Star Trek fans collect just about everything — model kits, phasers, scripts, figures, even VHS variations. So when you see a branded UNO tin show up, the first instinct is to think it’s another throwaway crossover. Except this one isn’t. The artwork, the custom mechanics, the portraits — it’s built with more respect for the series than you expect from a themed deck. It fits right into Trek’s long habit of making even the small stuff feel collectible. This wasn’t just a novelty. It was one of the last proper metal game tins before Fundex collapsed in 2012 and the place went dark for good.
History, Context & Why This Tin Exists
The mid-2000s were strange for collectors. Streaming wasn’t a threat yet, but stores were already pushing cheaper packaging. Tin production was shrinking fast — too expensive, too dent-prone, not “retail friendly.” Yet licensed fandom was climbing. Comic shops and mall specialty stores were flooded with tiny metal tins, promotional boxes, and themed card sets that quietly became their own branch of the collecting world.
The Star Trek UNO tin fits right into that pocket.
It was built for fans who wanted something physical from the franchise beyond DVDs and phasers. Not a toy, not a prop replica — just a sturdy little box packed with character-driven art and a deck that played slightly differently than your childhood UNO.
Released under CBS licensing and manufactured by Fundex, this edition was meant for shelves at Barnes & Noble, FYE, and comic stores. Limited distribution. No reprints. Short window. And when Fundex went under a few years later, production shut down permanently.
That’s why sealed examples already feel like survivors. These tins weren’t made to sit untouched for 15+ years.
What Makes This Tin Worth Collecting
For a piece that looks simple on the outside, the details matter.
The Tin Itself:
It has that late-2000s collectible-tin feel — light but sturdy, glossy art, and bright character portraits wrapping the edges. These tins dent if you look at them wrong, so clean corners and a smooth lid are worth noting.
The Cards:
This is where most people are surprised. The deck isn’t a generic UNO set stuffed into themed packaging. Every suit uses Original Series characters with proper portraits: Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, Scotty. Not movie-era, not reboot — the real ’66–’69 crew. The card backs are custom too, with the Enterprise front and center.
The Beam Up Card:
This edition added a unique gameplay rule — a “Beam Up” card that lets you avoid negative effects like Draw cards. It’s simple, but it makes this deck mechanically distinct and gives collectors a reason to care about the cards, not just the tin.
Fundex Print Quality:
Their cardstock wears quickly, edges fray, and surface sheen disappears fast in used decks. So a sealed tin means untouched, mint cards — the only way to guarantee pristine condition now that reprints are impossible.
No Modern Reprints:
After Fundex’s bankruptcy, Mattel never reissued this design or rule.
These exact cards will never return to print.
That’s why the deck and the tin share equal weight in the collector world.
Collector’s Tips & Variants
Here’s what to log in the vault:
- Release Window: approx 2008, under CBS/Fundex.
- Original Format: sold sealed, no alternate packaging.
- Condition Sensitivity: tin corners dent easily; pristine lids and hinges matter.
- Card Condition: Fundex cardstock wears fast — sealed sets are the premium tier.
- Variants: none confirmed; single known edition.
- Typical Value: sealed examples tend to sit in the $40 range, with opened sets in the $20–$30 bracket depending on wear.
- True Collector’s Item: yes — especially sealed, due to Fundex’s shutdown and no reprints.
How It Compares to Other Collector Tins
The Star Trek tin sits in the upper-middle tier of the UNO collector tin world. Not the king, but absolutely respected for its fandom weight and clean design.
For perspective:
- The UNO Care Bears (2004) is quite rare.
- The Hello Kitty Tin regularly sits at the top.
- Harry Potter and Simpsons tins tend to hold solid value in the $55–$100 window.
- Even the early-2000s Spongebob tins can hit $40–$75 clean and sealed.
The Star Trek tin lives comfortably among them.
It doesn’t need to lead the pack — Trek collectors have never chased scarcity for bragging rights. They chase items that feel like the shows they love. And this tin checks that box cleanly.
In fact, sealed Trek tins hold steadier than many themed UNOs because Trek collectors tend to be older, careful, and more willing to pay for physical items that honor the series.
Where to Buy
Find a copy today on eBay
Keeper’s Final Note
Pieces like this remind me how fast collecting changed in the 2000s. One year it was all plastic shells and disposable packaging; the next, a company sneaks out a metal tin with real effort behind it. The UNO Star Trek edition isn’t rare in the dramatic sense, but it’s the kind of item that feels honest — a clean bit of fandom from a window that didn’t last long.
