vintage 12 inch Gi joes

[Blacksmith]

8 minutes ago, jeeplover said:

group photo. my lovely wife wanted to feel included. baby yoda russian nesting doll.

Holy smokes!  That is a LEGIT SOTW collection.  They all look really complete - does the German guy have his Iron Cross?  That’s the only thing I don’t see, assuming the P08 is in the holster.

 

Seriously, nice work.

[numbersix]

1 hour ago, Blacksmith said:

I would really appreciate seeing your Action Man figures / accessories, if you ever get a chance.

 

I really tried to keep focused - which is a challenge for me - on the US Hasbro GI Joe '64-'69 figures.  As you can see from my pic, there are some Adventure Team flocked-hair guys that snuck into formation.  Though that Commander better be on a shaving profile (you prior-Army guys will get my quip there 😁).

 

I did buy one camo top and bottom from the Marx "All American Fighters" line, because I really liked the colors and pattern.  I'll try to remember to post a pic of that one.

 

 

 

I will add photos as I find items, these are the from the Action Man First Aid Centre accessories set:

 

 

 

I should be clear that all my Action Man stuff is mostly in very happily played with condition!

[268th C.A.]

nice display, yeah the guy that got my gijoe was astatic, I'm glad he has it. No MP-40 with mine.  

[doyler]

great topic. Brings back many memories. Still have my "Joe" and footlocker around. My stuff got played with a lot. Ine of my cousins had the Japanese Soldier and a Joe with Dress blues etc. The Japanese soldier still had the medal in the left pocket as well. Nambu pistol, rifle and bayonet I recall. His stuff stayed pretty nice as mine were always the battle casualties. another set of cousins had all kinds of Joes stuff. With 3 boys there was a variety. They had the Jeep and trailer, The Big jet and pilot tons or accessories. Also had the Astronaut and capsule, Marine and Green Beret and the Diver as well. Don't recall the foreign Joes, but they may have had them. Always wondered what had happened to all of the items.

[otter42]

I had a couple skin divers when I was young, and had a battery operated diving slide.  Anyone remember those? Found some pics online,  I sold all my stuff years ago. Srill have the space capsule and some miscellaneous Johnny West guns. 

[doyler]

11 minutes ago, otter42 said:

I had a couple skin divers when I was young, and had a battery operated diving slide.  Anyone remember those? Found some pics online,  I sold all my stuff years ago. Srill have the space capsule and some miscellaneous Johnny West guns. 

 

 

Very cool. I remember those and the frogman. I had the black frogman rubber suit. Now have a reissue one.

[otter42]

My old capsule looks like it came thru re-entry! I think these are all I have left. I remember dad changing out the license plates to 68, so I took the old 67 and stuck it on the side. All well used for sure!

[Blacksmith]

4 hours ago, Tolzer said:

FAO Schwarz, GI Joe Green Beret Series FAO Schwarz Special Forces 1998

 

Wow, I've not seen much of the more modern stuff - that detail is really nice.  The M-16 looks great.  Thank you for posting that.

[Blacksmith]

3 hours ago, numbersix said:

 

I should be clear that all my Action Man stuff is mostly in very happily played with condition!

Whoa!  That is some really cool bits - I especially like the First Aid ammo can.  I've not seen one of those before.  Thank you!

[12thengr]

 I didn't have any as a kid but the neighbor did. We used to play with them  in the empty lot next to his house. I did start collecting a few back in the 2000's . '90's series joes and some others, Dragon, Elite Brigade, Side Show etc. They now decorate the shelves in my war room. I was able to stop at about fifty😆 couldn't afford to collect them now. These are just a few.

[Blacksmith]

53 minutes ago, otter42 said:

I had a couple skin divers when I was young, and had a battery operated diving slide.  Anyone remember those? Found some pics online,  I sold all my stuff years ago. Srill have the space capsule and some miscellaneous Johnny West guns. 

 

Did the diving slide actually submerge and run under water?  That is awesome. 

 

A lot of folks aren't aware of this, but the diver suit would actually fill with air and climb to the surface.  The diving helmet cowling was actually two pieces, and when you screwed the helmet on it, it would 'sandwich' the suit between them, forming a seal (of sorts).  Then you toss the Joe in the tub / sink / etc, and blow air into the respirator on the end.  That would fill the suit with air, and make Joe float to the surface.  Really very creative. 

[Blacksmith]

16 minutes ago, otter42 said:

My old capsule looks like it came thru re-entry! I think these are all I have left. I remember dad changing out the license plates to 68, so I took the old 67 and stuck it on the side. All well used for sure!

 

 

 

 

The lunar module is fantastic.  I really like the license plate sticker on it.  Thank you for sharing that.  You need an astronaut Joe for it.  ;)

[Blacksmith]

6 minutes ago, 12thengr said:

 I didn't have any as a kid but the neighbor did. We used to play with them  in the empty lot next to his house. I did start collecting a few back in the 2000's . '90's series joes and some others, Dragon, Elite Brigade, Side Show etc. They now decorate the shelves in my war room. I was able to stop at about fifty😆 couldn't afford to collect them now. These are just a few.

Nice!  I know Hasbro did some commemorative and anniversary figures, and did really nice work on them.  I have one or two of the 90s figures, but they aren't Hasbro.  Both are German.  One is an MG42 gunner, that I couldn't leave at the store because he had a camo smock on...  

 

If I could find a really good 1:6 Tiger camo set, I'd buy it without hesitation.  They never did an original Joe Tiger set, but some guys make / sell them online.  Most - if not all - of the original Joe camo I see is the 'frogskin' bits - which I also really like.  

[Radio Operator]

For some reason as a kid in the 2000s I always found the older vintage toys more interesting than the modern ones which started my trips to antique shows and flea markets looking for 80's Star Wars and 60's-80's GI Joe figurines. I would get the anniversary editions for gifts as a kid since they looked like the originals but didn't cost as much. Only ever got two full size originals, the grey one has "kung fu grip" and a voice box which is unintelligible today. Always wanted to get the diver/frogman and the dress uniform either original or anniversary edition versions. 

 

    

[Blacksmith]

51 minutes ago, Radio Operator said:

For some reason as a kid in the 2000s I always found the older vintage toys more interesting than the modern ones which started my trips to antique shows and flea markets looking for 80's Star Wars and 60's-80's GI Joe figurines. I would get the anniversary editions for gifts as a kid since they looked like the originals but didn't cost as much. Only ever got two full size originals, the grey one has "kung fu grip" and a voice box which is unintelligible today. Always wanted to get the diver/frogman and the dress uniform either original or anniversary edition versions. 

 

    

 

I like the throw-back artwork on the "Anniversary Edition" boxes.  I have a couple of the original boxes somewhere. 

 

On your two bottom ones, both of those are Adventure Team era, 1970 or later.  The bearded Joe is the Commander, and the one in gray / no beard is the Man-of-Action.  I have repaired a handful of the talking Joes over the years.  The mechanism inside those is an engineering marvel.  It actually uses a stylus on a rotating arm, and physical media, like the grooves on a record; only it is in tape form, 'powered' by a roll spring.  I've fixed ones as simple as the pull cord being broken, and as difficult as the internal housing for the speech assembly being crushed.  The fact that they work after the abuse most Joes had meted out to them is beyond impressive.

[mikie]

In the 60's, my cousin, whose parents had a bit more financial resources than mine, had all the popular GI Joes, accessories, jeep, you name it.  I'm sure I had some but can't remember any of what I had.  But it wasn't a whole lot.  That was a long time ago when I was a young kid. Now I'm an old kid.  And I'm not feeling any GI Joe envy now seeing all yours.  Nope, none at all... Not a bit...

 

Mikie

 

[jeeplover]

i never had these as a kid was born to late. i had the star wars and small gi joes. these i always seen at a older cousins house. i was not allowed to touch them they thought i would break them. i 2 gi joe reference books today very cool. The COLLECTIBLE GI JOE An official guide to his action-packed world by DePriest   GI JOE VINTAGE ID GUIDE BOOK 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 12". the first book is very informative the second is a good picture book to see the sets.

[jeeplover]

8 hours ago, Blacksmith said:

Did the diving slide actually submerge and run under water?  That is awesome. 

 

A lot of folks aren't aware of this, but the diver suit would actually fill with air and climb to the surface.  The diving helmet cowling was actually two pieces, and when you screwed the helmet on it, it would 'sandwich' the suit between them, forming a seal (of sorts).  Then you toss the Joe in the tub / sink / etc, and blow air into the respirator on the end.  That would fill the suit with air, and make Joe float to the surface.  Really very creative. 

that is cool. i know when i got my diver the rubber coating in his dive suit was disintegrating so i turned the suit inside out and shook it off. wondered what it was for. now i know

[Radio Operator]

4 hours ago, Blacksmith said:

 

I like the throw-back artwork on the "Anniversary Edition" boxes.  I have a couple of the original boxes somewhere. 

 

On your two bottom ones, both of those are Adventure Team era, 1970 or later.  The bearded Joe is the Commander, and the one in gray / no beard is the Man-of-Action.  I have repaired a handful of the talking Joes over the years.  The mechanism inside those is an engineering marvel.  It actually uses a stylus on a rotating arm, and physical media, like the grooves on a record; only it is in tape form, 'powered' by a roll spring.  I've fixed ones as simple as the pull cord being broken, and as difficult as the internal housing for the speech assembly being crushed.  The fact that they work after the abuse most Joes had meted out to them is beyond impressive.

 

Thank you for the info! I figured the bearded one was an adventure team one and had no idea what era the gray one was from. I love the throwback boxes and use to display them when I had my shelves spaced further apart, their tall size makes them hard to stick somewhere 

[jeeplover]

check out the site in my first post. there is a easy break down for the era.

[12thengr]

 Some 'modern' Joes with their boxes, Classic G.I.Joe 40 year re-issue, 2004. Dragon 41st division infantry. Elite brigade Iwo Jima Marine .Side Show 5th Regiment WWI Marine.

[jeeplover]

pictures to come soon. i just got 2 new troops. a navy talker who still works. he had on the first pattern pocketless marine uniform on. then i got a blond solider of the world. he had on the normal green army fatigues. i will get a basic navy uniform for the talker. not sure what to do with the sotw. possibly put him away and dress him slow as i continue to get gear. i will try and keep this thread going as i get new stuff. i hope others will to. i posted this thread on several forums i got the best reaction here.. thank you guys or sharing and i look foreword to seeing more in the future.

[Blacksmith]

I read somewhere (loose citation) that some SOTW heads were put on regular Joes - particularly the ones that look like the German.

 

From recollection, the orange hair Joe was the Sea Adventurer and the blonde was the Sky Adventurer, and I know that I bought Joes with the German head, that was not in German gear - but it’s very possible that he “converted” along the way.

 

I had both of the Joe books that you referenced, but lost the one with the accessory detail in it somehow.

[jeeplover]

i was reading the reference books and there was a talker with a sotw head. i have been watching videos on youtube and it is crazy how durable the things are. every part almost can be replaced .

[Blacksmith]

19 minutes ago, jeeplover said:

i was reading the reference books and there was a talker with a sotw head. i have been watching videos on youtube and it is crazy how durable the things are. every part almost can be replaced .

Absolutely.  I think I mentioned above, I have repaired a bunch of pull-string talker Joes for buddies, and my own, and am amazed at how well they do under harsh mission conditions.  Kudos Hasbro!  🦾