The world of Star Trek merchandise can be a strange one. If you’re like me – a fan of all science fiction, from Andromedia to Quantum Leap, Doctor Who to Red Dwarf, Star Wars to Star Trek – then you might recall Yogurt from Mel Brooks’ uproariously funny Star Wars spoof film Spaceballs when he said: “Merchandising! Merchandising! Where the real money… is made.”
Yogurt might have been a spoof version of Yoda, and hawking Spaceballs branded flamethrowers to children, but he has a point. When a television series or film gets popular, the merchandising deals are sure to follow.
This trend got out of control in the post-Star Wars days of the early eighties, and although some branded items have excellent real-world uses some merchandise for our beloved franchises – including Star Trek – should have been left in the cargo bay. Or better yet, blown out the nearest airlock…
Here are five examples of strange, hilarious, and totally collectible goodies from the last 40 plus years of Star Trek merchandise…
