Mego Star Trek: The Motion Picture Spock Mego, 1979
Day #2,675: January 18, 2024
Star Trek: The Motion Picture If This Is Wrong I Don't Want to be Right
Star Trek: The Motion Picture ReAction Figure (Hand)
Item No.: No. 91200/2 Manufacturer:Mego Includes:n/a Action Feature:n/a Retail:$1.99-$2.99 Availability: 1979 Other: About as Retro As It Gets
I never owned an actual, old-school Mego figure until I picked this one up in May of 2023 at a record store. I stopped in while getting a pizza and saw Spock on a peg for $9.99. Considering Hasbro's retro guys are $10-$12 and Super7 charges $18-$20, I couldn't pass it up - that's basically retail price, when adjusted for inflation! He had some wear and tear but that's OK - I'd be opening him anyway at this price. There was also a Decker, which I left for someone else to enjoy.
The 3 3/4-inch figure no accessories and five points of articulation.
This particular specimen had a Lionel price tag, which could mean it came from a local Lionel PlayWorld. There was a little tear on the front of the card and some yellowing, so I didn't feel that bad about opening it since the store slapped a price tag on the front and a horrible nasty little security tag on the back. (For $10! Put it behind the counter instead of damaging it! Some idiot might buy it and open it.)
Mego was famous for its 8-inch figures in cloth outfits until Star Wars did a pretty good job - along with Mego's import of Microman as Micronauts combined with some economic issues - shrinking figures down to pocket-size, so you can sell more vehicles and playsets. Mego made bigger Spocks, but this one could fit in with other toy lines of the time.
Mego figures of this era differed from their competitors in that many didn't bother to paint the eyes - but they had amazingly detailed head sculpts that got around it by letting light fudge it. Spock has holes casting a shadow where the eye dots should be, and whoever sculpted the tiny face must have been a big fan. It looks just like Leonard Nimoy, only shinier! Take a look at the close-ups below for some exceptionally good detail work. The only place the sculpt comes up short are the sideburns, a detail frequently missed as they're typically pointy on screen and all over the map on toys. Most Starfleets have pointed sideburns - take a look at the show when you re-watch 20th century episodes.
He's just a hair shorter than 3 3/4-inches, meaning Star Wars figures will look down on him. Most retro new figures are on the tall side. He doesn't have foot peg holes or accessories, but he still looks pretty awesome standing next to Adventure People and other toys of his era. He can even fit in your old Kenner vehicles. The attention to detail on the uniform is pretty great - but not accurate. In the movie, Spock's uniform was basically all one color, and here you get some variety with dark gray arms and a light gray chest. The Spock figure's outfit looks more like Kirk's uniform in the movie, and really, who's complaining? It could be more accurate, but in 1979 we were buying Boba Fett, Hammerhead, and Walrus Man - sometimes a good toy is what you want, rather than something that looks perfect.
While mine is a little lopsided - he leans to his left a bit - it's an amazing little toy for his age. He was a little oily, but I wiped him down and now he looks great. Along with some other recent Apes and monster figure purchases, this is one of many awesome recent additions and I love actually finally owning something from Mego. Their different way of doing heads certainly stands out as a way to cut costs, and I'm surprised other companies didn't follow suit. Kenner eyes look great, but in terms of never having to worry about crooked cross-eyes? This works. eBay prices on a loose Spock are higher than what I paid, but keep an eye open. There are still treasures to be found on a hunt as people get sick of their collections. And I assume a lot of people are going to be dumping collections in the next few years, so it's a buyers'/hoarders' market.
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