Tribble Toy Variations

[ClassicTVMan81]

There seem to be some variations on the toy plush Tribbles (the officially licensed ones) out there.

The smaller ones merely squeak when you squeeze them (the keychain Tribbles vibrate when you pull the chain), whereas the medium and large ones are electronic and they purr (when you pet them) or squeal (if you squeeze it).

I wonder if there are also any officially-licensed plush Tribbles that make no sound at all (no squeaking or any other kind of that jazz)?

~Ben

 

[T'Girl]

It might not be "officially-licensed," but I bought one of these down at Fred Meyers a couple of months ago. Known as a pillow.

It makes no sound, but I've been known too when it gets rubbed on my skin.

 

[kolibri]

I have one of the ones from ThinkGeek. It doesn't purr, just vibrates and squeals like when Klingons are nearby. It's sound and motion activated, but you can shut it off, which...is good.

It sits on my desk and Ro Laren rides on its back like a boss.

 

[ToddKent]

There are also pink ones available which, I assume, are based on the ST:TAS tribbles. I don't know if they make noise or not but you cae always try your luck with the Tribble Claw Game:

 

[ClassicTVMan81]

I've heard some of you say a lot of the electronic Tribble plushes only emit the Klingon warning sound rather than the purring sound.

What I want to know is how you would command it to do both? For it to purr, would you merely pet it (don't be rough on it)?

~Ben

 

[ClassicTVMan81]

I've heard some of you say a lot of the electronic Tribble plushes only emit the Klingon warning sound rather than the purring sound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdXPStzSp34

What I want to know is how you would command it to do both? For it to purr, would you merely pet it (don't be rough on it)?

~Ben

 

[Kelso]

I picked up a couple of purring tribbles at Dragon*Con last year- a brown one for me and a TAS pink tribble for my little girl.

This was her reaction to it...

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNP11VmeWEE[/yt]

 

[scotpens]

^^ Awww, that's so cute. I hope she knows it's not a real animal!

 

[Therin of Andor]

Glommer pounces by Therin of Andor, on Flickr

Here's my official glommer (TAS) and "safe" pink tribble (can be hidden inside the glommer), two licensed chirping tribbles (orange, white), a longhaired white Lincoln Enterprises tribble (with dog toy squeaker inside, but some varieties were mute), and the very last, authenticated, screen-used, TOS tribble from David Gerrold's garage.

And from the 1980s:


Tribbles from Lincoln Enterprises catalogue by Therin of Andor, on Flickr

And Tribble Lotto, as played Down Under in 1986:


Tribble Lotto at TimeWarped Convention by Therin of Andor, on Flickr


Walter Koenig and wife Judy Levitt play Tribble Lotto at TimeWarped Convention by Therin of Andor, on Flickr

 

[Frontier]

I've heard some of you say a lot of the electronic Tribble plushes only emit the Klingon warning sound rather than the purring sound.

What I want to know is how you would command it to do both? For it to purr, would you merely pet it (don't be rough on it)?

~Ben

*Bites his tongue because he really wants to make an inappropriate comment/joke!!*

 

[NCC-1701-B]

I have a small white/brown one that came with my AMT K7 kit, that makes no sound or anything.

 

[ClassicTVMan81]

The whole reason that I thought I'd ask all about these is because there are but three classes of Tribble toys:
1. With generic dog toy squeaker
2. With authentic Tribble sounds (the electronic versions)
3. No sounds at all (which also means no dog toy squeaker)

I'd like to know how to break it all down, so that I know who did what variations, in what years, and whether or not any of these variations in these three classes were officially licensed by Paramount/CBS.

Unlicensed (counterfeit) versions won't do it for me (these would not have the Star Trek or Paramount logos on the packaging), and neither will the "dog toy squeaker" versions (licensed or not).

On websites I've visited, both Tribble Toys and others, when I see the disclaimer: "Large Tribbles are sound and touch activated, medium Tribbles are touch activated, and small Tribbles and keychain Tribbles have no sound or motion" is the whole disclaimer really true? Because, with regard to the keychain Tribbles, they do make a sound when you pull the chain (the cooing) and when you squeeze it (dog toy squeak).

Thank you,



Ben

 

[ClassicTVMan81]

Star Trek Tribble Key Chain by classictvman81, on Flickr

I wonder if this particular keychain Tribble squeaks (like a dog toy) when you squeeze it?
(Picture is of an eBay auction; I don't actually own this item)

~Ben

 

[scotpens]

. . . and the very last, authenticated, screen-used, TOS tribble from David Gerrold's garage.

There must be a lot of fakes floating around purporting to be genuine, original, screen-used tribbles. Just how does one go about authenticating the provenance of a tribble?

 

[OmahaStar]

. . . and the very last, authenticated, screen-used, TOS tribble from David Gerrold's garage.

There must be a lot of fakes floating around purporting to be genuine, original, screen-used tribbles. Just how does one go about authenticating the provenance of a tribble?

If it's pregnant, it's real.

 

[ClassicTVMan81]

I've got a question about the Tribbles made by Lincoln Enterprises.

1. Which of the Lincoln-made Tribbles had a squeaker sewn into them, and which sizes? This is tough, because some variations do squeak and some do not. Catalog numbers are as follows: 0401=2 Tribbles, 0402=1 Tribble, 0403=2 small Tribbles.

2. How many Tribbles did Lincoln Enterprises actually make, and when did they stop doing so?

TRIVIA: Lincoln Enterprises, as you should know, was started by Gene Roddenberry and his wife, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, as Star Trek Enterprises in 1967, but in later years the name of the company had to be changed, presumably to avoid legal action from Paramount. "Rod" Roddenberry currently runs the company, following the death of his mother, Majel, in December 2008.

~Ben

 

[Therin of Andor]

There must be a lot of fakes floating around purporting to be genuine, original, screen-used tribbles. Just how does one go about authenticating the provenance of a tribble?

Mine came with a personal letter from David Gerrold himself, and confirmation by emailed anecdotes about the day he was cleaning out his garage and found it. Prior to me obtaining this one, I was able to inspect one of his screen-used tribbles at a convention. The screen-used beige/brown tribbles from the episode had to get extra dye brushed onto them, so the fur is uniquely two-toned and it makes them readily recognizable by people who worked on the show and very hard to duplicate.

It is much harder to authenticate the other colours made off the commercial rolls of fur fabric, such as white, especially since "The Making of..." book had the original pattern and clear instructions, encouraging many fans to make their own for conventions in the 70s - and the ones made to be sold through Lincoln Enterprises didn't have any labels, etc.

1. Which of the Lincoln-made Tribbles had a squeaker sewn into them, and which sizes? This is tough, because some variations do squeak and some do not. Catalog numbers are as follows: 0401=2 Tribbles, 0402=1 Tribble, 0403=2 small Tribbles.

The catalogs specified if your tribble was fitted with a dog-toy squeaker. I'm fairly sure those above numbers were non-squeakers. Squeaking tribbles were a later addition.

The squeaking one I have from Lincoln is quite flat, with long white fur. I guess if you hid the squeaker deep inside a spherical tribble, it would be harder to squeak.

2. How many Tribbles did Lincoln Enterprises actually make, and when did they stop doing so?

Who would know? They broke into the quadrotriticale holds and everything went to Hell.

 

[ClassicTVMan81]

The catalogs specified if your tribble was fitted with a dog-toy squeaker. I'm fairly sure those above numbers were non-squeakers. Squeaking tribbles were a later addition.

The squeaking one I have from Lincoln is quite flat, with long white fur. I guess if you hid the squeaker deep inside a spherical tribble, it would be harder to squeak.

I wonder what years LE had issued the Tribbles that did squeak, and which catalog #s would those ones be? I know they probably don't have those ones now, after which point the electronic Tribbles with the authentic Tribble sounds had become commonplace.

~Ben

 

[Therin of Andor]

I wonder what years LE had issued the Tribbles that did squeak, and which catalog #s would those ones be?

My first order from Lincoln was in about 1981

Just Googled a reference here:
http://www.bonanza.com/listings/Star-Trektennial-1976-catalog-brochure-Lincoln-Enterprises/25600700

This catalog, if I recall, was distributed in 1981 and still had commemorative merchandise (eg. medals) for what Lincoln had called the "Star Trektennial" (1966-1976). My catalog had the cover depicted in the link above but there were internal references to material and scripts based on "Phase II" and "The Motion Picture". The auction wrongly dates the catalog as 1976.

A few other pages and versions of the catalog here:
http://mystartrekscrapbook.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Lincoln%20Enterprises

I recall a Sydney-based huckster getting a supply of squeaky flat tribbles from Majel Barrett herself in about 1986.

I know they probably don't have those ones now, after which point the electronic Tribbles with the authentic Tribble sounds had become commonplace.

Lincoln probably stopped supplying their own tribbles through the catalog once a toy company held the official licence.

The first non-removable, battery-powered, licensed, screaming tribble (ie. reacting to Klingons) that I recall was by the idea company (lower case), about the same time as the set of so-called Meanie Beanies (Vulcan, Andorian, Mugato, Gorn, Ferengi, Targ) was released, because I added one ginger tribble to my set. It came with a small attached cardboard tag.

Their tribble was rereleased (but alternately packed in a cardboard frame) to celebrate the airing of "Trials and Tribble-ations" (1996). My local bookshop gave me a free white screaming tribble just for buying the novelization of the episode.

Later, the same company did a licensed tie-in beanie of the Ba'ku rhyl ("Insurrection") mostly for the "Star Trek: The Experience" store at the Las Vegas Hilton in 1999.

Neither of my battery tribbles function today, but my flat white Lincoln Enterprises dog-squeaker tribble still squeaks.

After the idea company, the license passed elsewhere, there were definitely boxed walking tribbles, and ones that could purr, chirp and scream alternately. "Star Trek: The Experience" also had tribbles.

 

[ClassicTVMan81]

How, exactly, were the squeaky Tribbles made (as sold through Lincoln Enterprises in the early 1980s)? Weren't those just homemade versions made by us Trekkies and given to the Roddenberry family?

~Ben