GI Joe Collectors?

[samurainoir]

Anyone here collect GI Joes?

I'm just curious if there is a big divide between those who collect 12" and 3 3/4", or if there is also a degree of crossover. It interests me because I kind of straddle the two generations in my mid-thirties.

Do 12" and 3 3/4" Joe collectors hang out at the same conventions or websites/forums? Did moving popular 3 3/4" Joe characters like Snake Eyes, Duke, Destro, Storm Shadow etc into the 12" Hall of Fame series help convert the younger demographic of collectors to the 12" format? Did those collecting the 12" Military Joes move into the Adventure Team era, Super Joe and then the 3 3/4" Joes as well?

What about outside of North America? I understand that Action Man continued on and into the 3 3/4" Action Force era as well?

[jds1911a1]

I collect both but there is a real schism between the 2 at the conventions and it usually breaks down as a generation gap.
RAH fans are more over the top in costumes.
most RAH fans are under 35 and most GIJOE moveable fighting man fans are over 45. Like you I fall between the 2 I had a couple of muscel body adventure team joes as a kid but mostly RAH. in the 90's I discovered the 12" joes again before the prices went too high but also before the repros flooded from hasbro.

[jds1911a1]

to your other questions
the GIJOE collectors club is all scales of joe and the conventions highlight both major scales 12" and 3-4 inch

most over 40 12" scale fans are also fans of Adv team since it was the childhood progression

Superjoes are the goats never cought on with kids and Superjoes body contruction precludes them as a collectible unless MOC (where the fact joe is in pieces has no value detraction you are paying for the package as a whole).

Kids like me who caught the tail of Adv team also played w superjoe (expecailly with my megos and Emergency) and later the smaller joes joined my Star wars for play and I collected them till they got too funky in the later 80's) and I have got every one since the return of the scale in 1997

the RAH move to the 12" size did give a shot in the arm to the scale and in the late 90's the only joes were 12 in scale so kids bought em and dads whohad 60's joes bought em for the kids.
They sold well enough to warrant the reissues of the vintge repro joes. Most harcorps moveable fighting man fans view it like some here view CTVT and EMCE's - "CURSE those darn exact repro's they made mine worth less to sell or not as specail since anyone can get one"
Sadly hasbro has made a point to re release the same basic repros way too much with minor package variations. Only 1 "new" vintage body Joe came out in the entire vintage repro line from 1996 till now (excluding collectors club convention exclusives)- The FAO Scwartz Marine cadet
GI JOE TIMELESS FAO AIR FORCE & MARINE CADETS – MINT - eBay (item 190300505879 end time Apr-19-09 15:44:22 PDT)

in europe the 12" scale continued till the adoption of the 3" scale in 82 and the reissues Action men continue to be made of some amazing uk only sets but the prices are high due to the small production runs (much like Joe collectors club 12" scale figures)

[MIB41]

I was born in the 60's and did my important years of growing up in the early to mid 70's so 12 inch Joe's (mostly A-Team era) were always the best in my eyes. When Star Wars came out and then the 3 3/4 figures appeared a year later I was mortified. Those figures didn't compile enough plastic for one Joe leg, so I revolted and stayed away. Since that time I have collected a handful of characters in the 3 3/4 scale but never for Joe. I'm forever stuck in the 12 inch category for him. But, of course, I do understand the next generation that followed in the 80's and the cartoons that sold that new image. I can see why kids of that era fell in love with their Joe, like I did with mine.

[palitoy]

I just sort of got into the RAH stuff before I got out of action figures but the first waves contain some happy memories for me. I don't collect it but I think it's a great toy line.

The 6 year gap between RAH and Adventure team probably stopped more crossover appeal, you have to be a certain age to have appreciated both.

What's odd is when I began collecting in the 80s, the Joe collectors were primarily military guys who considered the AT stuff "Crap", I don't see that any more.

[Joe90]

I'm just curious if there is a big divide between those who collect 12" and 3 3/4", or if there is also a degree of crossover.

I've seen both: some adopt an "Us against Them" attitude while others are open to anything GI Joe.

Do 12" and 3 3/4" Joe collectors hang out at the same conventions or websites/forums? Did moving popular 3 3/4" Joe characters like Snake Eyes, Duke, Destro, Storm Shadow etc into the 12" Hall of Fame series help convert the younger demographic of collectors to the 12" format? Did those collecting the 12" Military Joes move into the Adventure Team era, Super Joe and then the 3 3/4" Joes as well?

There can be movement between the various scales but most stay with what they originally had. There are a few younger collectors who've gone over to Playscale. I think these latest 12" releases from HotToys is pandering to them. I started out collecting 12" Painted Hair and the move to AT came naturally. I don't make a distinction between Painted Hair and Fuzz Heads, they're all vintage in my eyes.

What about outside of North America? I understand that Action Man continued on and into the 3 3/4" Action Force era as well?

I haven't met any 3 3/4 scale Action Man collectors.

[Adam West]

I haven't been to any conventions or participate on any boards so I'm pretty oblivious to what others collect.

GI Joe AT team was my thing. I have a brother 10 years older than me who must have had some original Joe's but I don't ever remember seeing them (they must have been long gone by then). I do have some vintage clothing from AT and original Joe that were mixed together and the Land Adventurer that I had as a kid. I have since purchased a couple of orignial AT Joes but not many.

I have quite a few repros of original Joes and AT Joes (some I have sold to pare down my collection). I never got into the 3 3/4 series but definitely remember the cartoon.

[cjefferys]

GI Joe mostly just fell through the cracks for me. I was a bit too old when the RAH were released, and I wasn't a big fan of the AT stuff, as I mostly liked superhero/fantasy/sci-fi figures, so the AT was a bit boring for me. The only Joe I had as a kid was Atomic Man. That six year gap probably didn't help the situation for me either, and it was during that time that I was heavily into Star Wars.

Oddly, the only vintage Joes I collect are Super Joes. The sci-fi subject matter appeals to me, and although I didn't have any as a kid, they were the only Joes I recall really wanting to get back then (along with Bulletman).

[HardyGirl]

Well, I was born in '66, so it was the Adventure Team for me (or at least my cousins who I would play with at that time). When my younger half-brother was little, I remember waiting w/ anticipation for the GIJoe Cartoon, only to be greatly disappointed. The RAH were nothing like my beloved AT, so I was not remotely interested. And I always thought little action figures weren't much fun. I haven't been to a convention, but I've been to quite a few toy shows and overheard fans of the little RAH figures saying that "don't people know real GIJoes are 3 & 3/4 inches tall?" Oh boy.

[toys2cool]

I'm an 80's kid so of course the RAH were my thing,but as a kid I really got into the 12" ones after I bought my first fuzzy head at a toy show in 1990 I've collected both and still do

[vulcan2074]

The 12 inch G.I. Joes are Cool but they have nothing on the 3 3/4 figures as far as I'm concerned. I grew up with the RAH. Thats an Amazing toy line. They bring back so many Great memories
Sammy

[samurainoir]

Any thoughts around the appeal of a generic "Barbie" type guy referred to as "GI Joe" in all his 12" multiple hair colors/military branches/skin tones incarnation, versus specific characters and personalities like Snake Eyes and Duke that were created for the Real American Hero line?

What about the Comic Book/Animated Series aspect that informed so much of 80's toy consumerism?

My brother has invited me to go with him to a GI Joe convention and I'm really not sure what to expect, but we had an interesting chat about the generational aspects of 12" versus 3 3/4" and the dynamics around that kind of interaction intrigues me.

Theoretically, you could have three generations of a family converging on something like this... the grandfather who played with 12" military Joe, his son in his late twenties/early thirties who grew up with RAH, and the grandson (under 10) who is excited about this new live action movie.

[rche]

I am in the middle of the AT/ RAH gap. In my mind the fuzzheads and AT win, tho.
I never did get into the tv show or comic for GI JOE. I was more into the open ended characters of the AT and earlier military lines. It still boils down to the issue of playing with them as a kid. I played with tall fuzzheads at my cousins house and I don't think I could ever get past the awesomeness of the space capsule with the Mercury 45 in it.
But then again, I still have a record player too.

It is interesting that the AT era is now commanding the same sort of respect the earlier items were and that the differences there have now been blurred.

I am also a fan of reproduction items. As long as there is a way to tell the difference with a copyright or whatever, I see no problems there. Big money collectors are still going to go with big money for the real deal. The general economic landscape and the fact that toys in general are sort of slumping contribute more to declines in pricing.
Repros and custom repros are sometimes the only way to fill gaps and sate the collecting for sooooper tough items. Things like the Humanoid, GI Jane nurse, Jet Jaguar. These are not available for any but the high dollar pushers in the world. I am not so much of a purist as to not allow a representation of the item on my shelf. If I ever came across the real deal, then the placeholder is removed.

I think Hasbros repros of the old style joes invigorate the line and get collectors to think about filling in the gaps with some of the old school stuff. Plus, the company gets sales. I am sure Hasbro is not concerned with the going prices for vintage items. They get no piece of a secondary market.

But hey, AA talking commander, foreign head Joe. Keep 'em coming! I wanna see that nurse.

[Joe90]

But hey, AA talking commander, foreign head Joe. Keep 'em coming! I wanna see that nurse.

Somebody's been keeping an eye on what the GI Joe Club has been up to...

[david_b]

I too grew up closer to the AT stuff.. Once I started giving up on finding new Captain Action stuff around '71, my parents actually bought me a new Talking AT Commander, hot off the shelves..! After collecting a few AT items, I ended up using the AT Headquarters as my Batcave for the RM Dynamic Duo when they came out..

I never got into the '80s small line (in college by then..), but the only set I wish I would have bought the huge shuttle and launch complex back in the day. Now THAT'S a cool set. Still runs over a $100 on eBay, plus I wouldn't be sure if I had all the pieces, etc..

A very, very nice set indeed..