The Copy Cats Prop replica museum archives:

Inspired by the CopyCat articles by Tony Russo.

By Richard A. Coyle

Presented in approximate chronological order. . .

Please note: These are photographs were taken of many private collections over the past 25 years. Most of these prop recreations were purchased during the years chronicled. These models are NOT FOR SALE and we know of no one who currently makes any of these models.   As of now Paramount Studios considers the making of prop reproductions copyright infringement. They have sued makers of these reproductions. Please do not contact us asking where to buy them or for the names of out-of- business companies or ex-owners. Questions about details, features, however, we will attempt to answer in our upcoming letter column.

This photo gallery is presented as a historical document to honor the finest efforts of Star Trek fans. This was a vital and "fascinating" part of the Star Trek saga, a part of what helped make Star Trek what it is today, the show that would not die, the show its fans saved.

It was the activities of letter writing, convention holding, fanzine publishing, costume making, Vulcan ear wearing and phaser making and toting fans that seized the media's attention and helped resurrect this show from the graveyard of reruns. It is to these countless fans we dedicate these articles.

As we are showing these in chronological order, I will also try to tie the companies together, that is show which models belonged together, and were made by the same shop. Also the numbers of the pictures were a numbering system used on the pictures them selves, with notes on each pictures, I simply did have time to renumber and rework the notes to make more sense here.

Some were just one off, sort of one-hit-wonders. Many model makers found these fully detailed models hard to make and would drop out after short costly product runs.

Only the cheaply made unfinished kits were profitable for most prop makers, made even cheaper by the common practice of simply throwing rubber over someone else's model. 

But that is a another article so on with the show and tell.

 

1977

#9 One of the very first replica ever seen and certainly one of the first ever available. Made of hollow semi-hard plastic with some sort of polyurethane interior poured into it from the underside, or under the grid. This was advertised in various magazines for $19.95. A real pioneer piece that started it all..1977  This appears to have been the first one-off.

 

 

1978

#13. Early pioneer communicator. From the same company as the '78 Phaser Two (#35)on page # 2. This piece has an electronic 'chirp" similar to the chirp in the old bird toys of that time. When you open the grid halfway, the chirp and middle light operate in tandem. Push the grid all the way open, and the chirping stops and the left and right lights stay on steady. Made of ABS plastic, grain o' wheat lights and brass grid..... Company #1 The earliest known company to produce a catalog and to make prop reproduction for many years.

 

 

#21 Inside detail of pioneer communicator .  A very fragile piece, but again as in the same case as Fleet Command, you can see how far electronics came from 1978... Company #1

 

 

#25   This piece actually looks better closed than opened.. C.#1

 

 

 

 

#15 The pioneer 1978 deluxe set (minus tricorder). The company even produced a belt, once you furnished them with your size... C#1

 

 

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