There are a few GI Joe vehicles that have become iconic, that remind one of a magical childhood time of fun and innocence. Toys that when you see them, make you say, “Ooh, I had that. It was so cool!” Then there are a few that elicit the response, “What the hell is that thing?” The Patriot falls in the
Read moreWhat’s the least likely three words you’d ever think to see strung together on a GI Joe package? How about Russian Bear Wrestler? This is Zangief, from the Street Fighter II sub-series, a set of figures that were based in the popular video game and branded with the GI Joe logo. Crazy? Of course. It was the 90s, and the operative phrase
Read moreGather round, friends, and I shall regale thee with a legendary tale of action figure hunting from the halcyon days of the 1990’s. In those days there existed the Half Price Store, in whose hallowed halls the adventuring collectors of the day would find bounteous amounts of the previous years’ action figure releases. Their names echo through toy history like
Read more
It’s been snowing a lot in my corner of the world over the last two weeks, and I saw it as an opportunity to break out some of the cold weather themed figures that I hadn’t covered yet. I had been finding it difficult to set up photos for them, since some sort of snowy looking ground or background is
Read moreIf there was ever evidence of how big the GI Joe line was in the 80’s, one need only look at the amount and variation of product and its increase as those first few years went by. From the beginning, Hasbro was wise to include a variety of price points in its offerings. There were big ticket items like the
Read moreStore exclusives. Often times the bane of a collector’s existence. The experience of looking for an exclusive can be frustrating. Sometimes the store gets the item once or twice and it’s gobbled up before you can get there. That stinks. Sometimes the store in question isn’t located within a reasonable distance. That really stinks. Unfortunately, my hometown didn’t have a
Read moreI’ve been flying my freak flag when it comes to the 90’s GI Joe toys since, well, the 90’s. It was the era in which I dove back into collecting, so the time still holds a certain fascination for me. I particularly remember the early 90’s toy treasure trove that was the Half Price Store. The GI Joe assortments from
Read moreRounding out the wonderful Sky Patrol sub-group is Altitude, the team’s recon scout. There are other GI Joes with a focus on recon, but Altitude must be the most unique. Possessing a photographic memory and excellent artistic abilities, he combines the two to create detailed drawings of his reconnaissance targets. Like other Sky Patrol members, Altitude possesses a very unique
Read moreNo, it’s not the title of a TV show in which a former baseball slugger and the computer from “2001: A Space Odyssey” team up to solve crimes. But if I had my way, it would be. The story of the relaunch of GI Joe goes that it was intended originally as a vehicle line. I think that’s apparent in
Read moreWell, here it is folks, the original Cobra trooper. It’s taken a while. I’ve covered the weird and the wild over the last year and a half, but somehow this guy hadn’t fallen under my gaze till now. Wait a minute, isn’t the code name Cobra? Not according to the file card. Although, the early file cards were odd in
Read more