How did you dip your toe into the muddy waters of RD merch?

[si]

I fear I may have derailed chat about Issue 3 of the Smegazine over on the front page with my talk of starting my whole coliection of RD stuff with, um, issue 4.
Thought it only right that I should maybe bring the chat over here instead. 

Topic

[loadoftottnumb]

Oddly, despite loving the show for a good 30 years or so the only ‘Merch’ I’ve ever really bought have been videos/dvds and books/audiobooks 

[Dave]

I started with the stuff that was available circa Series V, I guess, as that was the era when I got into the show.

So I had a couple of T-shirts (definitely the Ace Rimmer one, but I definitely wasn’t allowed the “Twat It” one and I remember having an awkward conversation about why) and bought all the books that came out, including the Companion and then the Programme Guide and Making Of, as well as the novels obviously. 

I also picked up some of the VHSs, particularly for the stuff that I hadn’t taped off-air. But I never bought the full set as I wasn’t a completist and was happy with the home-made tapes that covered all of Series V and beyond, as well as a lot of the earlier stuff. My favourites were probably the Smeg Ups and Outs tapes, which I remember loving at the time.

The last VHS I bought was probably VII Xtended, just to see the new stuff.

And I bought the books all the way up to the Survival Guide, which I thought was a bit crap, so never even bothered with the VIII book. Maybe I should give it a look at some point.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

I distinctly remember owning Six of the Best followed by Smeg Up and Outs, then the books.  Then the remastered VHS whilst I tried to track down 1-6 on VHS at car boots and stuff

[Dave]

Oh yes, Six Of The Best must have been an early purchase for me too.

[Ian Symes]

It’s tricky for me, as my sister was a fan first, and I ended up stealing all of her shit. The first things I remember having were Series IV Byte One VHS and the Omnibus – the Omnibus was definitely hers as it still has her name in it, and I’m pretty sure the tape was too. But I distinctly remember picking up Series III Byte One in Woolworths with my Christmas money later that year, so that will be the first thing that was definitely *mine*. 

I dread to think how much money I have spent on Red Dwarf over the years, even without taking into account Dimension Jump and G&T costs. In fact, considering I met my partner through Red Dwarf, my daughter probably counts as a Red Dwarf related expense, so that will be thousands in itself over the years.

[clem]

I think mine was Primordial Soup. I pored over it so much that even now I mentally fill in little bits that aren’t in those episodes when I watch them. “What d’you think I am – [Marvo] the Memory Man?”

[Flap Jack]

Come to think of it, as well as the Series 1 DVD being my first bit of merch, I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything Red Dwarf that isn’t DVDs, Blu rays or books. Have I even lived? Guess I just haven’t come across anything that took my fancy.

However, I am tempted to take my kitchen to the next level with some high quality Kryten mugs.

Guests can naturally use the one with the David Ross Kryten moment mirror imaged and given the Robert Llewellyn Kryten costume design:

But the best one – the Mobisodes-esque Kryten – will of course be reserved for me:

[Smeg4Brains]

You can always give your guests this

[Dave]

Guests can naturally use the one with the David Ross Kryten moment mirror imaged and given the Robert Llewellyn Kryten costume design:

Isn’t that based on this image?

[International Debris]

As per the other thread, probably my Better Smeg Than Dead mug, after that it was actually the novels, and a cheap copy of the Last Human audiobook. Then the Remastered videos, then the DVDs. Never been a merch collector in general so that’s as far as I’ve gone.

[Flap Jack]

Isn’t that based on this image?

Ah yes, good spot. But it doesn’t match the quote.

[Warbodog]

>I bought the books all the way up to the Survival Guide, which I thought was a bit crap

That was the first bit of Red Dwarf merchandise that I remember seeing on the shelf and opting not to bother with. I didn’t care for the VII-era stuff coming out generally, I was much happier finding the outdated Companion and Smegazines in a comic shop in 1999.

Collected a few older videos during a brief window in 2001 between discovering eBay and the DVDs first being announced, I remember paying £17 for Quarantine.

[Flap Jack]

I do really like the cover designs on most of the VHS releases, especially the matching spines on Remastered. (Series VIII’s videos look the worst. Typical eh.)

The temptation to buy Red Dwarf home media which is obsolete, physically takes up a lot of space, and I don’t even own a player for is not exactly huge, but thanks to the artwork it is slightly above 0.

[loadoftottnumb]

I distinctly remember owning Six of the Best followed by Smeg Up and Outs, then the books.  Then the remastered VHS whilst I tried to track down 1-6 on VHS at car boots and stuff

Yeah almost exactly the same, I had Series 1 and Byte 2 of Series 6 on VHS then got the Remastered series 2-3 and the books (inc Log, Soup, son of Soup) 

[si]

The first Dwarf VHS I got was Backwards – I used to take that to school, because they’d let you leave vids at reception and then put them on in the canteen at dinnertime.

The first time I got hold of the books was when the Omnibus was released in 1992. Being a Smegazine devotee, I was up on all the new releases, so got the Omnibus, Primordial Soup, Making Of… all as they came out.

First t-shirt I got was the Better Than Life cover, which had “It’s the ideal game with only one drawback – it’s so good, it will kill you” written on the back. Although it was an official shirt, it was also pretty thin. It was 1993. I was fourteen, and wore it to death. When it gave up the ghost a couple of years later, I attempted to fashion a couple of bandanas out of it. Didn’t really work.

 

[Flap Jack]

We used to be a country. A proper country.

[Ian Symes]

Ah yes, the commemorative novelty pencil.

[Flap Jack]

I am loudly judging anyone who was both in the fandom and had a decent amount of disposable income in 2006, who didn’t take the opportunity to become the proud owner of an Inquisitor bobblehead.

[Dave]

Was Bobblehead trademarked or something? “Headknockers” sounds like an insult.

[Rudolph]

Was Bobblehead trademarked or something? “Headknockers” sounds like an insult.

[Ridley]

Red Dwarf VII Xtended then I think I got A Question of Smeg and Son of Soup at the same time.

[Curry Specialist Craig]

I live in the States, my love of Red Dwarf knows no bounds. But my RD merch collection began w/ PB’s of Red Dwarf and Better Than Life. I also got the “Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers” shirt which is still in one piece to this day. My prize is the custom deerstalker that my mom and aunt cobbled together for me, complete w/dreads. That being said, I have been very fortunate building a collection from 1990-present of licensed merch (and a couple fan-made pieces for flavor).

[Author]

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