As part of G.I. Joe's 30th anniversary, Hasbro rolled out a solid lineup of commemorative products. They heavily focused on the burgeoning 12" figures as it was a space that was growing and was a direct homage to Joe's 12" origins. There were some 3 3/4" products, too. The crown jewel was supposed to be the 3 3/4" Joseph Colton figure. And, collectors bought that in such numbers that he remains an easy and cheap acquisition to this day. The retail throwbacks, though, were 4 individually boxed figures that were imitations of early 12" Joe figures. The Soldier, Marine, Pilot and Sailor all came in individual boxes with artwork meant to evoke those first 12" figures. There was also a boxed set with some paint variations and a new Astronaut figure to round out the product line.
The entire point of these figures was to draw in the emerging adult collector market. By 1994, adults were enough of a market that targeting products to them made sense. Kids would buy up the rest. And, by 1995, with the return of the Star Wars line to retail, the notion of a collector friendly toy line became mainstream. In the case of the 30th Anniversary Joes, though, the appeal to adults meant higher prices, special packaging and extra accessories. On some level it worked. But, on another, it failed. The 30th Anniversary figures were bought up. But, most were left boxed and unwanted. When the failed to take off on the secondary market, disappointed 12" collectors liquidated them, often for below the original retail price. And, even in 2025, the figures remain common and affordable.
I do have one memory of seeing the 30th Anniversary boxed set of 5 figures at a Toys R Us on a busy day right before Christmas in 1994. It was a big set that was expensive. For someone who was working in a deli for 10 days to raise enough money to survive the entire next semester without working again, it was just too much. So, I bought some other carded Joes that day that were more affordable. I don't remember much about the set: other than knowing it existed. And, I forgot about it until 1999 or so. At that point, I became obsessed with the Action Series figures. They were cheap at the time ($5 for less for a boxed figure) and very available. No one wanted them. So, for a few weeks, I snatched up multiples of most of the figures with intentions of army building them. Once I had a few in my collection, though, my interest in the figures cooled. This was both a combination of them no longer being new and also a result of my finding the figures not as exciting as I had hoped one I had them in hand. So, my quick obsession turned into a memory as I moved on to other areas of collecting.
In 2000, I had my first pool. So, divers were a priority. By then, though, the notion of using the Action Sailor had somewhat passed. I was high on the 1998 Diver set. And, they were my focus for army building diver figures. I did get the Action Sailors out. And, one of the very few photos I have of the waterfall that fell into that first pool features both versions of the 1994 Action Sailor. In 2001, no one really photographed the figure. (Not too many people photographed Joes, in general as digital cameras were just becoming a thing.) So, I wanted to take a chance to showcase the figure and that it was cool.
When I opened my first version of this figure, I found him odd. There was something about the figure that seemed...off. Sure, the design was an homage to a frogman from the 1960's. But, that was fine. It was the actual figure, though, that felt a bit out of place. Part of that is the scuffed up mask. This was an intentional choice by Hasbro. (Originally, the mask was going to be orange and the figure appears that way in the 1994 Toy Fair Catalog.) And, it makes every figure appear to be worn. It was disconcerting to see on a figure fresh from his box. The gear didn't help. It is awkward to attach the figure's hose. It fits great once it's in place. But, getting it there is more of a hassle than it should be. The sled and backpack, though, also felt cheap. They were hollow. This was a hallmark of a knockoff line trying to save pennies rather than G.I. Joe where quality was the calling card of the brand.
The Action Sailor has ended up being my least used member of the Action Series. I've rarely used him in photos. When I do get him out, he provides some visual interest since you don't often see the figure used in Joe photography. But, it's difficult to find a setting where his appearance makes sense. His gear and sculpt really require him to be used in water. His retro design and coloring, though, makes him a tough match for later Joe vehicles that are contemporary to his release. He can work on the Whale. But, even there, he feels like a relic. The lack of characterization means he's perfect for army building. Again, though, there are other diver figures in the line who are also prime for army building and include better gear with more intricate colors.
The Action Sailor's sculpt is an excellent example of where less is more. At first blush, the figure sculpt appears bland. But, once you get past the all back obfuscation of the sculpted details, you realize that there's a little bit going on with the Sailor's mold. It is, easily, the best sculpt of the 5 Action Series figures. The figure has straps that suggest they hold his air tanks in place. (The Action Marine is missing anything to hold his pack to his body.) There is a silver zipper on the front of the wetsuit. His dive belt features weights and is far more intricate than other belts on his series mates. The final detail is a shin knife sculpted on the figure's right foot. It's a small detail. But, everything adds up to make the Sailor more intricate that he, at first, appears to be.
The Action Sailor's gear is interesting, useful and ridiculous. To start with, all of his gear is bright blue. Wearing it gives the Sailor more visual depth. The orange Action Sailor does include black accessories. But, putting the black gear on the all black body simply washes the figure out and makes the gear difficult to discern. So, the blue gear is better on the single boxed figure. The figure includes a good amount of gear. There is an air tank backpack. To this, attaches a hose that wraps around the figure's head. It features a pin that plugs into the Sailor's face to affix the hose in place. The figure also includes two flippers and a flashlight that are similar to those from the 1986 Wet Suit. His features a long spear gun. As spear guns go, it's the weakest design in a line that is full of far better renditions of this underwater weapon. It works with the figure. But, overall, it's weak. The package is rounded out by the requisite spring loaded missile launcher and missile. The oversized accessory that was used to justify the higher retail price is a sea sled. It's the lamest of the additional set pieces included with the four figures. It looks cheap and out of place among Joe accessories. Again, there are many sea sled like accessories in the line. And, they are all better than this one. But, it's big, blue and hard to miss. So, it was used to justify a higher retail price tag.
The Action Sailor was used twice. Both were in 1994 and were, basically, concurrent releases. The black version was available as a single figure in a box. And, the orange repaint was available as part of the 5 figure gift set. The mold didn't reappear again. In the late '90's, a company made some keychains that were based on the Action Series figure molds. You can find both orange and black Action Sailor keychains. When they were a $2 novelty, the keychains could have some value. But, you're far better off tracking down the actual figures. It's certain that Hasbro had the Action Series molds in the early 2000's. But, the Sailor never reappeared. That's probably not a bad thing since we got plenty of better diver sculpts, characters, colors and gear from the figures that Hasbro released instead.
None of the Action Series figures are popular. And, they all exist in massive quantities. (It's likely they are more common than any other 1994 G.I. Joe releases.) This combination leaves you with a very cheap to acquire figure, these days. While dealers will ask an average of $25 for a loose, mint and complete figure, you can buy all the boxed figures you want for around $17, each. That's the only way to go. And, if you want to get a lot of all four of the 30th Anniversary boxed figures, you can often lower the overall price to well under $15 per figure. It's a paltry sum for a Joe figure. So, there's no reason that price or availability is a barrier to owning the Action Sailor. Desire, though, likely is the reason you don't have one. Every diver figure in the line is better than the Action Sailor. His value is as both an homage and an oddity. Outside of that, there's little reason to bother with the character.
I've been getting into underwater figures lately so this is a great post! :) Also, are you telling me most divers *don't* have bright blue oxygen tanks and gear on them?! ;) -Chev
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