Hollywood Pins

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Fleet Captain insignia, designed by Hollywood Pins
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Fleet Captain insignia, designed by Hollywood Pins

Hollywood Pins is a now out-of-business company that operated in California from 1990 to 1995. The company's primary products were Starfleet ranks and insignia associated with the science fiction franchise of Star Trek.

Hollywood Pins became notable with the release of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, in that Hollywood Pins was contracted to provide several insignia pins for extras appearing in the film. The primary actors, however, were provided costume accessories by the Costume Department of Paramount Pictures.

Following Star Trek VI, Hollywood Pins engaged in a large amount of business selling insignia at Star Trek conventions and, by mail order, through a science fiction magazine called "Starlog". The company's sales reached such a height that a few of the rank pins, invented by Hollywood Pins, began appearing in semi-official Star Trek literature and in comic books. This gave rise to the concept of Starfleet conjectural ranks, being ranks that did not appear in a live action production but had been mentioned frequently in literature and fan sources.

The insignia pin for Fleet Captain, appearing in The Star Trek Encyclopedia, is credited with having been invented by Hollywood Pins. The rank insignia for Flag Admiral, appearing in numerous Star Trek publications, manuals, and magazines, is also a creation of Hollywood Pins.

In 1994, business for Hollywood Pins began to dwindle and the company closed at the start of 1995. The insignia released by Hollywood Pins are today considered collector's items by Star Trek fans.