By BWilliams / 15:35, 10 March 2004 / Reviews - Collectibles

STAR TREK Starships Collection Series 2
Collectible

Price: $12
Pub Date: January 2004

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I'm back! After a whirlwind month of craziness that has seen me move, get married, and handle one work-related conference after another in an intense non-stop period of time, I'm back with a new product review. It feels great to get back and have some fun, so let's get started, shall we?

I have loved model kits ever since my childhood. My memories are ripe with the times I looked forward to many different model kits over the years, but among my favorites were the STAR TREK model kits from AMT-ERTL. I can practically see them all again in my mind's eye: the U.S.S. Enterprise from the Original Series, the Enterprise bridge, the shuttlecraft Galileo, the Klingon battle cruiser and the Enterprise from the movies, the Enterprise-B from "Generations", the Enterprise-D from the NEXT GENERATION, and the list goes on and on.

Action-HQ, a toy organization from Japan, is the latest entrant in the STAR TREK collectibles market, and they have produced an all-new series of model ships entitled the STAR TREK Starships Collection Series 2.

A total of ten different starships are represented in this collection, some for the very first time ever. The starships featured in this series are: the Original Series U.S.S. Enterprise, the U.S.S. Enterprise-B from "Generations", the U.S.S. Enterprise-C from the NEXT GENERATION episode "Yesterday's Enterprise", the U.S.S. Enterprise-D from TNG, the Future Enterprise-D from TNG's "All Good Things", the Ferengi Marauder, the U.S.S. Farragut from "Generations", the U.S.S. Voyager, the U.S.S. Prometheus, and a Jem'Hadar attack ship. Also, as a bonus "chaser", an eleventh ship has been manufactured: the U.S.S. Enterprise-E from FIRST CONTACT, INSURRECTION, and NEMESIS.

What sets these models apart from the larger counterparts right off-hand is the size. These are miniature model replicas, roughly similar in size to Hallmark's STAR TREK Christmas ornaments. Each one of these starship models comes highly detailed and are fully painted, taken right from the photographs of the original starships used in the first four series and several of the feature films. When assembled, each ship measures approximately 6x3 inches, depending on the type of ship.

Assembly of each of these models is extremely easy. Because all of the pieces of each model are pre-fabricated and pre-detailed, there is no need for trimming pieces apart from a skeleton assembly or using lots of modelers' glue or paint. All of the pieces easily snap together, similar to AMT-ERTL's series of Snap-Tite model kits. Each of the starships' model parts come packaged in a silver package and ready to assemble. Directions are provided in Japanese but also with illustrations to guide modelers and collectors in the assembly of each starship and their respective display stand. In addition, each of these model kits comes with a small package of chocolate-covered rice treats to enjoy while you're constructing these model ships. Finally, you can display each ship on its own custom stand that identifies each of the individual ships in the collection.

Each of these model kits come packaged in a bright red cardboard box with the STAR TREK logo and the Original Series Enterprise on the front, an illustration of all ten regular ships on the back, and photographs from the first four television series on the side. There is nothing specific to distinguish which starship model you are purchasing, and you don't know which one you're getting until you open the package.

INITIAL INTEREST: If you're a fan of STAR TREK models, there's no way you can pass up this new set from Action-HQ, especially when a number of the ships have never been represented before in any form. Fans will especially want to check out the Jem'Hadar attack ship, the U.S.S. Prometheus, and the U.S.S. Farragut, as they make their debuts in model kit form with this series. And their take on the other vessels is just as great. The likely interest will turn toward the "chaser" ship, the Enterprise-E, since it is the rarest of the starship models in this series, as die-hard collectors will search out the secondary and online markets attempting to complete their collections. Rating: A

OVERALL QUALITY: Production quality is excellent on just about each ship! The attention to detail is really, really good for model kits of these sizes. However, there are a few concerns to address. I noticed minor detailing problems with a couple of the ships, particularly with the lettering of the starship logos. Also, the warp nacelle struts on the Original Series Enterprise are curved when they should be straight. This is the only starship model in the set that might require some modeling cement to anchor each piece in place properly. Furthermore, the packaging on each box does not specifically state which starship model is packaged. It would have been nice to get at least a text description of which ship is packaged in which box. I had to open each of the boxes in order to see which ship was individually packaged. Thankfully, the display stands and the construction illustrations compensate for this. Finally, while it is good to have directions for constructing each model ship and an advertisement for the Official STAR TREK Fan Club included in each package, I would have preferred seeing an English translation of the Kanji text included. (Since I did not receive the Enterprise-E "chaser" ship, I cannot provide a quality review on this ship.) Other than those little quibbles, the quality and attention given to these ships is quite good indeed. Rating: B+

INITIAL VALUE: Considering that each of these model kits are from Japan, the price tag on these items are very to relatively inexpensive. A complete set of all ten starship models retails for $89.90 in U.S. currency, while the average price of each individual ship ranges in price starting from $7.95 each. If you order a random starship model, it will retail for $12.95. Two of the rare pieces, the Enterprise-C and the Prometheus, currently sell for $10.95 and $25.64 respectively through Action-HQ's web site. Only the Enterprise-E "chaser" model is the highest in cost because of its limited production run and sells for $49.95, but this product is currently out of stock. Still, given the attention to detail and given the current cost of model kits in the market today, this is a sure bargain indeed. Rating: A

COLLECTIBILITY: The Enterprise-E "chaser" ship, the Prometheus, the Jem'Hadar attack ship, and the Enterprise-C are the most likely candidates for accruement value in time, given the limited production run of the "chaser" ship and the hard-to-find latter pieces of the master set, and given the fact that some of these ships have never appeared in any model kit or toy form from previous companies. These pieces should likely accrue in value over time, while the other pieces in the master set should stay relatively stable in the short-term and the long-term. The harder-to-find pieces should send collectors scrambling the secondary and online markets to complete their sets. Rating: B+

OVERALL GRADE: Ease in construction, attention to detail, and reasonable pricing makes this starship model collection an affordable value for fans and collectors. The representation of some never-before-seen ships and the limited production run of a "chaser" ship only add to the collectible factors for this series. It's a great set! Rating: A-

I must point out that because of the small size of the parts of each starship model and display stand, these are not recommended for children under the age of three, as small children could easily choke on these parts. Adult supervision is recommended for older children ages six and up, and while the sets are for the most part easy to construct, it might be a good idea to keep a little modeling cement handy just in case some parts might not fasten together properly. If you're a fan of modeling kits and STAR TREK model kits, you can't pass this one up!

Visit Action-HQ's web site at www.action-hq.com for more details and for ordering information on the STAR TREK Starships Collection Series 2.