Top Left: Screen used tricorder. From the Paul G. Allen Collection at the Henry Museum. Bottom Left: Episode image showing internals with door dropped down. Middle Top and Bottom: The 2018 Hallmark tricorder. Right: A much longer strap was used on the show so it could be positioned near the hip when hanging from the shoulder.
Left: From the Paul Allen collection at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle, Washington.Left: A midgrade hand phaser from TOS Set Decorator John Dwyer’s collection. Photo from Star Trek Prop Authority.
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.
Star Trek Communicator, Issue 119 (October November 1998)
“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 Left: An example of the “environment” that was required to avoid skewering a character’s body. 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!”
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.
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.
Left: There are MANY images to choose from for inspiration. This one is close. Right: The 2001 Q ornament is one of only three blown glass Hallmark Star Trek ornaments.
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.
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.
Thereis 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.
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).
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
This is the first in a new series where we will be looking at Hallmark Star Trek Keepsake ornamentsand 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.”
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.
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”.
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.“
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”
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!
