Nacelle Toys just announced it’s making a 12-piece, 1/10-scale original-series Enterprise bridge model. The modules will be sold one per month, launching later this year to coincide with the 60th anniversary of our show.
Pricing has not been announced but it’s a fair guess the set will not be cheap. But that’s not really the problem; I love that bridge and I will find the money. No, the hurdle is space. The fully assembled piece will be 40 inches in diameter. That’s one full metre of TOS excellence.
Where will I put the thing?
I learned about this wonderful new collectible in a TrekCore article, which is where I also grabbed the bridge images; oddly, there does not seem to be anything on the Nacelle site about this. Thanks as always, TrekCore.
I am fortunate to have a sizable room for my Star Trek collection (even after recently moving to a smaller space) but the only way to accommodate the bridge is to remove something large, like a couple of bookcases or the cabinet holding my Polar Lights Enterprise or the cabinet that displays my Mego collection — and those are not options.
The only other candidate is my smallish corner desk, but that’s where I work. If I can’t work, I can’t afford the bridge.
I’ve heard from many collectors who are also space challenged. One woman I know has her stuff in boxes, and she has some excellent stuff that I don’t own. (Hey, Lisa.) So I am not alone.
And there is one more challenge: getting the pieces. I sent inquiries to a couple of local hobby/model stores and it seems Nacelle sells direct only, not through dealers. And here in Canada, getting 12 packages delivered from the US could kick-off border problems and fees.
Nacelle has handed me a real puzzle, but I love that bridge set so I need to figure out something. As Spock is reported to have said, there are always possibilities.
Collecting Trek 
One response to “Space: the final impediment”
Interesting post.Could it be built into a coffee table with glass lid, so you can look into it – yet also use it as a table?Could it be build into a glass topped desk, for that matter?The border customs, etc., isn’t really a problem. A retailer would pay all those fees and pass them on to you anyway so you’re not saving anything there. And whatever delivery option the manufacturer uses (Fedex, UPS, DHL, etc.), they will have a broker who can handle the paperwork. You’ll likely just get an invoice. I’ve ordered stupidly expensive things ($4K-$5K) from other countries with no problem.From the USA, you’re likely to pay HST, so calculate that into your purchase price. The brokerage fee may be anything from modest ($10) to not ($100). But that’s still a fraction of the price of your bridge and the lifetime of enjoyment it’ll bring you.The big issue is duties – thanks to you know who. Do we have a counter tariff on toys currently? Will we still have a CUSMA when this model crosses the border? (I’m a little annoyed that duties are applied based on the date an item crosses and not the date of sale, but that wasn’t a problem before we crossed into the Mirror Universe of Shit.)Live long and buy your bridge. .TREVOR MARSHALLThe Model Railway Showtrevor@themodelrailwayshow.comwww.themodelrailwayshow.com
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