My son's birthday is in January and I know he has a small collection of these little Star Trek models. They don't shake my world, but it's what he likes. So I saw this https://forbiddenplanet.com/236933-star-trek-discovery-figure-collection-magazine-1-uss-shenzhou-ncc-1227/#product-description

But what I want to know is what am I actually getting if I pre-order this for him? The ad is vaguely worded. I think I am getting ONE copy of the FIRST edition in a series of models with accompanying magazine. This looks to be USS Shenzhou. Any Trekky Collectable collectors able to shed light?

Personally, my spider being-ripped-off senses are twitching. Why is USS Discovery No 2? Will people look at this and be fooled into thinking they get the whole series for that price? Is 'hand-painted' supposed to be a good thing? I assumed it was because they didn't expect to sell enough to tool-up for automated painting. Either that or these things are always hand-painted anyway. Do I want to commit him (or me) to spending  ££££s for the set?

Looks like you're only 'committed' to buying the one.

Commitment comes in many ways and some of them are more pressing then simply signing up to a subscription.

Honestly, what worries me more is that (having seen a few) they aren't worth what they cost. They're not as fantastically well made as the ads suggest. That said - he seems to like them and I suppose I should put my mean curmudgeonly nature to one side.

 

Is this the only thing in the world he likes?

I believe so.

 

Checked second-hand shops?

He seems to like cats as well.

Find out which series/captain is his favourite, and in which aspect(s) is his interest strongest - the universe/setting, the technology, the characters, the story, etc?

There are plenty of more practical Trekkie-themed items available - for example stackable Enterprise coasters, a Star Trek cookbook, a biography of his favourite character, Star Trek themed Monopoly, and if he really does like cats...

He does like cats.

Come to think of it, he likes Battlestar Galactica (both series). Maybe something from one of those.

Not sure if he'd care, but those new models are at a different scale to the older ones so might look odd as part of the same collection.

Also: How fecking much?!? 8-O

Well, yes. That's something I've been wondering. A shitty little lump of badly cast iron with a 10p plastic stand, marginally better than drops out of a Christmas cracker, costs nearly £35. Then there's the Battlestar Galactica stuff. A Plastic construction kit of the kind I used to make as a kid now costs £20 to £30 unless you get the slightly larger USian one at £77+

I just thought that as Discovery is new and all that it might be fun.

For the cost of a full magazine subscription I could get him a ticket to Toronto and a tour of the studios where it's made - Hmm. Mr. Smith could put him up, perhaps.

It's a lovely time of year to visit...