Star Trek Fact Files
19 folders.

A little over 300 weekly editions at £2 each.

Currently rotting away in various boxes and not even filed away in the folders, vast majority unread.

£600.

Why?



Oh, and I didn't learn my lesson either when I heard the same publishers were doing a Star Wars Fact Files, spent the best part of £100 on that as well before it was abandoned by the publishers due to poor sales.

Did get a nice tea mug with the rebel logo on it though.


I did learn my lesson that time though and didn't go and spend what would have been £700 on a DIY Orrery, even though Sir Patrick Moore was recommending it.

Still, it would've been awesome putting it together.
(ParaSitius is an Optimistic Pessimist, Tue 5 Oct 2010, 14:44, 6 replies)

My dad built the orrery
It's a splendid thing. Just don't think about the cost!
(moon monkey is busy making memories worth repressing, Tue 5 Oct 2010, 14:49, closed)

My brother bought the Star Trek fact files
And they promptly got 'filed' at the back of the cupboard, never to see the light of day again...
(Sir Itchalot has a very self-referential signature, Tue 5 Oct 2010, 15:44, closed)

I got a bunch of them second hand when I bought a complete set of old Transformers comics
I think I glanced through them once
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Tue 5 Oct 2010, 15:45, closed)

ditto
What were we thinking?

"Oh, let's buy a partwork reference source (that we'll never actually need, since it doesn't contain functional tricorder schematics) for a program they're still making; and as such will become increasingly inaccurate and retcon affected with every passing day". Example: I reckon STFF, despite pages and pages of biography detailing every passing mention and trivial fact about Data, makes not one mention of the rather more significant event of his later demise in a film not yet on the drawing boards.

There were some neat pictures and diagrams to satisfy my autistic tendencies, for sure; but just not worth all that cash. In our collective defences; this *was* in pre-wiki, mostly-dialup days.

In its defence, it *did* help me get a superb mark in a university elective; "Science Fiction Science". Readily accessible stats from the entire ST universe (of that time) let me compile a thorough and precise essay on fictional portrayals of theoretical physics; such as wormholes - discussing how scientifically accurate the DS9 writers were, compared to real-world understanding.

At least with the "Treasures Of The Earth" partwork, the geological and mineral facts didn't really go out of date (the chemical formulas for Pileoshite or Kibördkat tend to stay the same); and you got a rather impressive-looking and broad selection of little mineral samples in display trays. I think this explains why STFF has been chucked in frustration, yet TOTE is still in the house.
(The Incredible Sulk Finally remembered his password on, Tue 5 Oct 2010, 18:22, closed)

fuck, i'd forgotten about those
got up to issue 60-something, before my (then) very young nephew got into my room and tore them to shreds :(
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Tue 5 Oct 2010, 22:12, closed)

I forgot about those too!
I think I bought a few but I wasted my money on VHS episodes of TNG and DS9....didn't buy any Voyager ones though....i'm not that crazy.
( Bamboo Steamer, Wed 6 Oct 2010, 9:53, closed)