Hey Kids,
Way back in March of this year, one of our readers, Reece, sent me these great stills of his 1977 Star Trek catalog form the (legendary) Federation Trading Post (FTP)– –and it’s a wonder. Reece had auctioned this catalog on eBay and sold it for $65.00! And graciously let me use these auction pictures for this post. Thanks so much, Reece, and congrats on your noteworthy sale! (See, sometimes it pays to save stuff from your childhood!)
As to the catalog itself, boy, does this take me back! Imagine, color prints (color!) for a dollar, color slides for 50 cents, buttons, bumper stickers, models, books, color slides! It’s a year-round convention huckster room! There’s even a two record album of William Shatner Live!
You see, In a pre-internet era, if you wanted Trek images, you’d have to find them at conventions or back pages of Starlog or in brochures like (Roddenberry’s) Lincoln Enterprises or this. FTP was a Trekker (and Star Wars fan) paradise. I never got a chance to see it in person, or order stuff like this, but if I did my walls would have been plastered with this stuff! (Ah the teenage mentality) However I did (and may still) own the actual full color collage poster on the front page
Looking at this makes me wonder how much of this stuff is still available to collectors today? Does anyone here have any of the Trekkie stuff buried away in their attics? I know I still have some of the original cutting floor 35mm slides that I got from a friend somewhere! If you find anything, let me know and I may just post it here! (You can contact me here) Enjoy this tasty nostalgia everyone!
This is taking me back!!! This is excellent! I can’t believe a catalog sold for sixty-five bucks!!!
Reblogged this on boofrost.
I think the Trading Post was own by Doug Drexler. Amazingly it is one of the least known and explored aspects of Trek fandom of the 1970s. I don’t recall anyone ever actually interviewing him in depth about it. Not sure why since so many other aspects of the show and it’s fans have been explored many times over. What were the years of operation? Why did it close. Where exactly was the store located? Back when I was a kid on Long Island, this store was like rumor. Someone who knew someone who said they had been there. The same can be said in regard to the lack coverage of the clothing maker Donmoore who made Trek iniforms in the 70s to sell in department stores. I sent you a picture of one of these shirts over a year ago. So to answer your question about having old stuff like this in my attic, yes , I do. You just never posted it.
Thank you for your wonderful comment, Scott! I did get your picture, thanks, and I’ll look it up again! 🙂