Star Trek 'Potpourri' Spotlight- Inter-Space Communicator

Item Name: Inter-Space Communicator
Manufacturer: Lone Star (1974)



The Rundown: Have you ever sat awake at night wondering what the childhood favorite "2 tin cans on a string telephone" gimmick would look like in Star Trek? Well, wonder no more! Lone Star answered that question way back in 1974 with their Inter-Space Communicator. Silly. Where have you been?



This is a prime example of me purchasing a product mainly for it's box. What an insanely cool package for a somewhat mediocre product! The outer box features a couple of interesting drawings of Kirk and Spock using the Communicator, while the interior features shots of Kirk, Spock, the Enterprise, and a space station. And the best part is the box actually turns into a display piece (as shown in the first pic)! I'm scratching my head as to why they put this much effort into the package on this...



The Communicator is essentially 2 hollow plastic cones with rods sticking out the back. Notice that the colors are flipped- I guess so you won't confuse yours with your buddy's.



The front of each hand piece features a grilled pattern for you to communicate through and a stamping that says "Space Phone". I'd say that's a good indicator that these probably weren't designed for Trek and are a reuse of an existing toy or concept, although I do laugh at the idea of Uhura contacting other ships using her "space phone".



At the base of each hand piece is a hidden whistle! I'm sure to be used in occasions when Kirk spies a lovely yeoman on deck...

So enough about the design- here's how they work-



Now the previous owner of my set didn't use the red cord, instead opting for the cotton string-



I can honestly say these actually do work pretty well! My buddy Matt and I tried them out and you can actually hear pretty clearly through them. I must admit I never tried the "2 tin cans" as a kid, so I was pleasantly surprised by the clarity.

I managed to snag this for a measly $13! At that price, it's worth it just for the awesome packaging! A quirky cool item, if you can get it on the cheap...