Review: 2017 Star Trek Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments – USS Franklin and TNG Data and Picard

This year Hallmark has two new Star Trek ornaments and they arrive in stores on Saturday, July 15th. This year’s ship is the U.S.S. Franklin from Star Trek Beyond,  and the 30th Anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation is being celebrated with an ornament featuring Captain Picard and Data on the bridge of the Enterprise. TrekMovie got an early look at both for this review.

U.S.S. Franklin Hallmark ornament

The U.S.S. Franklin (NX-326) is a nice addition to the Hallmark series. Designed by Jake Angell, the plastic model is 3.5″ W x 1.1″ H x 5.15″ D.

Front view of Hallmark’s U.S.S. Franklin ornament for 2017

Like most Hallmark ships, this one does not come with a stand. A metal loop is provided for hanging.

Top view

The U.S.S. Franklin is a “Magic Light” ornament (batteries are included) with lights on the nacelles and in the bridge window.

Lights on

Side view

The ship’s registry is printed once on the top of the saucer section and twice on the bottom, as well as on the sides of the widely spaced nacelles.

Underside of Franklin ornament

The detailing of the saucer is enhanced with texturing from the mold, not just paint. Since the Franklin was partially buried on an alien world for more than a century, it has a “dirty” look to it, which is achieved by smudges of color.

Detailing on nacelle

The quality of  this ship is very good and comparable to the other ships in the Keepsake collection. The paint is well placed and the colors are true. It will look nice on the tree or displayed as part of a fleet collection.  The Hallmark U.S.S. Franklin is recommended and a must-have for any collector. It retails for $32.95 and you can pick one up at Hallmark stores or Hallmark.com.

Packaging for the Franklin ornament

Star Trek: The Next Generation Picard and Data ornament

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation, we have Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Lieutenant Commander Data aboard the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise 1701-D. The ornament measures 3.9″ W x 5.1″ H x 3.3″ D and features Picard sitting in his captain’s chair with Data standing behind him.

Hallmark’s 2017 Star Trek: TNG Picard and Data ornament

The figures are permanently attached to a hexagonal base with “Star Trek The Next Generation” printed on the front of it and it can be hung or stand on its own.  Surprisingly, “30th Anniversary” is nowhere to be seen on the ornament itself, only on the box. The colors of the paint seem reasonably close to screen accurate, and the combadges and pips are nicely detailed. There are also LCARS stickers affixed to the arms of the captain’s chair, making for a nice detail.

Chair detail

This is another of Hallmark’s “Magic Sound” ornaments. Pressing a button on the base plays dialogue from the show through a speaker underneath the chair. There are seven audio clips including one of Captain Picard saying, “Let’s make sure that history never forgets the name…Enterprise.” Some of of the other choices are less iconic. You hear the full set in the unboxing and demo video below.

Side view showing sound activation button and speaker

While the statuette is as well-made as any of the Hallmark Keepsake line, the sculpt does not seem up to standards of previously released ornaments. The characters are recognizable from a distance, but closer inspection reveals Captain Picard’s head appears too narrow and his facial features are are rather sunken, giving him a gaunt look. The whole thing makes him look more like Mr. Homn than Patrick Stewart. Hallmark’s 1995 Picard was better at capturing his likeness.

Face sculpts on 2017 Hallmark ornament

Data’s head is also quite narrow, and his coloring is more greenish. Comparing this one to the 1997 Data ornament, you can see a difference in shape and color.  While they were able to capture some element’s of Brent Spiner’s features, like his nose, the whole effect for this new ornament is that he ends up looking a bit more like a zombie than Mr. Data.

Comparison to Picard (1995) and Data (1997) ornaments

Another odd choice, which may have something to do with balancing the ornament when it is hung, is the placement of the hanger loop on Picard’s shoulder, which is unusual for this line.

Rear view

This Picard and Data ornament can only be recommended for the most avid collectors and completists. If you are looking for your first Data or Picard ornament, you may be better off finding a previous release on eBay. The Star Trek: TNG Picard and Data ornament retails for for $29.95 USD and you can pick one up at Hallmark stores or Hallmark.com.

Packaging

Unboxing and sound demo

The following video shows you how the ornaments are packaged and demonstrates the “Magic” sounds for the TNG Picard and Data ornament along with some other commentary.

Hallmark convention exclusive: battle-damaged Enterprise-C

There is actually another ornament coming from Hallmark this year, but it is only available at some select conventions. The U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-C from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise” depicts the iconic starship with a battle-damage paint scheme as it appeared on screen. This repaint of a 2015 Keepsake Ornament has a total production run of 3,325 and sales will be limited to 225 per day during SDCC. In a first for Hallmark, they will also be selling the ornament at the Official 2017 Star Trek Convention, scheduled Aug. 2-6 at the Rio Suites Hotel in Las Vegas, with 100 available each day, and the rest will be on sale at New York Comic Con.

Keep up with all the Star Trek collectibles news at TrekMovie.

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This is a licensing of likeness issue? There is no way this could pass thru Hallmark quality control as likenesses of Brent Spiner and Patrick Stewart. Obviously this is an artistic license to render the vibe of the characters Picard & Data rather than the actors. Sad.

It’s just cheap rubbish, hardly of the quality or price range of hottoys and the likes.

Sorry, but no. Picard and Data look just awful. What’s with putting the hook in Picard’s shoulder instead of the chair back? WHY is Data standing behind the chair? He’d be embedded in the wishbone.

I want to like the Franklin, but I just don’t. What’s the point of a saucer section, if a pizza slice is missing from the back; the lettering is sloppy and the indented section lines seem ridiculously deep; and the colors seem off — it’s certainly not white with orange soda stains.

Hallmark has made some of my favorite ornaments, including many Trek ones. This is not their best work.

That’s actually to do with weight,if you wanna hang it on your xmas tree. It would probably hang at an angle if they put it somewhere else,but I’ll ask my Trek author friend who works for Hallmark about this when I see him at the con. They usually have a nice booth,and this year they have two,for some reason.

I have Hallmark’s Kirk in his chair. The hook starts in the back of the chair and srcs forward to hang straight. Sorry, but this one looks like they outsourced the project to some dirt cheap sweat shop that didn’t know or care about Trek.

I have that one too. I have to admit,I really do prefer the old ones over these ones they’re churning out.

Good lord, those “Face sculpts” closeups look like mug shots from “to catch a predator”.

Picard looks like Michael Stipe.

The Franklin ornament looks horrible compared to how it looks on the box. No detail aside from some ugly rust smudges and small decals.

It seems like the quality for their Star Trek ornaments just gets worse as worse.

Probably because fewer and fewer people are buying them. They were big thing in the 90s when Trek was hot, and high quality collectibles were less common.

Haven’t been a fan of the starship ornaments since they switched to batteries. Personal preference, I know, but I like them lighting up with the tree lights….

That’s kinda funny they put Bob Picardo in the captain’s chair … sculptor probably a fan of Innerspace.

Lol, do people still buy this stuff?

Exactly! And people wonder why they don’t invest in better sculpts, and higher quality materials. Clearly someone at Hallmark is a fan, and insists on keeping this going, and is forced to deal with lower and lower project budgets :)

Who the hell buys this crap?

Sweet mother of mercy. Why do Star Wars fans get amazing products, yet Trek gets cheap rubbish like this. All these products belong in a skip!

You are so right!!!

I agree. These are really bad.

Simple answer: $$$.

Star Wars has a MASSIVE global fanbase who buys tons and tons of toys. Star Trek doesn’t. If nobody is buying it, do you think they’d invest in something high quality, and expensive to produce?

Look at the props and ships from Diamond: super high quality, incredible detail, but costly. And nobody is buying them, at least not in the numbers needed to keep them in business.

The BD EC con item will also be available online day after the cons,to KOC members. It’s why they’re no longer con excluisves,and neither are all the others from the likes of Mattel,Hascra…..ooops,Hasbro….and a bunch of others,as they loose the right to be called excluisves when you can just sit at home and order them online before the con,or right after,and they get shipped to you after the con. It’s kinda in the name,isn’t it? Convention Exclusive? Not Convention and Online Exclusive,lol!

Christine – great review! I am curious though,do you feel they are worth the price point? Or do you wait till after xmas and get them for half price in the great sales? lol! I’d get them at half price,but I just feel they’re kinda overpriced for what they are at full price.

I’m still waiting for Hallmark to do some Doctor Who ornys,lol!

Depends on how badly you want a complete collection. My local shop sells out of ST ornaments..probably because they don’t stock very many. I was told they have TWO today, so putting them on the store’s wishlist for pickup guarantees you get one. That being said… I don’t think this one will be marked up much on the 3rd party aftermarket sites.

This enterprise C model looks terrible … Is that what it really looks like? I always thought it was a good looking ship, even preferable to the enterprise D, but not looking at this model …

Ya that’s what it looks like alright, not the smoothest ship in the fleet…

I guess this year is a
“total” pass for me. These don’t excite me in the least.

The last few years of Hallmark Ornaments have been hit or miss. This Franklin looks fair, perhaps not a 10 out of 10, but decent enough. The Picard / Data is just upsetting. From the total lack of likeness for both characters, to the awkward placement of the hook in his shoulder – I get having to get the ornament to hang balanced, but it’s almost like they forgot it was an ornament and said, “Oh no, we need to hang this thing on a tree!” Another upsetting thing is there’s no mention of the 30th Anniversary on the ornament! That’s a big miss! On the box there’s a nice design with the communicator and “STNG 30.” I would have liked something like that made into an ornament for the 30th anniversary.

And it looks like they gave full commander pips to Data…

If you cut off Picard’s hand,turn it,and glue it back on,,,,

I don’t get it

No TOS = no sale.

As many others have said, the likenesses for Picard & Data are horrible. Looks nothing like them.

The Franklin looks OK, but I’ll pass at $32.95. Maybe after Christmas when they’re 50% off.

I was hoping for something a bit better for TNG this year given that it’s the 30th anniversary. The Picard sitting at his chair with Data standing beside him looks pretty awful. I know they’ve done Enterprise D’s a few times but there could have been some other choices.

Not crazy about them, but I have bought all the Star Trek ornaments since they first came out. I put up a tree every year with nothing but space ornaments. Guess I’ll be buying these.

I HAAAAAATE these special “convention exclusives” with a passion. I used to be a “collect ’em all” collector of Hallmark’s Trek ornaments (ditto with Star Wars) … until Hallmark started doing these overly limited edition San Diego Comic Con exclusives. Hallmark would be making more $$$ by producing more of those items and make them available (at non-eBay scalper price) for the collectors who simply want to purchase and own them. Plus they’d generate more of the “collect ’em all” collectors who’d buy the rest of the ornaments in the stores. (Here’s a win-win alternative, Hallmark: Just put a “Convention Exclusive” -STICKER- on the boxes of the SDCC/NYCC/Vegas Trek ornaments, and let the rest of your customers who live nowhere near San Diego or New York or Las Vegas have a chance to at least buy a regular boxed edition of the same ornament.)

Man I love both the ships, want em but won’t get em…well maybe Old Frank