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Big-Jim - Reason about the end in the USA

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  • MIB41
    Eloquent Member
    • Sep 25, 2005
    • 15631

    #16
    I thought I would throw in a couple of shots of my Gold Medal specimen, still in the box. Complete with the gold medal accessories, the patch, and instructions with the figure.





    How's THAT for a price? And we thought Mego's were cheap...

    Last edited by MIB41; Feb 17, '11, 11:26 AM.

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    • haran_banjo_
      Member
      • Feb 23, 2009
      • 62

      #17
      Great reportage of all...thanks a lot, now I've understood better the reasons of the ending production of Big-Jims.

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      • Nostalgiabuff
        Muddling through
        • Oct 4, 2008
        • 11290

        #18
        I never had or wanted Big Jim toys. I always had plenty of GI Joe's and Megos and later on the Star wars figures so there was nothing about BJ that lured me in

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        • kennermike
          Permanent Member
          • Nov 4, 2007
          • 3367

          #19
          Originally posted by MIB41
          It's a safe bet that Big Jim became a victim of lower sales and higher production costs due to the oil embargo in the mid 70's. That combination not only wiped out Big Jim in the US, but also the 12 inch GI Joes and many other figure lines. But let's face it. When Star Wars came out, you were either 3 3/4 inches or you were out. Most companies doing business in the US, either dropped their existing lines, or jumped on that bandwagon. So when it comes to demand, I think you can blame Star Wars and Kenner for sucking up the majority of the action figure business back then. Or maybe the REAL blame lies with Mego for not taking the license to begin with. Perhaps we would have seen a resurgence in the 8 inch action figure, instead of it's demise, along with all of the other larger figures.
          Well said Tom look at the Six Million Dollar Man Line it was not 3 3/4 and they were done!
          Star Wars killed many lines including Probably Big Jim in The US but this has been said many times in the Forum
          I grew up on Star Wars and have fond memories but their was a Dark Side to the Toy Industry on the other side of that Coin That's for Sure
          Last edited by kennermike; Feb 17, '11, 3:49 PM.

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          • SlipperyLilSuckers
            MeGoing
            • May 14, 2003
            • 9031

            #20
            Originally posted by ironman1188
            Why do people keep reporting this?
            Well, personally, I just like to help spread evil, vicious rumours...

            Comment

            • Mr.Krusher
              Banned
              • Oct 25, 2010
              • 569

              #21
              ^ Oh snap!

              Max Steel though, eh? Makes sense...and kind of cool! That snake villian from Max Steel is very neat, and these toys come very CHEAP (for the most part) as well! There was a dollar store near here selling a carded "gear set" that had a toolbox and tools and whatnot...just recently.

              Maybe now I'll have to grab some of these....maybe they are an extension of the superheroish 'P.A.C.K.'??

              As to the "gay following", this has been talked about frequently at a site my wife belongs to.
              In fact, there are many folks that DO see Jim and the boys as 'gay icons', deeming them 'positive gay archetypes', and whos to argue really?
              Who cares in the end though, they are TOYS...like the folks that actually "debate" the sexual orientation of He-Man characters....good lord... Honestly, when I was old enough to be 'aware' of such things, I had just assumed that my brother's Big Jim dolls were OBVIOUSLY intended to be gay characters....as a kid in about 1981, seeing the dolls themselves, how they were packaged, and the way that Mattel marketed them, yeah, seemed as plain as the nose on your face to me.

              Wasnt Jim sort of "out of time" anyhow, or? I mean to say, wasnt that apple pie Americana culture drying up by the swinging 70s? Even as a kid I thought that Jim's designs and play patterns seemed to be straight from the 50s...lets go camping and boating with the boys, lets have a swim meet, lets head on down to Smallville and sit around the campfire in Speedos and talk about how Johnny Unitas is the MOST, etc, heh. I sure couldnt relate, not when the shelves were filled with bizarre aliens, rubber monsters, and superheroes....I often wondered where a doll of an athletic young man with rubbery arms dressed in his underwear even FIT into things honestly.

              Comment

              • LadyZod
                Superman's Gal Pal
                • Jan 27, 2007
                • 1803

                #22
                You know, I hate adults labeling toys as gay or not.

                It's one thing when it's OBVIOUSLY marketed as such, and it's another when people with too much time on their hands "decide" an action must be gay because of whatever reason they pull out of their hiney.

                There were openly gay dolls available.

                Gay Bob (1977) is one which is highly sought after...





                as are the Billy dolls.



                There is no conspiracy. Mattel did not produce Big Jim as a gay line. They had Ken for that.
                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                My life through toys: Tales from the Toybox!
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                • Random Axe
                  The Voice of Reason
                  • Apr 16, 2008
                  • 4518

                  #23
                  Originally posted by LadyZod
                  You know, I hate adults labeling toys as gay or not.

                  It's one thing when it's OBVIOUSLY marketed as such, and it's another when people with too much time on their hands "decide" an action must be gay because of whatever reason they pull out of their hiney.

                  There were openly gay dolls available.

                  Gay Bob (1977) is one which is highly sought after...





                  as are the Billy dolls.



                  There is no conspiracy. Mattel did not produce Big Jim as a gay line. They had Ken for that.



                  That...is...AWESOME!


                  I can't remember ever seeing this before, though I've heard rumors. I swear, if CHrisDVM sess this he HAS to make this a MegoMeet exclusive figure. The best part is entire outfit is available at CTVT. I guess he'd have to have someone sculpt the anatomically correct "junk" to be accurate. Doubt he'd have any volunteers.
                  Last edited by Random Axe; Feb 17, '11, 11:46 PM. Reason: forgot the junk
                  I almost had a psychic girlfriend but she dumped me before we met.

                  If anyone here believes in psychokinesis, please raise my hand.

                  Comment

                  • Brown Bear
                    Still Old School
                    • Feb 14, 2008
                    • 7057

                    #24
                    Calling Big Jim gay is just proving one has too much time on their hands. Just like those fools who analyize Seasame Street and call Bert & Ernie a couple, some folks need to grow up and realize that a toy is just a toy unless marketed to be gay. Isn't it wrong to judge some one (or some toy) based on their appearance?
                    I personally find the topic ridiculous.

                    I DARE you to tell Dr Steel he looks gay. He'd rip your face off.
                    Check out my website: Megozine Covers - Home

                    Comment

                    • MIB41
                      Eloquent Member
                      • Sep 25, 2005
                      • 15631

                      #25
                      I think the 70's were a tad too innocent in kid's toys to believe manufacturers were instilling some kind of sexual undertone to encourage a particular lifestyle that was not widely accepted at that point. Thankfully our society got past that problem and came to accept everyone. But mainstream toys of the 70's reflected popular culture. Big Jim was really no different than Action Jackson.

                      Comment

                      • Brown Bear
                        Still Old School
                        • Feb 14, 2008
                        • 7057

                        #26
                        AJ too?! That explains why he's standing next to my EMCE Sulu on the shelf.

                        "Bold Adventure is my game!"
                        Check out my website: Megozine Covers - Home

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                        • MIB41
                          Eloquent Member
                          • Sep 25, 2005
                          • 15631

                          #27
                          OH MY!

                          Comment

                          • kingdom warrior
                            OH JES!!
                            • Jul 21, 2005
                            • 12478

                            #28
                            Originally posted by LadyZod
                            You know, I hate adults labeling toys as gay or not.

                            It's one thing when it's OBVIOUSLY marketed as such, and it's another when people with too much time on their hands "decide" an action must be gay because of whatever reason they pull out of their hiney.

                            There were openly gay dolls available.

                            There is no conspiracy. Mattel did not produce Big Jim as a gay line. They had Ken for that.
                            Yup,Feel the same. I label those adults who do that as pure idiots. Big Jim looks like a 70's jock with the side parted hair and long side burns all he needed was the big mustache and tacky baby blue tuxedo to go with the times...

                            My only complaint ever with Big Jim is i wish he would have been an 11'inch not 9' then he would have made Gijoe his Beeotch

                            I always thought Gay Bob was a great action figure he was more Man doll than all of them.......he has a Winky.....

                            Comment

                            • MIB41
                              Eloquent Member
                              • Sep 25, 2005
                              • 15631

                              #29
                              I wonder if that doll had a button in the back to make his arm go up and down...never mind...

                              Comment

                              • Mr.Krusher
                                Banned
                                • Oct 25, 2010
                                • 569

                                #30
                                Good lord...

                                It IS rather foolish to 'label' a TOY as gay, straight, or whatever, I agree. What I was meaning as far as my opinion of the Big Jim line is that it really never MATTERED one way or the other...thats just how I (and many of my peers..) saw the dolls. Its like showing someone two pictures, one of a horse and one of a chair. You obviously KNOW that a "chair is a chair" and a "horse is a horse", its inconsequential; your thought process doesnt even give it a second thought, am I making sense? I didnt really spend my childhood DWELLING on Big Jim's 'sexuality', lol, I'm saying it was cut and dry and thats that, kind of a "who cares/whatever" sort of thing. Sure, we all had our giggles about Prince Adam's choice of clothing, and we all had our comments about Ken, (even my sisters would do this..they would have my friends and I in STITCHES with their 'scenerios', taking our He-Man figures, Megos, and whatever else into almost Benny Hill territory at times...) but at the end of the day, just kids being kids really.

                                About that 'Gay Bob' doll, one of my wife's friends actually HAS one of those, in the box like that one, and he regularly breaks it out at parties!

                                Speaking of Sulu, I'd love to add a link here for the Shatner Roast, but I'm pretty sure that its WAY overboard in terms of language/graphic sexual descriptions...!

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