José Soto of Starloggers recently posted his ten best Star Trek ship ornaments and the ten best character/diorama ornaments.
“When it comes to ornaments, Star Wars may be the big thing given the abundance of Hallmark ornaments that are all over the stores now. However, Star Trek fans know all too well that their beloved franchise started the Hallmark ornament craze back in 1991 with the release of the original Enterprise ornament.” (more)
Be sure to check out Starloggers and see which ornament tops the list.
Strange New Worlds was a science fiction collectors magazine published from 1992 through 1994, providing original articles, interviews, and news for science fiction collectors. This is a reprint of an article from Strange New Worlds Issue 10 – Oct/Nov 1993.
The Star Fleet of Hallmark by Kevin Stevens
In 1991 Hallmark Cards produced the first in a series of Star Trek Keepsake Ornaments in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the television series. The Starship Enterprise ornament was unveiled in July 1991. The finely detailed ornament blinking red and green lights on the saucer section was a beautiful recreation of the classic starship.
By August, Hallmark found that demand for this particular ornament was overwhelming; it appealed both to collectors of Keepsake Ornaments as well as Star Trek fans and collectors. The Enterprise proved to be the most popular ornament made by Hallmark since the Keepsake Ornament line was introduced in 1973.
By October 1991, Hallmark made the unprecedented decision to go back into production with the Enterprise ornament. Still, by December these supplies of ornaments were also depleted. It immediately began climbing in value on the secondary market. By June 1992 collectible dealers were advertising the $20 ornament for anywhere from $50 to as high as $125. Prices would climb higher still.
In 1992, Hallmark, wishing to repeat its success with the Starship Enterprise, produced a second Keepsake Ornament: the Shuttlecraft Galileo. This lighted ornament included a voice chip featuring the voice of Mr. Spock. By pushing a button, collectors could hear Spock wishing all a happy holiday. 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. A year later, collectors can find the Shuttlecraft Galileo ornament for between $35 and $40.
However, because many more fans obtained the second ornament in the series, the demand grew to complete the set by finding the Enterprise ornament. Fans were now hungry for it. Prices for the Starship Enterprise ornament climbed to $175, eventually topping out at about $250. One dealer at a Los Angeles area Star Trek convention had priced the ornament at $400. Prices for this piece have since stabilized at about $200.
Although the Galileo ornament never achieved the collectibility status of the first ornament, a counter display promoting the ornament has become collectible. The display featured a plastic globe recreating a moon with the Galileo ornament orbiting above it. A button at the base of the display allowed shoppers to hear the greeting from Mr. Spock. This display, which included a cardboard back with advertising information about the ornament, has gone on to the secondary marketplace, with prices from $75 to $150.
For 1993, Hallmark has released the third in the series of Star Trek ornaments: the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701D from Star Trek: The Next Generation. As with the first Enterprise ornament, this keepsake piece features blinking lights. No voice chip is included.
Hallmark announced that it would scale back production for the 1993 ornament, making the newest ornament a more promising collectible than the Galileo. Early reports from Hallmark Gold Crown Stores (retailers for the ornaments) bear this out. Stores that began receiving the ornaments in August have been sent only half their anticipated orders, making demand high from collectors. Even those who pre-ordered have had to wait for back orders to be received.
It remains to be seen how production numbers for the new ornament will stack up as the holiday season approaches. During the holiday season, collectors should anticipate increased prices for the earlier ornaments. If the pattern established in 1992 holds true, prices may spike again, but should stabilize in the new year.
Regardless of the fluctuating prices and collector frenzy, these ornaments remain among the most beautiful, and highly collectible, Star Trek items produced in recent years.
Kevin Stevens is editor of Trek Collector, a bimonthly newsletter for Star Trek fans and collectors. He has been a Star Trek collector since 1972. His collection was featured recently on Los Angeles’ Fox TV news station KTTV.
Strange New Worlds was a science fiction collectors magazine published from 1992 through 1994, providing original articles, interviews, and news for science fiction collectors. This is a reprint of an article from Strange New Worlds Issue 4 – Oct/Nov 1992.
Hallmark officially kicked-off its promotion of the new Shuttlecraft Galileo Keepsake ornament on August 29 [1992], though ornaments were available for sale in select stores the first week in August. This lighted ornament is based on the shuttlecraft design from the classic Star Trek TV series. It features a holiday message from Mr. Spock (voice provided by Leonard Nimoy).
As with all Hallmark Keepsake ornaments, it is unknown how many of these ornaments will be produced. This is proprietary information that Hallmark closely guards. However, it is assumed that based upon the phenomenally successful sales of last year’s Enterprise ornament, that Hallmark will be producing enough of these to meet the demand. The Leonard Nimoy commercial for the Galileo encourages buying multiples of the ornament.
At the 50th World SF Convention, dealers were already asking $50.00 for this ornament that is still available elsewhere for the original retail price of $24.00. Stocks of the Galileo ornament were quickly depleted by eager collectors and dealers in many stores. Before paying inflated dealer prices, first check with your local Hallmark store.
You might also see in your local shop the charming Galileo counter display. It features a large three-dimensional cardboard asteroid (replete with meteor crates) with the Galileo suspended in “orbit” above it. A button clearly marked “press here” is at the base of the display and allows the customer to hear Spock’s holiday message.
As reported in Issue #2 of Strange New Worlds [“Hallmark’s Voyage of the Starship Enterprise”], Hallmark had more demand for last year’s Enterprise ornament than for any other item made by Hallmark since Keepsake Ornaments were first begun in 1973. It is still too early to judge if this latest addition to Hallmark’s Starfleet will enjoy equal attention. Hallmark collectors currently list the value of the 1991 Enterprise (original retail value of $20.00) at $175.00.
“A Hallmark 1994 Klingon Bird of Prey for your Star Trek: The Next Generation Pinball Machine. This ship is “bolt on ready” and comes with wiring harness for easy installation.”
STAR TREK BEYOND™ U.S.S. Franklin™ Ornament With Light Regular price $32.95
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Discovered half-buried on an alien world more than a century after its launch from Earth, the U.S.S. Franklin proved its worth to Captain Kirk and the stranded crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise in 2016’s STAR TREK BEYOND™. This Christmas ornament brings the ship to life with handcrafted detailing and lighting effect. Battery-operated light feature includes three replaceable LR41 batteries. Learn more about Keepsake Ornaments. Christmas tree ornament. Magic Light. Press button to see the ship light up. Dated 2017 in copyright. Battery operated. Three (3) LR41 batteries included. Pre-packaged for easy gift-giving, preservation and storage. 3.5″ W x 1.1″ H x 5.15″ D
Hallmark’s 2017 U.S.S. Franklin ornament was announced on August 4, 2017 at Star Trek Las Vegas by artist Kevin Dilmore.
Concept art poster of U.S.S. Franklin for Star Trek Beyond motion picture.
August 4, 2016 – 12:00pm STARTREK.COM PRESENTS…ICONIC ORNAMENTS
Hallmark invites fans to take a journey into Christmas pasts and revisit some of the most iconic Keepsake Ornaments. First introduced in 1991, Hallmark’s iconic Star Trek ornaments celebrate their 25th anniversary this year. Join legendary Hallmark ship ornament sculptor Lynn Norton as well as Hallmark’s Christine Taylor and Kevin Dilmore as they share insight on the selection of process, the creation as well as the success of these annual fan favorites.
“The Star Trek Las Vegas Convention, celebrating 50 years of Gene Roddenberry’s legacy, is going to be an unprecedented 5 day event!!! It is sure to be the biggest Trek celebration in all the galaxy. We are completely sold out but we wanted all Trekkers to be able to follow along with this milestone event. Here is your one stop shop for all of the #STLV50 social media posts. Follow along with updates and photos from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest all in one convenient streaming location! http://stlv.worldsecuresystems.com/tablet/index.html”
It has been 25 years since Star Trek’s Enterprise debuted as a Hallmark Keepsake Ornament. Over that quarter of a century it has been followed by nearly eighty more ornaments depicting ships, characters and scenes from all five television shows and three movies series. We have Lynn Norton to thank for sculpting all of the ship ornaments but 1992’s Galileo.
Lynn Norton did a 2015 interview with Kevin Dilmore of startrek.com: “At Hallmark, Don Palmiter, Dill Rhodus and I brought fine scale model-making to the ornament business. We really had to convince our art directors we could go beyond cute and traditional and make really believable small models to be used as ornaments. Our commitment to high quality fit right into the Hallmark ideals for product. Now, I also had to fight the initial idea of having a string of garland hanging along the edge of the primary hull, and Santa Claus popping out of the bridge — true story! I wanted to make it as accurate as possible. I’m very aware of the changes to that first ornament. Because it had big, thick circuitry inside for lights, the ornament had heat dissipation problems. We had to build a big cavity into it so the circuit board would not melt the plastic. Also, the ornament had to fit into a ‘printer’s box’ store display with a limited space, and I had to shorten the nacelles for it to fit. I beat that poor design nearly to death, but it got us started and it was very popular with fans of Star Trek and of Keepsake Ornaments. When we reissued the ornament in 1996 for the show’s 30th anniversary, we used the same design.”
– See more at: http://www.startrek.com/article/hallmark-sculptor-lynn-norton-on-the-storied-history-of-trek-keepsake-ornaments#sthash.EKFFnHTi.dpuf
Abducted and imprisoned on a hostile alien starship, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is freed by Commander Data in disguise. Together they battle their way through the corridors of the huge vessel into a shuttle bay, where they discover a fleet of Scorpion attack flyers.
Unable to open the shuttle doors, their only means of escape is for Captain Picard to pilot a Scorpion through the twisting interioir of the ship to freedom.
This Keepsake Ornament features glowing lights on the Scorpion’s wing panels ans exhaust port as well as in the landing lights. The cockpit instrument panel is also lighted. Sculpted by Hallmark Keepsake Artists Lynn norton and Anita Marra Rogers.
2003
QXI7509
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The Scorpion ornament was sculpted by Lynn Norton but the Data and Picard figures within were sculpted by Anita Marra Rogers. Rogers sculpted a majority of Star Trek ornaments that were not starships and generally focused on figures.
All promotional photos of the Scorpion are shown with a clear canopy and characters are easily seen. Final production of the Scorpion included a tinted canopy mostly obscuring the characters inside.
“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 transparent 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
