| For several years, Playmates packaged their Action Figures with cards or pogs. SkyBox produced the cards and although they did a mock-up of a pog, Playmates went elsewhere to produce them. | |
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The term “SpaceCap” is a trademark term of Playmates.
When these items first came out, the cards could be quite pricey since a collector might have to buy the toy solely for the card and pog inside. As time has passed, however, this set has become easier to collect as toy prices came down and more opened toys and accessories hit the market.
The first batch of Playmates toys did not have cards or pogs. In 1991, according to Ken Baroff, Playmates was looking for a premium to add to their new toy line and SkyBox was looking to promote their new card line. So, the two companies worked together and by 1993, with their second batch of Next Generation figures, Playmates started adding what they call *collector’s premiums* to the Star Trek figures.
The first series of 23 cards had a blue strip with the character’s name along the bottom of the cards.
Early in 1994, the first 9 Deep Space Nine figures were released with collector’s cards as well. These have the purple backgrounds.
In 1994, the second series of figures for TNG were re-released, but with Pogs instead of collectors cards. Because most toy collectors had these exact figures with a card, many didn‘t recollect them in pog forms, making these slightly harder to get. A few figures are listed on the checklists found on the back of the pogs appear not to have ever been made. (Yar, Pulaski, and Nausicaan, McCoy, Scotty and Geordi Lt. JG) are listed on the checklist on the backs of the space-caps).
Six 1994 TNG figures came with no premiums at all. (Picard in Duty Uniform, Data in full dress uniform, Data from Redemption (“Red Data”), Lt. Thomas Riker, Ensign Wesley Crusher, and Gowron in Ritual Klingon Attire.) A Dathon with pog was released and this seems to be a very hard to find pog, possibly limited to 2,000. It MAY have been released in Australia, but nonetheless started quite a stir, as for many years, many people didn’t even believe it existed.
In mid 1994, more TNG figures were released with Pogs only. Lwaxana Troi and Ambassador Sarek were released in this format only in Canada, so the pogs for those figures are rare. (Possibly only 1000 of these figures available.)
A set of three cards appeared in the Command Edition 9 inch dolls. This set had a production run of 50,000 and was released in 1994. Of the three cards (and figures), Kirk tends to be the most difficult to find.
In the US, Sarek and Mrs. Troi along with Ensign Ro and Dr. Soong, were released in 1995 with brown collector cards. The next release of TNG figures also came out with the brown cards.
In 1995, twelve more Deep Space Nine figures were released with Pogs.
Also, in 1995, a series of pogs came in 9 inch figures. A few of the figures on the checklists didn’t come with pogs (McCoy and Scotty)
At the end of summer in 1995, Playmates released their classic movie series, 10 figures that had extra wide collector cards, except for Spock’s, which has no card. The card was pulled partially due to Nimoy’s displeasure over the images and that he did not get the release forms returned in time to be used in the product. A card was made, but it is unknown how many escaped destruction. A test card also exists of this card, with a blank back and in need of tint and brightness correction.
At the end of 1995, the first 9 Voyager figures were also released with Voyager collector cards. A second series of Voyager AF’s were also released with blue background cards.
The 30th Anniversary Trek cards were widevision with yellow borders and the 30th Anniversary logo.
The last batch of cards came out a little bit later and continues the widevision format without the logo. No more cards or pogs were released after this.
One unreleased AF card that we know of, besides Spock, is the Admiral Riker AF card. The figure was delayed and by the time it was, they had switched to the WV format, so the card was redesigned. As of 2004, only two copies of this card have been seen.
When SkyBox began printing the first series of AF cards, they played around with some pog styles. Uncut sheets of the first series of cards have been seen with three examples of prototype pogs. There is one of Picard, one diagram of the Enterprise and another of the DS9 station. Backs have “Prototype, not for Resale”
Galoob
The Galoob AF toys have a small ’card’ printed on the back of the boxes. These have to be cut out of the card backs. Their inner-space toys have a similar cut out card on the card-backs. There are 14 Galoob and 10 Innerspace cards. Two more may have been were created, but apparently never released, a Romulan and Wesley, but prototype boxes with the cards have been seen. There may also be an unreleased Q, Antican and Selay Aliens.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cards
There was also a set of 4 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figures that came dressed in Trek Costumes and came with cards. These are not SkyBox cards, however.
Futura Toy Cards
A series of cards found in Toy models in Japan in 2003. The toys come packaged in a sealed bag and you don’t know what toy it is until the bag is opened. The cards are packaged with the toys and often come bent or with toy impression marks on them. There are 11 cards in the set, the 11th card is the Romulan Warbird and is only found one per case, much less frequent then the rest. A second series of toys released in 2004, but rather than cards, these toys have a folded piece of paper the size of a card.