so hi this is Jim from Tre world and you may have thought that Migo only made Star Trek action figures well boy do we have a treat in store for you today Migo produced several electronic toys in the 1970s some of which I’m sure you’ll recognize and some maybe not so much before we get started with the video in general I really want to give some credit where credit is due of all of the research I’ve ever done on Star Trek video materials I have never encountered so many keepers of the lore as I have when researching Migo toys the fandom around Migo is one of the most curated repositories I have ever seen there are so many websites forums channels photos groups videos that the challenge is not finding material the challenge was in figuring out what to pick and choose that will allow me to tell the story best with that in mind I’d like to thank these three sites for being the the
standard bearers of all things Migo without them this video would have been a much different video 1974 the world of Star Trek toys saw an exciting development with the release of the Migo Star Trek communicators Kevin this is Scott Kevin this is Scott do you hear me over out the Star Trek communicators with push to talk button Scott this is Kevin my bike is broken can you help me oh yes but send me a signal so I can find you Star Trek communicators with a range of 1300 ft push button twin warp sound uses 1 nvt battery not included Star Trek communicators with belt hook telescoping antenna and twin warp sound from iGo these toys produced by the American toy company Migo Corporation were a significant milestone in the realm of licensed play things the set licensed by Paramount Pictures contained two two
handheld walkie-talkies inspired by the communicators of the USS Enterprise crew from Star Trek the design maintained essential features of the TV show devices including an antenna grid a flip up cover and a tuning dial the standout feature of these toys was their walkie-talkie functionality employing a simple pusht talk mechanism these communicators allow children to immerse themselves in role-play scenarios as their FA Star Trek characters Migo’s approach to Star Trek toys was very different than from what other companies would be in the afterwards everything Migo did was designed to allow the child to immerse themselves in the fiction you didn’t just play with Migo toys you used Migo toys to allow you to pretend to be in Star Trek now in addition the Amigo communicators were among the very first Star Trek toys to incorporate sound effects in this particular case a bleeping sound sound initiated by
button press now although the sound was by no means an exact replica from the show it was still an Innovative addition at the same time the Migo Star Trek communicators were released alongside a range of 8 in Star Trek action figures and an iconic USS Enterprise playet we’ve done videos on both please be sure to check them out on our channel 3 years later in 1977 Migo released the exact same devices but reemed for the television series Batman they were called Bat coders also in that first year of 1974 the Amigo Corporation released a one-of-a-kind creation for Star Trek offici Autos The Star Trek Communications console let’s contact the check it’s the Star Trek command Communications console for use with a Star Trek Communicator sold separately each uses 1 nvt battery not included the command Communications console has a multicolor phaser light screen you can
broadcast up to 1300 ft and there’s a morse code key that you can Buzz out loud or broadcast to the communicators the Star Trek command Communications console communicators sold separately in pairs from Migo now this product showcased a fascinating Fusion of nostalgia and Innovative play making a notable episode in the history of merchandise linked to the Star Trek franchise inspired by the original Starship Enterprises control panel Sur they said the communication concept was a toy that successfully fused Fiction with reality it featured switches buttons dials of viewing screen a rotating dial and a morse code key because we all know that children back then knew Morse code about as well as they do today and just like the Star Trek Communicator set that they released the toy allowed young fans to immerse themselves in their Star Trek universe emulate their favorite characters and create their own Cosmic convention now as a side note to this for those of you
who might remember the 1970s this will not be a surprise to you but for our Brethren that were born in later generations they probably only have heard about it in rumors and urban legends but in the mid 1970s the American public had a love affair with citizens band radio millions of CBS were found in cars throughout the country at that point in time and it pretty much evolved its popularity out of the trucking movement um if you really want to find out in a nutshell how crazy we were about sz’s band radio look for the movie Convoy it’ll give you a pretty good idea of what we were looking at back then and just in case I haven’t I made it really clear because maybe I didn’t but the walkie-talkies and command console set that Migo offered interacted with industry standard walkie-talkies and console sets so the kids could actually use them for more than just Star Trek even though Migo Never released sales figures for
any of the items that we’re going to be looking at the success of the line occurred because these toys came out at a time when the Star Trek phenomena was transitioning from a cult phenomena to an honest to God pop culture Titan largely due to the syndication of the original series this expanding fan base eagerly embraced the console as a symbol of their Adoration of Star Trek as well as anything else they could get their hands on sales as a result or robust through the mid1 1970s turning the console into a sought afterpiece of merchandise they made it from 1974 all the way into 1976 and its enduring presence on the vintage toy Market that exists today in prein condition this toy can fetch considerable amount of money from collectors due to its unique design sophisticated features for its time and nostalgic value as such the Star Trek Communications console represents an important piece of Star Trek’s
merchandise history it rode the rising wave of Star Trek’s popularity and it remains a sought-after collectible testifying Amigo skill at merging technology with imagination in their toys beyond the sales performance it stands as an artifact of 1970s pop culture a tangible manifestation of the enduring Allure of the Star Trek franchise and as you may have suspected just like they did with the communicators in 1977 me released a version of the command Communications console as a Batman accessory now this next one you’re going to recognize the Star Trek super phaser 2 Target game uses one 9volt and two penlight batteries not included it signals when you hit the target reflector badge you can hang the target almost anywhere Flash the phaser it’s a silent beam of light that signals when you score a hit on the target you missed I hit it I hit the target
the Star Trek super phaser 2 Target game includes phaser and Target reflector badge from Migo even if you didn’t have one it was on TV all the time but a lot of people did have them they were fairly inexpensive and if you look at it from one perspective it probably means that Migo invented laser tag probably about 30 years before most other people even thought about it the Migo Star Trek phaser to Target game a nostalgic piece from the past continues to command the attention of toy enthusiasts and Star Trek fans around the globe introduced in the late 1970s by Migo Corporation the game capitalized on the immense popularity of Star Trek of course or we wouldn’t be talking about it offering an interactive Hands-On way for the fans to step into the shoes once more of their favorite characters the game was essentially a light gun packaged with a reflective Target the goal was to aim the phaser at the Target triggering them to make a sound when they hit
a simple but unbelievably satisfying interactive experience people are still doing it today with laser tag like everything else this game’s launch coincided with the ongoing success of the original Star Trek television series and its spin-offs in the form of the CTO now over the years the phaser 2 Target game has proven to be not just a child’s toy but a valuable collector’s item it was produced for a relatively short period contributing to its Rarity and increasing value in the terms of sales performance the phaser 2 Target game outperformed many of Migo’s Star Trek merchandise during its original production run it achieved considerable success even though it was launched at a time when electronic games were just beginning to make their Mark of course Migo did not publicly share details concerning sales but the game’s popularity is evident in its continuous demand in the secondary Market original sets in good condition fetch high prices often into the hundreds of dollars after Amigos un fortunate bankruptcy in 1982
the phaser 2 Target game became more of a relic a sought after item for Star Trek memorabilia collectors with with the reestablishment of Migo in 2018 many fans hope we would see a reissue of this particular game yet as far as we’ve made it into 2023 let such luck next one is another Amigo toy that we saw on television but they were not distributed very widely so some people were lucky enough to get them and others were basically relegated just to watching TV I got to take get the tricorder let’s play it the Star Trek tricorder 4 C batteries not included is a cassette tape recorder with a pre-recorded cassette of Star Trek voices you can check the display screen listen to the voices of Captain Kirk and
Mr Spock or turn the cassette over press the record button and tape your own Adventures the starre tricorder with built-in microphone window display screen and pre-recorded tape from Migo it actually shows Migo’s unique genius in finding ways to make normal everyday objects interesting to children so in the mid 1970s they launched a Star Trek Tri quarter toy that’s been a pivotal part of the brand success signifying and enduring phenomena in pop culture Collectibles just like the rest and with Miko’s pension for producing toys that walked the line between popular toys and Star Trek the tricorder became a favorite among enthusiasts from Star Trek and collectors alike now a critical I can see this is really not much more than a standard cassette tape recorder but it was marketed as a multi-function handheld device used for sensing scanning data analysis and recording data no Amigo in its innovative Spirit captured the essence
of the tri’s functions as it appeared in the original Star Trek series wherever they could while it couldn’t scan live life forms or analyze alien atmosphere it did provide imaginative play for adults and children alike which during its run made it one of you must have items for fans it was just a shame they didn’t make more of them the screen featured Graphics that tried to emulate the tri quarters iconic readouts furthermore it had a shoulder strap making it easy to carry and play with along with the initial success of the Star Trek action figure line Migo found that their tricorder quickly became a hit its success was largely fueled again on the popularity of Star Trek and the appeal of Migo’s meticulous attention to detail from a child’s point of view elevating it way above a normal cassette recorder as a child’s play thing the original 1970s triar if found in mint condition is highly sought after in the collectible market and could fetch a considerable price much to the Delight of those lucky enough to own one and as
they did with the communicators and the command console they released a Batman branded version of this Tri quar in 1977 now as you listen to this video If you find yourself at some point being happy with what I’m telling you please go ahead and hit that like button down below it communicates to me and others what kind of materials you’d like to see going for by the same token comment comment comment we have an extraordinarily interactive Community here at Tre world and we’ love to talk to each other so if you haven’t introduced yourself hop on in and please do so and lastly I would take the time to thank the patrons that support this Channel with their donations no matter how small it is still a humbling thing to have people support you in what you do so if you’re interested please consider becoming a patron subscriber by visiting us at patreon. Trek dworld fact that after six decades this channel