Incredibly Detailed, But Still Tragically Underlit, The Hallmark U.S.S. Voyager Ornament Is A Mixed Bag!

The Good: GREAT sculpt and detailing, Decent balance, Seems fairly limited
The Bad: Lighting effect is not as robust as one might hope.
The Basics: Hallmark Keepsake’s first Star Trek: Voyager ornament accurately recreates the U.S.S. Voyager in sculpt and coloring, but is not the brightest ornament on the strand for the light effect.


As I am now rewatching and reviewing Star Trek: Voyager, it seems perfectly appropriate to me that I would unearth my Star Trek: Voyager holiday ornament! I was actually surprised to discover that I had not yet reviewed this ornament (when I used to write for another website, I thought I had reviewed them all!). And yet, I missed the U.S.S. Voyager ornament!

For those unfamiliar with the U.S.S. Voyager, this was one of the defining starships of Star Trek: The Next Generation era in the Star Trek franchise. Introduced in the Star Trek: Voyager pilot "Caretaker" (reviewed here!), the U.S.S. Voyager was a brand new class of starship that returned to a more traditional design (as opposed to the ships in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which ran concurrently) and featured an elongated saucer section. Given that it was the title ship of Star Trek: Voyager (reviewed here!), it was a somewhat obvious choice from Hallmark to make for a starship ornament and Hallmark got the sculpt perfect, but not quite all the light effects it ought to have!

Basics

The "U.S.S. Voyager" ornament faithfully recreates the dangerous Federation starship in solid gray plastic. The ornament, released in 1996, is a masterpiece of details pertaining to the sculpt and coloring. Measuring five and one-quarter inches long, two and three-sixteenths inches wide and barely one and an eighth inches tall, the U.S.S. Voyager ornament is one of the essential Star Trek ships and most fans of the ship and the franchise quickly realized that $24.00 was a good deal for the ship, even though it does not have a sound function.

The Hallmark "U.S.S. Voyager" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has the starship on its own, as is typical for Hallmark's starship line of Star Trek ornaments. Like most previous Star Trek ornament releases, this one has the date painted on it, in this case on the backmost part, behind the shuttle bay. This ornament plugs into the standard light strand of Christmas lights in order to light up using an 8” cord.

The U.S.S. Voyager is detailed impressively. So, in addition to the warp nacelles and deflector dish being molded in different colored plastic (in this case blue and red), every nook and cranny on the ship is molded into the surface. The U.S.S. Voyager has amazing surface paint detailing, like the racing stripes and lettering, as well as the StarFleet insignias on the warp nacelles. The detail work is sufficiently impressive to please fans! Even the exposed panel at the front of the ship looks wonderful in this rendering!

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the "U.S.S. Voyager" has a light function. Fans of the ornaments might be a little disappointed that this ornament has a light function, but no audio one. Many of the Star Trek ornaments both light up and play a sound clip. The "U.S.S. Voyager" does not. It does, however, have an eight inch cord that is attached completely to the underside of the ornament. This green electric cord is embedded into the bottom middle section and it allows the ornament to be plugged into a Christmas light strand.

Plugging the ornament in (one needs to remove a single light bulb from the strand, then slide the male end from the ornament into the female end on the strand) activates the light effect on the "U.S.S. Voyager." The light effects on this starship ornament are barely adequate. The U.S.S. Voyager ornament is one of the ornaments in the Star Trek line that is less brightly lit than other starships. As a result, the warp nacelles look sick and the main deflector dish is barely illuminated, even when the ship is plugged into a new strand. Sadly, none of the white lights – like the bridge dome – are illuminated either.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "U.S.S. Voyager" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Trek Christmas Tree, the "U.S.S. Voyager" ornament is an essential piece. The ornament has the standard brass hook loop embedded into the top of the saucer section, right behind the bridge dome. As a result, the ornament, when affixed to a tree with a hook, hangs very well-balanced from that loop. On its own, Voyager’s front section is angled upward at a 30 to 40 degree angle, which makes the ship look like it is heroically ascending.

When plugged in to activate the light effects, the Voyager may easily be manipulated to remain perfectly level, making it one of the few Star Trek ornaments to have better balance plugged in as it has simply hung!

Collectibility

Hallmark Keepsake began delving into the collectibles market in 1991 with Star Trek when it introduced the exceptionally limited edition U.S.S. Enterprise ornament (reviewed here!). Since then, they have made ornament replicas of almost all of the major starships from the franchise- as well as some real minor ones - and they have all been more mass produced than that first one. The "U.S.S. Voyager" ornament was a commercial draw; fans bought it and some of the general public invested in it as well. The result was that it was gobbled up rapidly and this one seems to have been relatively less produced than many of the others, so it remains one of the harder ones to find on the secondary market. It has been years since I have seen a Voyager ornament at less than the original issue price, with many dealers selling the popular starship at $50 or more! In other words, this was a success for Hallmark and a decent investment for collectors.

Overview

Fans of the Star Trek franchise, the Federation and the U.S.S. Voyager are likely to be excited by the U.S.S. Voyager starship ornament, at least until they plug it in. Even so, it remains a solid addition to any science fiction or Star Trek holiday tree!

For other Star Trek ship ornaments from Hallmark, please check out my reviews of:
2011 U.S.S. Defiant (New York Comic Con Exclusive)
2011 Romulan Bird Of Prey
2010 U.S.S. Enterprise (Star Trek refit)
2009 Klingon Battlecruiser
2008 U.S.S. Reliant
2006 U.S.S. Enterprise (reissue)
2005 U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-A
2003 Scorpion Attack Craft
2001 Deep Space Nine
2000 Borg Cube
1999 Runabout Rio Grande
1998 U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E
1997 U.S.S. Defiant
1995 Romulan Warbird
1994 Klingon Bird Of Prey
1993 U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D
1992 Shuttlecraft Galileo

8/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Rosy Cheeked And Logical, Spock Defines The Average Star Trek Ornament!

The Good: Decent likeness of Mr. Spock, Good balance
The Bad: Overproduced, Expensive
The Basics: A very average ornament, the mass-produced, slightly off-color skin tones and expense of the Mr. Spock ornament keep it from true greatness.


I thought I would start today by addressing something that ought to be obvious about Christmas ornaments: in the end, it is hard not to make an ornament average. After all, most Christmas ornaments are seen once a year and have nothing to do, save hang on a recently-killed tree as decoration. Unlike things like action figures, which are played with, most ornaments have a simple function: hang and look good. I have been evaluating ornaments that are collectible and that does add some additional requirements to an ornament.

One of those things is the collectibility and realism of the sculpt of the ornament. As a result, it is harder to define what makes an "average" collectible ornament. Thus, things like cost do play a factor and, frankly, Paramount (now CBS) Studios charges an arm and a leg for the franchise rights to their products and licensees like Hallmark end up passing that lack of savings on to the customer. As a result, some of the Hallmark ornaments, like Mr. Spock are issued with a seemingly high (and it is) issue price right around $20.00 and those who collect ornaments in general (as opposed to Star Trek memorabilia in specific) might well come away from the shopping feeling like they are getting ripped off. Still, Mr. Spock is a decent ornament and he defines well what makes an average Star Trek personnel ornament, making for an essential baseline review for me.

For those unfamiliar with Mr. Spock, he was the chief science officer and first officer aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise for almost every episode of Star Trek (reviewed here!). Played brilliantly by Leonard Nimoy, Spock became an iconic character in popular culture with his logical demeanor, pointed ears and presence in every episode of the original Star Trek television show. The way he would square off with Dr. McCoy became a high point for many fans, who watched for their interactions. Spock was defined by his unemotional behavior and devotion to logic and reason. So, it makes a lot of sense that Hallmark would make Mr. Spock the second in its series of original Star Trek character ornaments right behind Captain Kirk.

Basics

The "Mr. Spock" recreates well the famed First Officer of the Enterprise in solid plastic. The ornament, released in 1996, is a fair, if average work with realistic detailing, but shading that is a bit off for Spock. Measuring four inches tall (to the top of Spock's head, 4 1/2" to the top of the ornament's metal hook), three and one half inches wide and two and three-quarters inches deep, the Mr. Spock ornament was a decent seller for Hallmark when it originally sold them at $17.95.

The Hallmark "Mr. Spock" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has the Vulcan officer seated at his science console on the bridge. The ornament comes with Spock, his chair, and a section of bridge console, which he has his hands on. All of the pieces of molded together, so there is nothing that will fall off on this ornament. And it looks pretty cool.

Spock is colored correctly with his blue Sciences shirt and the bridge console looks good, as does the chair. Mr. Spock is detailed adequately, for those who are casual fans and those who are just considering this an ornament. Star Trek fans tend to be a bit more demanding, though. Spock has a neutral expression on his face, but the skin tones are clearly human, not with the slight green tinge that would define Spock as a Vulcan. As well, mine has some stray paint in his ear and near his eye. Outside that, though, this is a good likeness and details like the multicolored buttons on the console he his in front of are decent.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, Mr. Spock could have a function like a sound chip or light effect, but does not. This is just an ornament, a low-cost (comparatively) option for those who might not want to shell out for the starship series of Star Trek ornaments. This is Spock, attached permanently to the console, all it does is hang. This might be especially disappointing for fans as Leonard Nimoy had recorded a sound bit for the Shuttlecraft Galileo ornament (see link below) and that could have been reused in part to enhance this ornament. Similarly, it would have been cool is the scanner on the console had lit up (as it did in the television series). Having the ornament without any features might disappoint some collectors.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Mr. Spock" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Trek Christmas Tree, the "Mr. Spock" ornament is a pretty necessary one. The ornament has a brass hook loop that comes out of the top of the chair and hangs over Spock's head. This is remarkably stable (surprisingly) and the ornament only sways when it (or the tree) is bumped.

As well, the Mr. Spock ornament is remarkably well balanced; Spock hang level at his seat.

Collectibility

Hallmark Keepsake began delving into the collectibles market in 1991 with Star Trek when it introduced the exceptionally limited edition U.S.S. Enterprise ornament. Since then, they have made ornament replicas of almost all of the major starships from the franchise and when they started on the personnel in 1995, they were quite a bit more mass produced than that first one. The "Mr. Spock" ornament was a moderate success commercially. Between the popularity of this character with fans and the general public, Mr. Spock sold well. Still, there were so many of this ornament produced that he is readily available (still) in the secondary market.

In other words, this is not the best investment piece, but it does seem to satisfy most collectors and people who spent their money on it.

Overview

Fans of the Star Trek franchise, Leonard Nimoy and Mr. Spock are likely to be largely pleased by the Mr. Spock ornament; it is a decent recreation of one of the most lovable characters from one of the classic science fiction television shows of all time. And despite the high cost of the ornament, this lives up to what an ornament is supposed to: depict the character well and hang.

For other Star Trek ornaments of characters, please check out my reviews of:
2010 Legends Of Star TrekCaptain James T. Kirk
2009 Limited Edition Ilia Probe
2005 Khan
1997 Dr. McCoy

6/10

For other Christmas ornament reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Ahhh . . . Barbie Ornaments: I Am Less Impressed By "Enchanted Evening" Than Fans Might Be!

The Good: Good sculpt, Vivid coloring
The Bad: Balance issue, Practical element of fur on tree
The Basics: When the Enchanted Evening Barbie ornament from 1996 came across my desk, I found it to be average-at-best.


As might appear obvious to those who read my many reviews, I have no particular fondness for Barbie dolls. To date, I have only reviewed one, the Edward Cullen Barbie (reviewed here!) and I was fairly unimpressed by it. So, when a Barbie ornament landed on my desk for review, I was ambivalent to it (I am, after all, just now getting to review it, despite it being there for a few weeks!). The first of the ornaments to cross my desk is the 1996 Enchanted Evening Barbie ornament. And it is, generously, average.

For those unfamiliar with them, Barbie dolls have been a leading trademarked doll (and model for anorexics everywhere!) from Mattel for over sixty years. Hallmark Keepsake picked up the Barbie license in order to produce Christmas ornaments and Enchanted Evening is one of many Barbie ornaments produced over the last twenty years.

Basics

The Enchanted Evening ornament recreates the Enchanted Evening Barbie doll that was on the market from 1960 - 1963. The ornament features the recognizable visage of Barbie with her blonde hair pulled back and blue eyes taking up a disproportionately large percentage of her face (I guess in the 60s Mattel made them with big eyes!). This Barbie is has the blonde pony tail with a slight upward curl at the back of it and bright red lipstick which is pretty iconic for the doll's head. The ornament has Barbie wearing a pink ball gown that has a forward sweep to her left side.

The Hallmark Enchanted Evening ornament is made of a durable plastic and has the feminine icon standing alone, white gloves going up to her biceps while her hands are lowered demurely to a neutral position before her. Her dress is colored bright pink and her unrealistic proportions end in two tiny feet with white high heels which are fused to a black disc that tells collectors exactly what the ornament is. The Enchanted Evening Barbie also features a neck obscured by a three-ring choker of pearls and a faux-fur stole which surrounds Barbie's upper arms and chest. The detailing of the sculpt is decent in that it features molded pearl earrings in each of Barbie's ears.

Where the Enchanted Evening Barbie ornament begins to fall down is in the coloring details. While the whites of the shoes and gloves are vivid and the pink of the dress is bright and hints at a woman's contours beneath, the pearls are not at all pearlescent and the eyes are poorly painted. In fact, the blue that hints at Barbie's trademark eye color is actually her eyeshadow painted on; the ornaments eyes are white with tiny black circles for the pupils without any iris color!

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, Enchanted Evening could have a function like a sound chip or light effect, but does not. This is just an ornament, a low-cost (comparatively) option for fans of Barbie. The closest this ornament has to a feature is the stole and that leads us to the practical element problem surrounding Enchanted Evening Barbie (the ornament!). The stole is a craft fur which actually looks pretty good. Unfortunately, if put on a real tree, this Barbie ornament is unusually susceptible to dust, dirt and sap. Any of the three would absolutely ruin the stole.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Enchanted Evening ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Barbie Christmas Tree, the Enchanted Evening ornament is one that has a little problem. The ornament has the standard brass hook loop embedded into the top center of the character's head. From there, one hangs the ornament, but no matter how I tried, I could not get the ornament to balance well. This is because the dress sweeps forward from the left side, causing the ornament to be significantly heavier on the right side (when the ornament is facing the collector). No matter how I tried to arrange the hook in mine, Enchanted Evening Barbie always hung with at least a 15 degree sideways pitch. On the plus side, she is balanced front to back.

Collectibility

Hallmark Keepsake began delving into the collectibles market in 1991 with Star Trek when it introduced the exceptionally limited edition original U.S.S. Enterprise ornament (reviewed here!). Since then, they have branched out into every major franchise from Barbie to The Wizard Of Oz to Harry Potter. The Enchanted Evening ornament was a pegwarmer that went unbought by fans as well as by the public at large. There were Barbie fans who bought it and almost no investors or general fans of ornaments picked it up. It is one of the easiest Barbie ornaments to find on the secondary market and its value has plummeted.

Overview

Fans of the Barbie franchise, even those with retro reminiscences of their old Enchanted Evening Barbie dolls are likely to be largely neutral to the Enchanted Evening ornament. It is a fair recreation of Barbie, but the details simply do not impress fans who have seen some amazing work come out of Hallmark before.

For other ornament reviews of characters, please check out my reviews of:
2009 Wonder Woman
2010 Scarlett O'Hara
2009 Mr. Plow The Simpsons

4.5/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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