1983 Silver Pads Grand Slam

When the JUMP jet pack came out in 1982, it was pretty cool, but didn't come with a figure. Many people bought it, but many more, like me, passed on it for whatever reason. In 1983, they re-released the JUMP. This time it included a figure. This figure, known as Silver Pads Grand Slam, was a repaint of the Grand Slam figure that had come with the HAL laser cannon. I don't think this re-release saw a great distribution. I wanted one, but only found them at a Service Merchandise. In late 1984, I got this jet pack for my birthday. (My infamous 11th birthday where in a two week span I got this, Major Bludd, the Whale, Stormshadow, and all three Dreadnoks. I still remember the monumental battle my friends and I had at the party.) This figure immediately went into my heavy play rotation. I liked him because no one else had him. Whenever I would play with the neighbors, they would always have the same figures and we would argue over who would get to use whose figures. Since this was the only version of the Silver Pads Grand Slam, I didn't have to worry about unnecessary hassles with him.

This guy made the successful transition from Jet Pack trooper to pilot. I used him as the pilot of the Dreadnok version of the Sky Hawk. I gave him his visor, Lifeline's air mask, and Snow Job's gun. He was one of my favorite pilot figures and he occupied the cockpit of that Dreadnok Sky Hawk until it met it's untimely demise in the clutches of my youngest brother. You can see by the condition of this figure that he got extensive use for many years. He was one of only three or four of the original mold Joes who were able to survive in my play rotation for many years. Again, though, it was what I had done with the figure rather than the figure itself that kept it interesting. My pilot armada was shot down a thousand times by Cobra Hydrofoils, ASPs, Hisses, and troopers. I made him a faceless minion who sometimes saved the day, and other times was the innocent victim of a new Cobra weapon. It was that versatility that kept him in my collection and allowed him to survive until today.

The Silver Pads Grand Slam is an easy custom figure. He's really not all that exciting. I think that has helped keep his popularity down. All you need is an original Grand Slam and a bottle of silver paint and you've got one of these guys. Since he is so unglamourous, most people don't pay attention to him. He isn't the type of figure that makes you automatically want him, but he is one of those guys that helped keep a great line going. With some of the less popular figures, Hasbro was able to keep cool toys on the shelves. I was able to get this guy just before he disappeared because he wasn't all that cool of a figure. Had it not been for that, I would have missed out on the jet pack, which was one of the better accessories they release early on. Anyways, I've lost my train of thought and since no one is reading , I'm just going to bail out here.

This guy is kind of tough to find. When they do appear, they can get pricey. Many people consider him complete with only his helmet and visor. Since those accessories are rather interchangeable among many original joes, he isn't too tough to find complete. I've seen this guy go for a mint, and escape for a song. He is getting more popular though, as the dealers seem to be moving into Joe territory. At least they will all take a bath before they realize that joe collectors don't dig variations and none of the figures are truly rare. Save the .0000 vs. .0001 crap for the Star Wars fans. Anyways, this guy is pretty cool. If you get a chance to pick one up, you should take it. This is one of those guys that doesn't seem to turn up unless he is offered by himself. Not many people bought another JUMP just to get a repainted figure. As such, we are left with another of those little known figures that aren't all that popular but make excellent additions to any collection.
You can view this guy's filecard here.

I'm not after any more of this guy, at least not yet. If you have any figures of a great nostalgic value and you would never part with them, email me.