).
McCoy: Jim, I think I’ve got it. All we have to do is quit feeding them. Quit feeding them, they stop breeding.
Tribble: (squawking).
Kirk: Now he tells me.
Tribbles: (cooing and falling).

Tribbles: (cooing and falling).
Kirk: And tell that board of inquiry I’m still the Captain and as Captain I want two things done. First, find Cyrano Jones and second…close that door.
Tribbles: (cooing and falling).

The sound of Tribbles falling onto Kirk is something akin to the sound of acorns bouncing off a sidewalk but overall The Trouble with Tribbles ornament hits it out of the park. It checks all the boxes…Tribbles in motion, Tribbles cooing, episode dialogue, and Kirk sporting the deep-v, green wraparound tunic.

This is a heavy, solid ornament so reserve a larger branch for it. One of these days I will perform an autopsy on this ornament to see the conveyor belt design inside. Until then, I will take Hallmark’s word that it is Magic Motion.

Next time we will get an ornament that doesn’t quite TOP the Top 10 but reaches a respectable #4.

2021 Top 10 Hallmark Star Trek Ornaments: #6

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#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.

Above: 2016 Enterprise Event Exclusive painted Star Trek pilot ornament.
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.

Top: First pilot (The Cage) Enterprise with plain rear 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.
Nacelles with vent grating on Hallmark’s 2016 repaint ornament.

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.

FIRST PILOT
The endcaps in “The Cage” has the vertical vents shown on the side. –culttvman.com
SECOND PILOT
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
TOS SERIES
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.