What's up with the Tribble?

[MegoCapnMike]

Well, I thought I knew most of the Star Trek / Mego / trivia but somehow I missed or overlooked this. Likely I was looking for info on something else and just looked past it I guess. Anyway, I am wondering about the Tribble in the Star Trek line. Info on the site says something about its existence being debated. What's the story here? Is there one even?

I assume its one of those that somebody "had" or "saw" as a kid but none have been recorded. So like I said, what's the story?

[MegoCapnMike]

Anyone? I know there has to be at least a simple story here...

[palitoy]

Mego never released a plush tribble.

Another company did eventually, so people did see them as kids, just not in Toys R Us.

[Aricosaur]

...just not in Toys R Us.

There was a tribble in Toys R Us when I was there a few days ago. It was sitting on a shelf purring to itself.

[palitoy]

There was a tribble in Toys R Us when I was there a few days ago. It was sitting on a shelf purring to itself.

Okay, it wasn't made by mego.

[jwyblejr]

I'm guessing that new one is the one that's up on Ebay now under the Mego section.

[DaBillmann]

Ok, I remember having a mego catalog when I was about 11, so would be around 1977 1978, and on a Star Trek page in that catalog, they advertise tribbles that "coo and purr". I do not have the catalog anymore, but, I know for a fact that was in there. So, if mego never made their own tribble, did they ever buy something someone else made and sell it in their catalogs?

Oh wait, it might not have been a mego catalog. It might have been a Heros World catalog. Did thye put non mego items on the same page as mego items?

[palitoy]

Heroes World grouped things by category, not by manufacturer and is probably the main source of the confusion.

[Aricosaur]

Okay, it wasn't made by mego.

No, obviously not. I gave the tribble a couple of strokes on the back, but I didn't look close enough to see who made it. I suspect Diamond Select.

It was just so weird wondering down the action figure isle and there's a tribble contentedly cooing on a shelf.

[scifiguy94]

I remember seeing a tribble back in the day in the Johnson C Smith catalog in the section with all the other Trek stuff but it wasn't made by Mego.

[jwyblejr]

I can understand why Mego didn't go through with making one. The pics of the one on the back of the aliens series cards here on the Museum look like a fuzzy potato.

[MegoCapnMike]

So basically, Mego planned one but didn't release it, then another company made one and that is often confused with the Mego line? Sounds like what I'm hearing anyway.

It really amazes me how many little things like this are out there. Things that were scrapped or changed or whatever at the last minute and no explanation. Of course the mystery can be fun too...

[johnmiic]

I would guess any Tribbles released in the 1970's were made for Lincoln Enterprises; which was the company Rodenberry took away from Bjo Trimble and gave to his wife Majel to run.

[palitoy]

So basically, Mego planned one but didn't release it, then another company made one and that is often confused with the Mego line? Sounds like what I'm hearing anyway.

It really amazes me how many little things like this are out there. Things that were scrapped or changed or whatever at the last minute and no explanation. Of course the mystery can be fun too...

We now have a network of people who communicate directly with toy companies and get answers. Adult collectors in the 1970s, were weirdos and treated as such. So we didn't get answers until we tracked down these folks.

The answer as to why Mego didn't make something is usually "Nobody bought".

[DaBillmann]

Heroes World grouped things by category, not by manufacturer and is probably the main source of the confusion.

Ok, now that you say that, I remember there may have been other non mego items in that catalog, though I have no idea what they were.

i never even knew how i got the catalog. I got home from sixth grade camp in the middle of january, and my sister said I got soem mail, and it was on my bed.