Thursday, June 8, 2017

Rarities - Cobra M.S.V. (Canadian Exclusive)

In 2000, I bought a lot of figures and vehicle parts from a Canadian who was selling his childhood collection.  In the photos was a Rumbler, who I needed at the time.  So, coupled with a few army builders, this was enough to get me to bite on it.  He told me there was another pile of stuff, too.  When it arrived, it turned out the other "pile of stuff" was quite a bit of figures and gear.  I was ecstatic to get a not pictured Star Duster, Night Viper and Alley Viper.  There was also a lot of miscellaneous vehicle parts.  I didn't really look at them and put them into a case that was included while I sorted and put away the figures.  A year or two later, I was looking through the parts when two VAMP gas cans molded in black grabbed my attention.

They were flat black rather than the glossy black versions that were included with the Tiger Force VAMP.  Also in the pile was a black center piece to an MMS.  I thought it might be from the SMS.  But, that wasn't released in Canada.  That's when I realized that I had pieces to the Canadian Exclusive MSV.

The MSV was a retailer exclusive in Canada.  The set included a black version of the VAMP with an all black version of the MMS which were now aligned with Cobra.  The VAMP uses the 192 VAMP mold without the shovel on the hood.  The MMS appears to be unchanged from the original release, other than the color.  It's a classic pairing of iconic Joe vehicles done up in colors that would perfectly match the Hiss Tank.

At it's core, I'm torn on this toy.  It's extremely cool.  But, the fact is that we do have the Stinger jeep which is a very similar mold in the same colors.  The SMS is hard to find, but is the same as the MSV missile base and the only difference is red missiles instead of black.  Taking a Stinger and SMS missile trailer gives you a more visually attractive MSV at a fraction of the price.  So, from a practicality standpoint, the MSV offers very little to a Cobra army.  On the other hand, though, the all black VAMP is sleek and the differences with the mounted twin gun are enough that makes me really want a few MSV's to round our my classic Cobras.

High quality MSV's are very rare and very expensive.  Gem mint specimens easily top $1,000.  The extremely low production run and high propensity for breakage or lost pieces makes getting a perfect one a very difficult proposition.  The fact that it's the highly coveted VAMP mold in black and given to Cobra just adds to the mystique.  This set would look great among an early Cobra army.  I can picture Stinger Drivers manning the jeep with Cobra Troopers setting up the MMS.  It would be a perfect blend with other, early Cobra vehicles.  The price and availability, though, make this one a stretch dream for me, though.
Canada, Canadian Exclusive, MSV, MMS, VAMP, Rare G.I. Joe Toys

Canada, Canadian Exclusive, MSV, MMS, VAMP, Rare G.I. Joe Toys

Canada, Canadian Exclusive, MSV, MMS, VAMP, Rare G.I. Joe Toys



Canada, Canadian Exclusive, MSV, MMS, VAMP, Rare G.I. Joe Toys

Canada, Canadian Exclusive, MSV, MMS, VAMP, Rare G.I. Joe Toys

Canada, Canadian Exclusive, MSV, MMS, VAMP, Rare G.I. Joe Toys


Canada, Canadian Exclusive, MSV, MMS, VAMP, Rare G.I. Joe Toys

10 comments:

  1. The MSV was bad as hell. Really evened up the conflict. Based on experience from looking at random joe stuff at toy shows and flea markets; it had to have been a pretty popular item based on the number of parts you can luck into.

    The SMS was also released in Canada.

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  2. One of those things, like the Sears Cobra trooper set, that pre-internet price guides were totally ignorant of and even online guides were too for some time. Of course, this isn't a domestic US release and old price guides rarely mentioned such stuff.

    Wouldn't take much to make a modern version. Of that would be through the club at this point. And I guess that would annoy they people who own the MSV, even though the remade VAMP mold is different.

    The neat thing about the jeep here is that Cobra used them in Lybia in GI JOE issue number...18, IIRC.

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  3. Just so you know, the Sears SMS did actually make it to Canada. It was shelf warming for the longest time and for months, that was the ONLY G.I.Joe toy available at my local Sears. I wish I kept mine.

    As for the MSV, I had one, but never kept it cause it wasn't 'official' in my eyes cause it wasn't in the included toy catalogs. Silly me.

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  4. I don't think I even knew this vehicle set existed before this post, Mike, this is some crazy level of obscurity

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  5. I don't think I even knew this vehicle set existed before this post, Mike, this is some crazy level of obscurity

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  6. I still have mine from when I was a kid. Thankful for those trips to Canada, with Grandma to visit her sister. Usually meant a stop at Devonshire Mall, and a toy from Sears!

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    1. Aha, you visited Windsor then? They're adding on a massive food court to Devonshire mall now. It looks pretty neat.

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  7. I'm a Canadian collector who has been hunting Joes for twenty years, and I've only ever seen two of these. My first encounter with one was about ten years ago at a toy show in Ottawa Ontario. I saw the black MMS trailer complete with the computer, stand, and all three black missiles. The seller didn't really know what it was, and neither did I, but I bought it for $20. I then did some research and found out what it was from, and I fell in love! I had to have one complete in my sweaty Canadian hands... five years later at another toyshow in Toronto, there it was on the high wall for $900. Just the Jeep... missing parts and in less than great shape. I was crushed! There was no way I could bring myself to spend that kind of cash on a chippy, incomplete MSV. I walked around the corner to another booth and a guy had a ton of early joe vehicles on tables, and there it was: in perfect condition with both gas cans and the gun and the winch bar for $20!!! The only thing i'm still missing is the steering wheel, so mine has a Tiger Sting steering wheel for now. It is dead mint and by far one of the coolest Cobra vehicles ever!

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  8. I own 2 complete MSV's as well as a Consumer Direct Black Mobat tank. They are unique and great display pieces.

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  9. Sold one about 10 years ago on Ebay for $400 US to a buyer in Spain, complete, small crack near the windshield of the jeep.

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