It is Christmas in July with the Hallmark Ornament Premiere Weekend. This weekend Hallmark began selling much of the 2009 Christmas ornaments, including two new Star Trek Keepsake (of a total of five planned for the year). See below for first impressions of the Klingon Battle Cruiser and Menagerie ornaments
Christmas in July
Since 1933, Christmas in July celebrations have played a fun and important cultural role. For example, Christmas in July celebrations were utilized to bolster morale among troops during World War II. Not surprisingly, though, modern Christmas in July events have a more commercial aspect, including Home Shopping Channel all-day sales marathons. There is at least one Christmas in July event that blends both the old fashioned traditions (you often enjoy free cookies and neighborly conversation) and the modern consumer aspect (many things to buy): the Hallmark Ornament Premiere Weekend. This weekend, July 11th and 12th, Hallmark Stores around the world begin to sell Christmas items, including about 65% of that year’s available ornaments. For 25 years, Hallmark Keepsake ornaments have been a holiday tradition, and beginning in 1991, Star Trek themed ornaments have been a hallmark of Hallmark’s Keepsake line. This year, Hallmark is releasing an amazing 5 Star Trek ornaments (more than they have in many
years prior).
Klingon Battle Cruiser and The Menagerie Ornaments
During the July ornament premiere, two of the five Star Trek ornaments are available and fans could get them now at their local retail stores.
Klingon Battle Cruiser ($32 – including batteries)
Venerable sculptor Lynn Norton has created what is arguably one of the best Star Trek ornaments ever from Hallmark, the Klingon motion picture era battle cruiser. Norton’s design is sophisticated and very detailed, with excellent coloring and lighting effects.
The ornament is meant to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and it does so in style. Because of its quality, the Klingon battle cruiser ornament would be an impressive display on a desk at home or work all year.
The detail on the Klingon Battle cruiser ornament is impressive
Because all Hallmark ornaments no longer depend on Christmas tree lights to power them (they have their own battery sources), they are also perfect for year-round display. Check it out on video.
[Klingon ornament video on Hallmark.com]
The Menagerie ($28 including batteries)
The Menagerie is sculpted by Maria Anna Rogers and features a very good likeness of Captain Pike.
Impressive likeness for Pike on the Menagerie ornament
The ornament utilizes watch style batteries (included) to engage its light and sound effects. Of course, Pike’s light beeps, excellently coordinated with the dialog from the episode featured with the ornament. What is also nice is that the lines from the episode are about friendship and helping, appropriate ideas for any holiday celebration. Here it is on video.
[Menagerie ornament video on Hallmark.com]
More Star Trek ornaments for 2009
The other Star Trek Hallmark ornaments are available in two waves. An exclusive Uhura ornament (wearing her gold uniform) will be available for sale at the San Diego Comic Con July 22-26. The Hallmark booth (located in the Lucasfilm Pavilion) will have 450 Uhura ornaments available for $25 (they will sell a limited amount on each day, one ornament per customer, per transaction). They will also be revealing some of next year’s items.
Comic Con exclusive Uhura ornament
Then, October 10th and 11th is the Keepsake Ornament Debut weekend where a limited and exclusive Ilia ornament and a TOS phaser ornament ($18.50) featuring sound and voice effects will be offered.
TOS phaser and limited edition Ilia coming in October
[Phaser ornament video on Hallmark.com]
More Genres Ornaments:
For Trekkies who like other brands of science fiction, Hallmark also has very cool ornaments. There is a really wonderful Wonder Woman ornament, and a Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Captain America, and Flash ornaments. There are five cool Star Wars ornaments (including an exclusive and limited Greedo ornament available this weekend and a San Diego Comic Con exclusive Clone Troopers ornaments). There is a Ghostbuster’s car, Indiana Jones ornament, Nightmare Before Christmas item, and even a Galaga video game replica ornament. Check out all the genre ornaments at your local Hallmark or online at Hallmark.com.
Time to go to Hallmark, and enlarge the display case!
Clean your fingernails….dude!
They say not needing Christmas tree lights is a good thing. I totally disagree – they sell they as tree ornaments and yet they have to be activatied and don’t stay lit for a minute. That is the main reason I have decided to stop buying them.
Love the ornaments….but REALLY miss the day you could plug them into the tree lights. Nice as they are when you push the button, they only work for a short time and it was nice seeing them lit up on the tree all the time, like the original Enterprise ornament and the Galileo, etc.
cool
The Coolest Hallmark ornament this year by far was the wonderful representation of the Ghostbusters Ecto-1. I made a trip to the store Saturday when they released them in my area and I got the last Ecto-1. have all the federation ships, shuttle, and runabout and the Klingon ship while very nice, probably wont make the cut of Star Trek ornaments on the tree
I want that ktinga
*Sigh* If only the Abrams film had had one-tenth the drama, intelligence, and sense of wonder of “The Menagerie”–still, after all these years, IMO the best Star Trek movie ever made.
I also have stopped buying most of the Trek ornaments. Who wants to have to circle the Christmas tree pressing buttons to see the ornaments lit up? Rethink this Hallmark people!
I’ve got all the ships hanging from monofilament line over bookcase with a string of white tree lights (aka the stars). Got my battlecruiser and Pike ornaments yesterday and preordered the phaser. The Ilia ornament is not in the catalog and the store manager didn’t know anything about it. hmmmm…
I sure hope I can get the Uhura ornament at Comic Con. I hope they set a limit to how many an individual can buy so it’s fair. Hallmark booth will be my FIRST stop!
I was looking at the level of detail on the battle cruiser, when my wife walked by and I commented about how I wanted it to add it to my extensive collection this year (as always). She just put her hand on my shoulder, and told me I need to get out of the house more. LOL
We have 2 Christmas trees every year. One in the family room for the family and a smaller one in the mancave with nothing but Trek on it. I am only a couple of ornaments short of a complete Hallmark collection- the small tree is getting quite full. Some say I’m a couple of french fries short of a Happy Meal too.
The missing ones should be easy ‘gets’, with all the health problems these last 2 years, I’ve neglected the collection. Should be easy enough at EBay.
Gotta get that phaser and gotta gotta gotta get that Pike.
11
And Viking,….my wife often says that.
Hallmarks character sculpts are excellent. I have Spock at his console, and it is a lovely ornament.
Maybe they’ll start a line of Trek XI ornaments next year?
i don’t like christmas. When will people get rid of these useless superstitions.
I would give anything for the uhura comic con ornament-I am outta work an 2 states away from the con-sigh sniff pout
The D7 is to die for, and “today is a good day to die!”
I picked up the Klingon ship yesterday.
And yes, it’s the best one I’ve seen.
The Klingon Battlecruiser is my all time favorite space ship (yes, even more than the Enterprise). I was so glad to see the ship had little-to-no re-design in the STAR TREK movie. I’ve gotta get that ornament!
Great stuff, as usual!
Am I the only one who thinks the Pike ornament is a bit ghoulish?
I own every single Trek ornament, and the ladies at Hallmark call me the Trek guy. This year I went in, bought all the Trek ornaments (and all the Star Wars and a few others) and actually told the ladies that I thought the Klingon cruiser was the biggest ripoff I’ve seen in years. Granted it looks nice, but it is not worth $32. Hopefully they pass my feedback up the line because if you are going to charge that much for an ornament, you need to add more value. Once you put in on your tree – yes, you’re supposed to put your ornaments on your Christmas tree – it’ll get lost. It’s small, it’s green, and it barely lights up. Just my two cents from a guy who, again, owns every single Trek ornament (including the original Enterprise – which is always front and center on my tree).
Nothing says Christmas like gathering ’round the paralyzed vegetable that is Captain Pike. Though I guess his wheelchair did have a flashing light on it…
I wonder when we will get Kirk smashed under bridge ornament. Or glow in the dark Dying Spock from Wrath of Khan.
21, 22. heh!
Not real inpressed with the The Menagerie ornament. looks as tho Kirk has a mullet! The klingon cruiser is very nice looking. i keep my Enterprise out all year long since it came with a nice base (came out a few years ago) as well as DS9 and the NX-07.
I LIKE PIKE!
Gotta agree with several others… I *HATE* that the Hallmark starships are no longer constantly lit. Sure, it’s nice that they hang freely…but I’d rather have them lit up all the time. :(
I too dislike the move to batteries. Not only do the ornaments not stay lit, the batteries have to be replaced. And if you forget to take them out, they might corrode inside the ornament. Terrible idea, Hallmark.
Hallmark probably could make a good bit of money selling the same Trek goodies rebranded as “tabletop decorations” or somesuch, without the Christmas ornament theme. If those came with batteries, fine. But please, Hallmark, go back to the old style for the Christmas ornaments!
I love the hand phaser, now to put a Blue LED Laser in it. I know blue was used only on the pistol grip hand phasers, but Red and Green LED Laser diodes kind of need smoke for you to really see the beam. The power of Red/Green LED laser diodes would have to be much higher and in the human endangerment range so you’ll almost need a concealed handgun permit. The blue can be in the milliwatt range but Red/Green needs deciwatt (1/10th to 1 watt) power and that is skin burning levels.
I do not know id deciwatt is the real label, but when I use to work for people to Rock Concert Laser light shows thats my label. because Deca in metric is 10-100 and the letter I in metric is often used for stuff after a decimal place.
And also the color Blue reflects nicely off the Nitrogen in the Air. Figure blue would like Oxygen but something with the more balance Electron count counters that. I’m not a Sub Atomic Physicist so if you want to know why. I just know from experience with gas lasers, (all except a krypton gas one)
Wow look att he detail on that battlecruiser!
And for the battery problem, if they moved from watch batteries to Microwave energy they could become battery less. Just on flaw you’ll have to cannibalize your Microwave (or as I call it Radiation Chamber) and to make it glow you’d nuke it (my label normally called start the Microwave Oven)
It is a lot nicer to say Nuke your food instead of cook/roast/fry/bake/prepare/sacrifice/kill/slaughter your food.
thats one (1) not on. opps
Wow that Klingon Battle cruiser looks better than any of the models they ever released.
Another voice here, wishing the new Hallmark ornaments (at least the ships) could be powered by the light string, rather than batteries. I’m guessing the designers felt the ornaments could more fully appreciated if not restricted to the Xmas lights array. Unfortunately the newer NCC-1701 Enterprise and Reliant won’t light up at all unless they’re attached to the stand where the battery is located. I’ve wondered if maybe fire hazard concerns could have also played a role in the batter powered design?
John T.!
Great review! I love the Hallmark orny’s! Curious though…..where did you find out the price and limits for the SDCC exclusive Uhura? Hallmark had no clue whatsoever when I called’em and I was hoping to get more than one! Flying in from Norway for just one day at the con,too slow in getting my usual 4-day pass,it’ll be a mad rush around the floor to get stuff,lol! Do you happen to know the price for the Star Wars SDCC Hallmark exclusive one as well? And limits? Anyways,thanks for a great site and great reviews! Keep up the GREAT work you all do! Have FUN y’all! John-Robin!
#36
Hello JRT,
Thanks for the kind words. Our sources at Hallmark provided us with the information. They are going to limit each day so it is as fair as can be for those who are not there everyday according to our sources.
There is a picture of the Star Wars ornament we provided to our friends at Theforce.net from our Hallmark sources. http://www.theforce.net/latestnews/story/hallmark_2009_star_wars_ornaments_122805.asp
Best wishes
Why is Uhura wearing yellow? Doesn’t she normally wear red.
@38 She wears gold in ”Where No Man Has Gone Before” and ”The Corbormite Maneuver”.
Re the battery issue, the movie away from light string-powered ornaments may have come as a result of the changing voltages on newer Christmas light sets. Many of the older Trek ornaments, for example, won’t work on newer light sets at all. I figure the battery power might be an attempt to avoid problems like that in the future.
Wow, this Klingon Battle Cruiser looks fantastic. I keep wondering, though, how many people actually hang this stuff on their Christmas trees. I wouldn’t.
38: In 1st season episode ‘Mudd’s Women’ Uhura was wearing the gold uniform. I believe no one really knows anymore why. Probably they just wanted to test if she looks better in that gold uniform.
Several days ago, I walked into Hallmark store in one of Ottawa’s shopping malls and I noticed one walled section covered with a red tarp whose signage said “New ornaments – coming soon” or something like this.
Whoooo! I will buy them up!
A couple of reasons they probably changed to batteries. For one they originally said only 3 ornaments per strand to prevent electrical problems My tree only needs three strands which means only nine ornaments. For another there are many different types of lights and only certain ones worked with the ornaments. I had to replace our tree lights and actually had to go to several different stores to find ones that work with my ornaments. My two cents.
(Oh, Hallmark should make some kind of display where you can attach all of the light powered ornaments).
Deck the halls with radiation damaged paraplegics, fa la la la la la la la la.
There was me about to “moan” that the torpedo launcher on the front of the cruiser didn’t lite up … and then I got of my ass and watched the video :P Be cool to get a light up Bird of Prey ….
#21 + #44 – LOL.
I thought the same thing.
…so the phaser is basically a scale prop replica of the phaser 1! Cool.
I love that Battle Cruiser. I wish they would just provide a stand for it for when it’s not on the tree.
21
I always thought the whole episode was a bit ghoulish.
Can’t wait for the battle of the Klingon cruiser and 1701-A under the tree this year…I’ll have to get 2 cruisers or 3 to re-enact the Enterprise Incident this Christmas!!!
The phaser is better than the the detachable one Playmates has put out this year!
I like Pike!!!!