I grabbed this image way back in the 2000s from an eBay auction. If you were into collecting back then, you probably remember the plethora of auctions originating from China. Among these were pre-release offerings of figures that made it to retail, but more interesting were the toys we never saw on shelves. This Cobra Officer image was labeled as
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Many of the figures pictured in dealer catalogs are early mock-ups or prototypes. Case in point today are the Renegades from 1987. Whether it’s the hand painted or rough head sculpt aspects of the figures, a peek into the production process is always interesting to see. Mercer in particular looks quite a bit different from his final version. Image via
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While looking through the inventory of GI Joe pics I’ve collected over the years, I happened upon this image that I captured from an eBay auction many years ago. If you were collecting Joes during the new sculpt era, you may remember that new releases were fairly regularly previewed via online auctions coming out of China. Some of the figures
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Here’s another shot of early versions of some first series 80s figures, courtesy of the 1982 Hasbro catalog (thanks again, Flag Points Dave). This time, it’s The Enemy AKA Cobra Officer and Trooper. These guys look to be kitbashed from Mego o-ring figures, from Buck Rogers, the Black Hole, Dukes of Hazzard or CHiPs. Whatever their origins, they’re a couple
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I’ve been fascinated for a while with the yearly Toy Fair catalogs that were common in the days before the internet. Paging through them is akin to a trip back in time, and at times even more enjoyable than looking through old Wish Book and Christmas catalogs. The industry catalogs definitely boast much higher resolution photos than what was available
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