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The Story of Battlestar Galactica toys is certainly a long one that has traveled through more than five decades. Unlike other mainstream franchises, Battlestar Galactica action figures and toys were cranked out by a few different toy companies along the way, but it all began with Mattel. When Star Wars hit the theaters in the summer of 1977, every studio in Hollywood began scrambling to find the next big Sci-Fi franchise to claim their share of the pie. Universal Studios’ candidate was a very Star Wars like show called Battlestar Galactica, which aired its two hour pilot on September 17, 1978, then later as a theatrical release in the U.S and Canada. The ensuing television series would run 24 episodes from 1978 to 1979, with a brief spin-off series called Galactica 1980. Mattel quickly jumped on the Battlestar Galactica bandwagon with a line of action figures and toys released from 1978 to 1979. They saw the massive success that Kenner had with Star Wars, and wanted in on the action. The toy line saw moderate success at the time, but with no new Battlestar Galactica movies or multi-media outlets to promote a toy line, the toys came to an end in 1979, with Mattel eventually terminated their licensing deal. Mattel’s toy line has gained somewhat of a cult following over the years with many of these items remaining in high demand to this day.

With the last Battlestar Galactica episodes airing on 1980, and the last toys being released in 1979, a toy company called Trendmasters decided to take a chance on the classic Battlestar Galactica franchise. With no new television series or movies on the horizon, interest had simply faded over time. That is, until Richard Hatch decided to bring Battlestar Galactica back in the form of a new comic book series by Realm Press in 1996.The new line of Battlestar Galactica toys were based on the revived comic series and not necessarily the classic series. This was certainly a questionable choice, but needless to say, the line didn’t last very long and was cancelled before the end of the year.

When the Sci-Fi channel revived the fan favorite television series, Battlestar Galactica in 2003, fans were thrilled to have their favorite show back on the air, but there were quite a few changes made to it. The new series was a fantastic show, but interest in the classic series also surged during this time and sent fans into a frenzy for classic Battlestar Galactica items. Joyride Studios and Majestic Studios both stepped into the picture in 2005 and produced lines of Battlestar Galactica items. Joyride created a mixed toy line of 6 inch figures based on the classic series, as well as different versions of the two iconic ships from the classic Battlestar Galactica series, Colonial Viper and Cylon Raider.

Majestic Studios’ line of figures included five basic 12 inch figures from the classic Battlestar Galactica series, with Apollo, Commander Adama, Starbuck, Cylon Centurion and Cylon Commander. These figures were highly detailed with an amazing display of skill and sculpting. Additional figures were planned for the re-imagined Sci-Fi Chanel series that launched in 2003, but only the Cylon Centurion made it to the market as a SDCC exclusive in 2006. A Lee “Apollo” Adama figure made it to a prototype phase, but was never produced. In addition, Majestic Studios also released two additional exclusive figures from the classic series with the Tower Records Cylon, and the Space Toys Apollo & Starbuck Two-Pack.

Since the classic Battlestar Galactica series had been receiving so much love, it was time for the new series to get a share of the spotlight as well. The new series was a re-imagining of the original 1978 series, with the most notable change being that fan favorite character Starbuck would be re-made into a female character. When the new show was finally released in 2003, all was forgiven for those changes and the ratings proved it. The pilot for the new re-imagined Battlestar Galactica show first aired as a mini-series in December 2003, which was followed by four regular seasons, ending in March of 2009. A prequel series, Caprica, was released in 2010 and lasted one season, as well as a web series called Blood and Chrome. Since no major toy companies bid for toy rights to the show, they were wide open and Diamond Select swooped in and began releasing toys in 2007. The action figures consisted of three waves made up of various 7″ figures, and several exclusives. Diamond Select did a good job of mixing up the waves with a nice assortment of characters for each. Diamond Select’s Battlestar Galactica line lived on when the regular line was cancelled, with a series of Toys R Us Exclusives that were released from 2008 to 2010. among the final releases were a small set of five different two-packs that were also exclusive to Toys R Us stores in 2010.

Over its storied history many quality (and some not so good) Battlestar Galactica products were released since 1978, and continue to this day. Just like every toy line, the values of certain items can greatly fluctuate over time. This is based on several factors, including the item’s time period, scarcity, consumer demand and overall condition. The good news for Battlestar Galactica collectors is there always a demand for items from this franchise, as Mattel, Joyride, Majestic, and Diamond Select created some truly iconic pieces. Loose individual figures and accessories from the vintage Mattel line can still be found on the secondary market, with some being harder than others to find. Items in the package can still fetch quite a bit of money, especially wave two figures and the missile firing ships. The Joyride Studios and Majestic Studios lines of figures are definitely seeing an uptick in value, as they are both desired by collectors and in demand. The Trendmasters figures are in much less demand, and are easily found. The Diamond Select figures vary in price but most are still fairly affordable. Certain Diamond Select exclusive figures can get very pricey on the secondary market, and collecting them all prove challenging. Values on Battlestar Galactica items remain steady with values and prices always inching up each year. The market remains strong due to an ever present 70’s and 80’s nostalgic desire and a rabid fan base. The figures, playsets, vehicles, and other accessories from the various Battlestar Galactica lines will only increase in value as these figures and sets become rarer and harder to find in the future. Not to mention talk of a new revival in the works, and I’m more than sure that Universal has further plans for our favorite group of ragtag survivors.