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5 of the wildest pieces of vintage Star Trek merch
Who doesn't want a sad Spock staring at them from across the room?
Image: Twitter/@PulpLibrarian
When people are part of a fandom, it's not usually a hard sell to get them to purchase some sort of memorabilia. However, the Star Trek franchise is known for some wacky merch options. From light up jackets to creepy decanters, any weird merch you can think of has probably existed in the last 51 years.
Many of them are available on eBay, and if you keep an eye out, you might get still be able to find them at your local antique stores.
1. This light-up jacket that’s perfect for discos, conventions, SF parties and school activities
Sure, a replica of the actual Starfleet uniform is rad, but not as rad as a shiny jacket that “lights up,” “flashes” and “creates a sensation,” with the Enterprise emblazoned on the back. This 1978 official licensed jacket surely would have impressed everyone at school and at the disco.
Image: Twitter/@PulpLibrarian
2. An unnecessarily complicated marshmallow dispenser
Instead of just reaching your hand into a bag of marshmallows, have you ever thought, “I wish I had a dispenser for these marshmallows, that I could wear on my hip?” If so, you’ll be happy to know that as a promotional item for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier — which made a single throwaway reference to marshmallows — a marshmallow dispenser from Kraft was available for a short time in 1989. For some inexplicable reason, it came with a stumpy little fork and spoon set. You can even still find some on eBay.
Image: eBay
3. A terrifying decanter in the shape of Spock’s bust
Due to its shape, this decanter from 1979 would be a little useless when it comes to opening the flavor of your favorite vino, but it’ll do a great job of making your friends uneasy as it stares at them from across the room with a melancholy expression. It’s a great storing spot for liquor, though.
Image: eBay
4. Starfleet Barbie and Ken
Okay, maybe this one isn’t really that strange, since Mattel is notorious for taking just about anything popular and turning it into a Barbie. Maybe you’re a collector and this 1996 set will look great with the rest of your collectibles. Or maybe you have a young daughter who also loves Star Trek and you want to torture her by giving her a set of dolls that she’s forbidden from removing from their packaging.
Image: eBay
5. The Official Star Trek Cooking Manual
If you don’t know the difference between cooking like a Vulcan and a Romulan, are you really a Star Trek fan? This book, published in 1978, doesn’t really feature any recipes that have anything to do with the show, but there’s plenty of quirky commentary. The introduction features a passage about how the book was written by Nurse Chapel of the first Enterprise.
Image: Etsy
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