50th anniversary of the GI Joe doll...

[Archae]

I had the 60's ones, my nephews had the 80's tiny versions.

One was a Army "grunt," the other a frogman.

Anyone else have them?

[MicaelS]

1. I had the 12" Air Force one.

I wanted the Army Soldier version. Some of my friends had the "Rat Patrol" jeep. Boy, was I jealous.

[Archae]

2. I wanted the astronaut one.

Never did get it.

But the frogman was cool.

[Packerowner740]

16. I've got the frogman.

[warrprayer]

3. Rat Patrol jeep,

Space Capsule, frogman, and a few others that had they been saved in original condition would pay for my retirement.

[malthaussen]

5. Yeah, no kidding.

And let's not talk about our baseball cards. Mantle, Mays, Aaron... oh, woe, if I had only known.

-- Mal

[warrprayer]

7. I shot my friend in the head with...

a toy cannon that fired a cannonball made of hard plastic the size of a grapefruit at about 25 yards. We were playing Army. Instead of falling down and playing dead like he was supposed to, he ran up and broke my cannon. I got my butt tanned when Dad saw I had taken an expensive toy out the first time and got it broke...
but... it was kind of like this -

I read recently, that this toy cannon made the top ten list of most dangerous toys. It was different times - 1967.

[OriginalGeek]

20. Speaking of dangerous toys

I was rummaging through my Grandpa's garage recently and found a set of Jarts. Still in the box. I remember playing with them when I was maybe 5 or 6.



Grandpa told me I had such lousy aim it's a wonder any of us are still alive. Funny guy, Grandpa.

This would have been late 60s/early 70s


I also had a GI Joe with Kung Fu grip back then.

[malthaussen]

4. I still have one of mine.

Collected those things sedulously. The cats used to chew on them, producing some ugly scars. Later I also... dare I say it?... picked up a couple of Barbies because, you know, I felt sorry for the guys.

Fought a lot of wars with those things. Got the Rat Patrol jeep and even a couple of the Other Belligerents dolls. Hasbro really had my number.

-- Mal

[DebJ]

17. Hm, how much later? LOL n/t

[malthaussen]

19. I'll never tell... n/t

[Sanity Claws]

6. Action figure, not doll

I remember a man corrected me when I called GI Joe a doll. He collected "action figures," and did not want anyone to think he collected dolls. I guess Barbie is an action figure too.

[dionysus]

9. ...only an action figure when she gets with Ken...

[Sanity Claws]

10. I think she got some action from GI Joe too

[hunter]

14. Old dirty joke that I probably shouldn't post...

I remember some "erotic" art show in the early 'seventies, Barbie, Ken, Joe and a few others having the kinky sorts of fun plastic dolls enjoy...

But, (gasp!) Barbie and Ken were Mattel, GI Joe was Hasbro.

I suspect that's the true reason Joe got rescaled, not that Hasbro wanted to sell more accessories like cars at a more parent-friendly price.

Ken simply didn't like the competition.

[warrprayer]

11. see post #3....

the Nissan commercial. Ken didn't stand a chance against Joe.

[dionysus]

8. oh yeah tons of the 80s ones!

[Iggo]

12. I had GI Joe with Lifelike Hair.

My little brother had GI Joe with King Fu Grip.

[Auggie]

13. I had several from the 60's

Including these German and French versions (the German guy always got captured).

[Packerowner740]

15. I don't have my sixties Joe anymore but

I do have about 75 commemorative editions from the 70s on.

[Scruffy Rumbler]

18. I was a Big Jim/Big Jake kind of guy.

I was the first .... and only kid in my neighborhood with a bi-racial gay couple living in a RV! I wasn't given GI Joe... I think it was a subtle way for my mother to impress the no war thing during the early 70's. None of the Big Jim occupations involved war! But he was short at about 10"!

http://collecting.wdfiles.com/local--files/image:mattel-big-jim-sports-camper/big_jim_sports_camper.jpg