Though the original Star Trek series has experienced a renaissance in popularity within the last few years thanks to the success of the reboot film franchise, another part of the franchise still remains a fan favorite. For a younger generation of fans, Star Trek: The Next Generation was the series they grew up with, and despite having ended more than 20 years ago it maintains a strong fanbase today.
The series ran between 1987 and 1994 and was broadcast in first-run syndication. It followed the crew of the Enterprise 100 years after the events of the original series. It was created due to how impressed Paramount was by the original series’ longevity as a film franchise with fans. Despite what would normally be considered a handicap – as the show’s syndicated nature meant that it widely varied in air times – ratings for TNG were often comparable to network shows, and Paramount was receiving nearly $1 million in advertising per episode. The Next Generation would also be the first (and still only) syndicated show to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
Hake’s Americana currently has several Star Trek items, including a Galoob resin prototype of the Enterprise from TNG that dates to 1988. The prototype differs from the production version in that there are different mount points where ship and saucer section meet. Another piece is a Next Generation-style Phaser, also by Galoob. This prototype was hand-produced and painted, and though its sound and lights no longer function it still displays excellently.
Fans of the original series can also find highly-coveted items, such as a box of Kellogg’s Sugar Smacks that features Spock on the front. The box dates to 1970 and features a number of designs for space mission badges; it is the first of its kind that Hake’s has offered. Finally, they have a metal detection probe that features images of both Kirk and Spock and is still factory-sealed.
Star Trek fans who are interested in these items have just a couple weeks left to bid, as auction will close on July 12-14.