The Mego Star Trek action figures from the mid-1970s are well-remembered by the people who grew up playing with them, and they are highly sought after by collectors today.
What Is It?
In the 1970s, Mego Corporation brought Star Trek fans a line of 8-inch scale action figures based on the three-season run of the original series. These featured fabric outfits and highly poseable bodies, and the lineup included the main characters from the show along with some of the aliens, and they also released several playsets. Coming out between 1974 and 1977, these created an all-new Trek universe that young fans could hold in their hands and bring to life.
Created By: Mego
Original Run: 1974-77
Legacy:
The Mego collection was among the first Star Trek collectibles, predating the modern action figure boom. Their mix of character representation, playability, and charm made them a staple for fans in the 1970s, and they remain highly sought after by collectors today.
Notable Action Figures in the Series:
First Wave (1974-75):
Most of these had their uniform from the show along with a blue phaser, communicator, and tricorder.
Captain James T. Kirk
Mr. Spock
Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy
Engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott
Klingon (had a red phaser and communicator)
Lt. Uhura
Second & Third Waves (1975-77):
Ensign Chekov
Mr. Sulu
Andorian
Gorn
Neptunian
Mugato
Romulan
Notable Playsets in the Series:
USS Enterprise Bridge: The centerpiece of the collection, this playset featured a spinning transporter chamber and several workstations, allowing kids to reenact their favorite episodes.
Mission to Gamma VI: A playset featuring alien landscapes and unique props, perfect for imaginative adventures.
Command Console: A smaller playset focused on a simplified version of the Enterprise’s controls.
A Closer Look:
In the early 1970s, Star Trek hit the syndication market and became an instant hit. While the show never enjoyed high ratings during its Prime Time run, it suddenly turned into a phenomena when airing in the afternoon and early evening hours, and its already growing following swelled into a massive fanbase. And with many young viewers tuning into the sci fi series, the merchandising opportunities suddenly presented themselves. Quite a number of toys started to show up on the shelves, some linked to the series in name only (i.e., “Spock’s Helmet”), but it was the Mego collection of action figures which most accurately represented the show and turned into a big hit.
Mego had entered the action figure market in 1971 with Action Jackson which was basically an 8-inch version of the more popular G.I. Joe put out by Hasbro. And while the character did not have a long life on the shelves, the basic figure ended up being re-used by Mego time and again, most notably with the Star Trek figures which first appeared in 1974. This started with five characters: Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, Mr. Scott, and the generic Klingon. Lt. Uhura joined the lineup in 1975 (becoming one of the first black female action figures), and it continued to expand for the next couple of years, with playsets also hitting the shelves such as the Enterprise bridge.
For young fans of Trek, these toys were a ton of fun and allowed them to create their own adventures with the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. They were well-crafted figures that were fully posable and Mego did a good job of making the faces resemble the actors from the show. The toys also had good detail, including screen-accurate uniforms along with the phaser, communicator, and tricorder (the aliens had the same equipment, which was red instead of blue, though that was not accurate to the show). Some of the characters had little connection to the series (the Neptunian) or offered a poor recreation of the original (Cheron and the Gorn), but in general, this was a pretty good lineup combining the adventure of the original series with the simplicity and creativity of classic toys.
This Mego collection predated the modern action figure boom, but it still sold quite well for its day and the figures are highly sought after by collectors, with those in mint-condition fetching premium prices. They are also well-remembered by those who played with and collected them, and the toys hold an important place in the history of sci fi TV merchandising.
Why Was the Line Discontinued?
The Mego Star Trek figures proved quite popular and they continued to sell well into the late ’70s. There was a reissue in 1979 to coincide with the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and that included Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the Klingon. But these were focused on the Sears catalog and were considered to be of cheaper quality, and they proved to be a last gasp for the original line. Increased competition from Star Wars actions figures as well as other properties like Battlestar Galactica and The Six Million Dollar Man led to a drop-off in sales for the Trek toys. In addition, the company was going through financial struggles by the end of the decade, though they did eventually get the rights to the toys linked to the movie. For that line, however, they went with smaller action figures similar to the Star Wars toys. They did not prove as popular, and both those and the larger 8-inch figures eventually disappeared from the shelves by the early ’80s.
Reissues:
Starting in 2007, EMCE Toys partnered with Mego’s original co-founder, Marty Abrams, to reproduce the classic 8-inch Star Trek figures. This lineup included Captain Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty, the Klingon, and the Andorian. It stayed true to the original designs but updated materials for durability, and EMCE continued producing the toys through 2012. Then in 2018, Mego Corporation relaunched under Marty Abrams and resumed production of retro-style action figures, including the Star Trek lineup. They reissued many of the original characters, and expanded with new additions such as Nurse Chapel and Captain Pike. The new Mego also put out limited-edition figures, such as Mirror Universe versions of Kirk and Spock, and also expanded into The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.
Interesting Facts:
The Mego action figures were the first officially licensed Star Trek toys, marking the franchise’s entry into the lucrative toy market. The aliens, particularly the Neptunian, the Mugato, and the Gorn are some of the rarest characters in the line, and the Andorian is hard to find in good or better condition because his antennae were prone to breaking.
These figures came in several packaging styles, including “window boxes” and “cards.” The boxed versions are now rarer and more valuable than the carded versions, especially in pristine condition.
Where Can You Buy Them?
The reissues of the Mego Star Trek figures are available in collectable shops and perhaps some department stores. You can also readily find them online. The original lineup is available through the collectable market, but the characters and playsets are fetching pretty high prices.
