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**Bruce Banner** · Feb 17, '11, 5:02 AM

Big Jim was one of the first toys I remember owning as a kid in Canada, along with my Mego superhero stuff.
Also had his camper van, and the giant clam underwater diving accessories set.

I always thought he was cool.

**haran_banjo_** · Feb 17, '11, 5:09 AM

Hi Bruce...do you remember, in the past, if you and your friends loved/played more Big-Jims or GI Joes or Megos?

**Bruce Banner** · Feb 17, '11, 5:46 AM

I think only one or two other kids I knew had Big Jims... but the memory is hazy now with the passing of years.

I think a few others also had WGSH, G.I. Joe, SMDM, etc., too.

**SlipperyLilSuckers** · Feb 17, '11, 5:57 AM

Don't quote me, but I am sure i read somewhere (perhaps Plaid Stallions?) that they stopped production in the US because sales had dropped so much.

I absolutely loved Big Jim as a kid, still do.

Apparently Max Steel is a relative of Big Jim...

**Brown Bear** · Feb 17, '11, 7:11 AM

The Big Jim PACK line is one of my favorites. We had a Dr Steel for years but never actually got a Big Jim until I was a teenager.

**MIB41** · Feb 17, '11, 7:25 AM

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.

**ironman1188** · Feb 17, '11, 8:28 AM

Originally posted by SlipperyLilSuckers

Apparently Max Steel is a relative of Big Jim...

Why do people keep reporting this?

**MIB41** · Feb 17, '11, 8:31 AM

Originally posted by ironman1188

Why do people keep reporting this?

Wikipedia...

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...hjGJUQ&cad=rja

**ironman1188** · Feb 17, '11, 8:55 AM

The problem with wikipedia is that they don't verify anything thats posted there. People take it as gospel but they're full of misguided information.

**palitoy** · Feb 17, '11, 9:13 AM

Just couldn't not comment on this.

From everything I've read, Big Jim was a huge seller for it's first two years and the Mattel strategy is to saturate the shelf space (a lot like they do with Barbie). Well in '74 they stuffed the shelves with time sensitive "Gold Medal" products (to tie in with the Montreal Olympics) and a lot of recycled stuff and it just peaked.

Jim's adventures weren't as evergreen as Mattel hoped. Sales slowed down immeasurably and the P.A.C.K was born out of an attempt to rebrand Jim out of the sluggish selling sports motive.

I think the P.A.C.K got kind of lost in all of that.

Mattel would have the same peak and slow decline a decade later with Masters of the Universe.

Do you remember about your child time if you owned Big-Jim, yes or not, and what did you think about him? In USA was a real success or not so great?

He was everywhere in '73-'74, all my friends had campers and Kung Fu studios and then somehow he was around less and less. I've told this story before but in the summer of '76 I went to Sears to buy a Big Jim and the section was gone. The clerk told me "Big Jim is cancelled" and I was destroyed. He found me a Gold Commander on the clearance table which I was grateful for but it was my first realization that toys don't get made forever.

Originally posted by ironman1188

The problem with wikipedia is that they don't verify anything thats posted there. People take it as gospel but they're full of misguided information.

Except in this case it's entirely correct. Jim's cameos in the series were a nice knod from Mattel and one they admitted was on purpose when the series was new.

**TrueDave** · Feb 17, '11, 9:35 AM

Never had any. I saw the ad for the Kung Fu studio in my comics.
Superheroes, EVERYTHING, got wiped out by STAR WARS! It was inescapable. :-(
I do get interested when i hear about Non US versions of costumes for Action Man, Lone Ranger, Etc.

**torgospizza** · Feb 17, '11, 10:23 AM

Originally posted by palitoy

Except in this case it's entirely correct. Jim's cameos in the series were a nice knod from Mattel and one they admitted was on purpose when the series was new.

This is also confirmed from the animated series' story editor here.

**MIB41** · Feb 17, '11, 10:26 AM

Originally posted by palitoy

Well in '74 they stuffed the shelves with time sensitive "Gold Medal" products (to tie in with the Montreal Olympics) and a lot of recycled stuff and it just peaked.

Jim's adventures weren't as evergreen as Mattel hoped. Sales slowed down immeasurably and the P.A.C.K was born out of an attempt to rebrand Jim out of the sluggish selling sports motive.

I think the P.A.C.K got kind of lost in all of that.

I can remember that like it was yesterday. I would walk into Ayrway or Roses. And there would be huge, free standing, displays of Gold Medal Big Jims in those thin boxes. And yet, oddly, it's one of the more rare versions you can find today. I was fortunate to get hooked up with a completed version in the box a few months back, right here in our marketplace. I love it. But I have never understood how so many of those got misplaced, lost, or destroyed. It would be like Action Jackson being a rare find for Megos. It just doesn't make sense based on the volume I saw as a kid. And the PACK were the last lines I remember seeing as a Big Jim brand, until they started using the bodies and heads for other characters like Grizzly Adams and Tarzan. So even though the license seem to fade, the bodies still got used for a while.

**kingdom warrior** · Feb 17, '11, 10:55 AM

I'm a Huuuuuuuuuuge Big Jim fan and had many of them and accessories.....I had Big Jim standard issue, Big Jim P.A.C.K leader and the whole team Dr.Steel being a favorite.
The Big Jim pack leader that changed faces. Big Jack who i bought to fight my muhammad ali mego. I had the Camper where they all hung out...lol

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Big-Jim - Reason about the end in the USA

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